John 15:16: ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen
you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your
fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he
may give it you’.
A vessel is an
object designed for the sole purpose of holding, or containing, something. It is a very important tool in every household. Every household keeps
a set of vessels for various reasons. Some to serve noble visitors, others for
‘ordinary’ people or for household
users. Mostly, vessels for noble purposes are made of quality materials and
mostly kept well than those for lesser use, which are normally made of less
expensive materials.
The church
as a great house
In the same way, the church is like
a great house (2Tim. 2:20-21) with God as the owner and we (Christians) as
‘vessels’ for the master’s (God) use. Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s workmanship created in Christ
Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in.
We are saved to serve.
You may think that God uses people who have impressive abilities and gifts
(1corin.1:27), but no! In Acts 9:15-17- God chose Paul for His use during his
persecution of the church. He chooses whom He wants to use according to His
purpose.
While spiritual gifts play a part, they are not the main
feature being used by God to choose for His work. As sometimes happens, a man
may be a gifted Christian leader and yet bring terrible disgrace to the name of
Christ. Or you may think that God uses a person who has been to theology school
but this has not been the case either. As God’s vessels we are designed to contain God. We are to fill
ourselves with Him. We are to read our Bibles and fill ourselves with the Word.
We are to have communion with God and learn how to have His heart and His mind.
It takes time but we need to make the conscious effort and desire. It is however
necessary, that we be clean and holy vessels.
As a dirty bowl will contaminate foods placed in it, we will contaminate
any good thing God wants to use us for if we are not clean and holy. All our
thoughts, opinions, feelings, past hurts, attitudes, and everything that has
happened to us throughout our lives, become part and parcel of our actions and
words. All those things make us unique individuals for God’s use.
Qualities of God’s chosen vessel/ who is a chosen vessel of
God (The Person God uses)
2Timothy 2:21 says ‘If
a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour,
sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work’.
God therefore uses cleansed people who flee sin and pursue righteousness for
His noble uses. The person God uses should therefore be:
·
Born again (Jn. 3:3; 1Pet.1:23, Jn. 1:12). Today
some associate with the church but are not truly born again and falsehoods- They are the vessels of dishonor e.g.
2Tim. 2:17-18,1Tim. 1:20 (hymenaeus & Philetus). They only belong to the
numbers of the church (occasional members)
·
Filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). In Acts 10:44-48, some of
us have not been tagged by the Holy Spirit and therefore live anyhow and
ignoble. See what the Holy Spirit used Peter and co. to do after Pentecost- doing wonders for the Lord.
·
Be a cleansed person (1Thesss. 4:7, 2Corin. 7:1). We need
to purge ourselves from the defilement of sin. How can you be born-again in
Christ and keep on sinning (Rom. 6:1-4)? You need to confess your sins to God
for forgiveness and forsake your sins. It is only a vessel of dishonor that walks
in darkness and continues to sin.
·
Be set apart unto God. Honourable vessels are dedicated. They
conform to the image of Jesus Christ and grow in the process of being separated
from all doctrinal and moral evil. A chosen vessel pursues righteousness and
not iniquity (2Tim. 2:19)
·
Pursues peace. We live in a world of troubles, un-forgiveness
and mischief but the chosen vessel always strives to bring peace irrespective
of his pain (Rom. 12:18)
·
Pursues love. Not being selfish and gets focus off
yourself but unto others, befriending a lonely person, visit the sick, listen
to the hurt, courage to speak to a bro/sis who is into sin to forsake and be
restored unto the Lord; being patient, kind, not easily provoked (1corin.
13:1-13)
·
Being obedient to the word of God and
not legalist
(John 14:15,21). Consult the bible as life manual.
·
Be faithful. i.e. reliable, trustworthy in a job
given by Christ to serve (Lk. 16:11, 1corin, 4:2)
·
Die- to- self. Luke 9:23-25
Question
That
leads me to ask, “What kind of vacancy
would there be in the church if you left or become incapacitated?” It is
God’s clear intention that every one of His people be used in serving Him
through the Lord Jesus Christ. He has given gifts to each one to be used as
good stewards. And yet, for so many that have put on the name of Christ, are
like hidden vessels in the household. Your lifestyle is not making impact on
people- when they see you, they see
gossip, evil, lies, theft, adultery, fornication, husband snatcher, impatience,
quarrelsome or destroyer (Gal. 5:19-21). You cannot be a vessel for the
Masters (God) use with this character.
Conclusion
The vessel is to bring Honor to the Lord and the Master of
the House. If we are to bring Honor to Him, then we must be clean vessels ready
for His use. Holiness is essential to be used of God. 1 Peter 1:15 says
“as he which hath called you is holy, so
be ye holy in all manner of conversation”
The people who are consecrated to
God and separated from the issues of the world, are the people that God will
use to be the ‘chosen vessels’- sanctified
and fit for the master’s use and prepared unto every good work (Eph. 2:10).
You have to be a
cleansed person who constantly flees from sin and pursues godliness. Sanctify yourself and you will be a chosen vessel for God’s use.
God
needs holy vessels for His work today, How READY are you for His use? Amen!
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