WWUTT 686 Be Vessels for Honorable Use?

Vessels of Honor and Dishonor in 2 Timothy 2

Throughout the scriptures, Old Testament and New, people are compared to being pots, jars, vessels, some for honorable use and some for dishonorable use. And Paul says, be a vessel for honorable use when we understand the text.

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Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. We're still in 2 Timothy 2. If you want to open up your Bible and join with me there, I'll begin reading in verse 20 and we'll go to the end of the chapter.

The Apostle Paul writes, Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies. You know they breed quarrels, and the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.

God may perhaps grant them repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. So at the start of this section, Paul refers to vessels of honorable use and vessels of dishonorable use.

There are vessels of gold and silver. There's also vessels of wood and clay. Some are greatly valued. Some are intricately ornamented. And then there are vessels that, well, are simply not worth as much.

They won't last as long, and they will quickly waste away or be thrown into the fire or be trampled into dust. And this is a common illustration that Paul uses in several of his letters. As a matter of fact, I just talked about this yesterday in church.

Jars of Clay and the Treasure of the Gospel

So this is kind of a continuation of a sermon that I did yesterday that began in 2 Corinthians 4, 7, where we read, we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

So there, Paul refers to us as jars of clay. And we're just very simple, humble vessels that carry within ourselves a surpassing power that belongs not to us, but to God. So what is this treasure that we have that is in jars of clay?

It's the treasure of the gospel of Jesus Christ that Paul had just talked about in the previous verses. It is this gospel that brought us from death to life. It is this gospel that was spoken into our hearts and where there previously was nothing, suddenly by the power of God, there was saving faith.

The same power that brought all things into existence from nothing is the very power that brought saving faith into our lives where previously there was just death and the promise of future destruction before the gospel of Jesus Christ came into our lives.

So we carry within ourselves within these bodies that are dying and wasting away. We carry within ourselves the power of the gospel that resurrects and gives life and gives hope and a promise of an imperishable kingdom, which we will receive on the day of Christ.

So the apostle Paul finds it necessary to remind his readers and the Holy Spirit speaks to us even now of our mortality and our need for a savior. And we who have repented from sin and believe the gospel have a surpassing power that dwells within these otherwise mortal decaying bodies were referred to as vessels.

And again, it's an illustration that Paul uses in multiple places. Another place we see this come up is in 1 Thessalonians 4, 4. And when a few months back we were doing our study of 1 Thessalonians, we read the following beginning in verse 3, for this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God, that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.

For God is not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this disregards not man, but God who gives his Holy Spirit to you. So there it's that reference in verse four, where Paul says that each one of you know how to control his own body.

There are some translations that render this. Each one know how to control his own vessel. For we are, our bodies are, but vessels. And it is the power of God through the gospel that dwells within us that will, that has given life to our souls, which will live even beyond the death of this body.

Of course, we're also looking forward to a day in which Christ will transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him to subject all things to himself, as Paul talks about in Philippians chapter three.

But until that day comes, we still inhabit bodies that are corruptible. And since we inhabit corruptible flesh, that means that we can be led astray by temptation. Why it is so incredibly necessary that we continue to cling to Christ every day.

And we have been instructed from the word of God that each one know how to control his own vessel and abstain from sexual immorality and flee from temptation and the devil in his wiles and cling to Christ.

If we draw near to God, he will draw near to us and the devil will flee from us as James talked about in his letter. So these vessels that we occupy presently in this world, we need to learn how to control.

And even in our bodies, we worship God when we pursue holiness. We read that also in Romans 12, 1, that we are to present our bodies, our vessels as a living sacrifice unto the Lord, not a dead sacrifice like sacrificing a lamb or a goat.

But our bodies are living sacrifices we give to God, holy and acceptable to him. And Paul concludes that verse saying, this is your spiritual act of worship, that we pursue holiness and godliness in these vessels that he has given to us, that God has also purified by the blood of his son, Christ, whatever sins that we had committed in these bodies prior to coming to Christ, those sins have been forgiven.

And as we continue to sometimes fall into temptation, we have been given this promise in 1 John 1, 9, that if we are faithful to ask forgiveness for our sins, God is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

But we must not live as we did in our former ways, as the Gentiles or as the pagans who have no faith, who do not know God, we must pursue righteousness and holiness and leave the former self behind. Paul said to the Galatians, something else I brought up in the sermon yesterday, I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me.

So once again, Paul making a reference to these vessels that we have, treasures in jars of clay for those of us who are carriers of the gospel of peace. And that is everyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ.

We have heard the gospel. We carry the power of the gospel within us. We must also declare the gospel to others that they would be saved from death and rescued into the life of Jesus Christ. One of the reasons why I think Paul frequents this illustration so much of being like vessels or jars or pots is because we see it come up quite a bit in the Old Testament.

The Potter and the Clay in Isaiah and Romans 9

Isaiah is perhaps the first to make this reference and it's in Isaiah 29, 16. That's the most notable. Shall the potter be regarded as the clay that the thing made should say of its maker, he did not make me or the thing formed say of him who formed it, he has no understanding.

If that sounds familiar to you, you're like, well, I've heard that somewhere else before. Uh, yeah, it was probably in Romans chapter nine where you heard it for it's that same illustration that Isaiah made, Paul uses to explain the sovereignty of God.

This is Romans nine beginning in verse 19. You will say to me then, why does he still find fault for who can resist his will? But who are you? Oh man, to answer back to God. Will what is molded say to its molder?

Why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory.

This is Paul making a reference back to Isaiah. Isaiah has already used this illustration and raise this argument. And Paul is simply reminding his readers of this for those who say, well, if God is so sovereign, then the reason why I don't believe is because it is his fault because he made me this way.

And Paul saying to the reader, who are you? Oh man, to answer back to God that way. You know, Adam actually responded to God that way. We don't realize that Adam made this argument first. Well, well, this is your fault, God.

It was in the garden of Eden after Adam and Eve had sinned, eating from the tree that God told them not to eat from. And when God found them hiding from him, hiding from God, worst game of hide and seek ever.

But when he found Adam and Eve hiding from him, he said to them, did you eat of the tree that I told you not to eat from? And Adam's first response was, well, the woman that you gave to me gave me some of the fruit and I ate it.

So Adam's blaming God. The reason why this whole thing happened is because you made this woman and she gave me the fruit. I didn't take it. She did. And you just see everybody start passing the blame.

Adam passes it on to Eve. Eve passes the blame on to the serpent. No one can really own up to their own mistakes. But this is Adam who attempted this first, blaming God for the fact that that this had even happened.

And so there are those who will try to make the argument that, hey, the reason why I don't believe or the reason why I'm being sent to hell is because God made me this way. But who are you, oh man, that you should respond to God this way?

Well, what is formed, say to the one who formed it. Why have you made me like this? Has God no right to make vessels for his own purpose and will? And does he not have the right to decide what happens to them?

And so if you know that you have been fashioned by God and called to honorable use in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, then that is what you must be. You must respond to the gospel and you must be obedient to the Lord and you will have no place to say on the day of judgment that it was God's fault that you acted any other way.

You must hear the gospel proclaimed and you must obey it. It is not for us to know who the elect are, whom God has predestined for salvation in glory forever with him. We have heard the gospel, you've heard it.

So you must turn from sin. You must believe it and follow Jesus. And likewise, you must share the gospel with other people without prejudice, without partiality. You must share the gospel with everyone.

You can't decide, well, that person looks like elect, so I'm going to go share it with him or she doesn't look so great, so I'm not going to share the gospel with her. Christ has commissioned us to share the gospel with all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

And so that's what it is that we must do. We must share the gospel. God knows those who are his. We read this last week in 2nd Timothy 2, 19. God's firm foundation stands bearing this seal. The Lord knows those who are his and let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.

Do you name the name of the Lord? Then be a vessel for honorable use and not a vessel for dishonorable use. The prophet Isaiah would also go on to say, Isaiah 64, 8. But now, oh Lord, you are our father.

We are the clay and you are our potter. We are all the work of your hand. Entrust yourself to the Lord God and he will use you for his good purpose and will. In a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. Now we've heard something very similar to that before.

It was back in verse 15. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. And you are likely also very familiar with 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17.

All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. So as Paul continues this theme of preparing yourself for good work, what he will get to later on, as we just read there in 2 Timothy 3, is how we know ourselves to be equipped for those good works is according to the word of God.

When we read the word of God, we hear God's instructions, his good, pleasing and perfect will that he means for us to follow for every good work. Paul said to the Corinthians also, going back again to 2 Corinthians chapter 9, God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

Paul wrote to the Colossians and said that he prayed for them to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. That's Colossians 1 10.

In 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 11, Paul says that we pray for you that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power. Later on in chapter 2 verses 16 and 17, he prays that the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our father who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace would comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

To Titus, Paul wrote to remind the church to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and to be ready for every good work. And finally, in the benediction at the end of the letter to the Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 13 verses 20 and 21, here is what we read.

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant equip you with everything good that you may do his will working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.

Amen. So even though you have Paul instructing Timothy here in 2 Timothy 2 20 or 2 21 rather to cleanse himself from what is dishonorable, that way he would be a vessel for honorable use. When it comes down to it, the cleansing that occurs is not Timothy that does it.

It's not you who does it, but it is God who does that cleansing. It is by the power of God that you hear these words that are being spoken and you're convicted by them and you respond to them. You do them.

You have a choice. As I am saying to you to flee from sin and any kind of sexual immorality, any kind of malice or greed or laziness or corrupt talk that comes out of your mouth or unjust anger. Any of these things put them all away.

As you hear me saying this, your heart is convicted to obey it according to the word of God because of the power of Christ that is within you. Once again, going back to the verse that we have in 2 Corinthians 4 7, we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

You hear the words that are being spoken from the scriptures and you have a responsibility to obey them. But ultimately, you know that your ability to obey them only comes from the power of God that is within you, that he would equip you again, Hebrews 13 21 with everything good that you may do his will working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever.

Amen. That was certainly worth reading again. So let us conclude here with prayer and pray that God would make us vessels for honorable use to be used in his kingdom for his will. Our great God and Savior, we thank you for not leaving us in a place where we were worthy of destruction.

But you sent your son Jesus to rescue us from the fire and transform us from vessels of dishonor to vessels of honor that we may be used for your kingdom. Work in us your power and your strength that we may be cleansed from what is dishonorable that we would be vessels for honorable use in your kingdom, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house and ready for every good work.

What are the good works that we need to be doing? What are the sins that we should be fleeing from? We know these things according to what your word says. So let these words be hidden in our heart and our paths be guided by the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We pray these things in his name. Amen.

This has been When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabriel Hughes. For all of our podcasts, episodes, videos, books, and more, visit our website at www .utt .com. If you'd like to submit a question to this broadcast, or just send us a comment, email whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com.

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