“A VESSEL UNTO HONOR, SANCTIFIED.”
“If a man
therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and
made meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”-2
Tim. 2:21.
IT IS IMPORTANT to
notice that this instruction is given, not to the world, but to the Church-to
those who are believers in Christ and who are consecrated to him and desirous
of being used in his service. If the counsel were given to worldly people, no such
incentive would be held out; for such have no ambition to be in the Lord’s
service. The world can better appreciate such maxims as, “Honesty is the best
policy,” etc.; for temporal good is all they seek. Yet it is indeed a good
thing for worldly men to purge themselves of evil dispositions and practices.
Moral reforms are always commendable as steps in the right direction, and we
are always glad to see worldly men trying to break away from the bondage of bad
habits-from the drink habit and from lying, profanity and other vices.
But such purging from the filth of the flesh can never render such vessels
fit for the Master’s use. With all their efforts at cleansing they are still
unclean; and the Lord desires clean vessels for his use. It is only when, by
faith, we are plunged in the cleansing blood of our Redeemer that we are clean
and acceptable to God.
“There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.”
But having been thus reckonedly cleansed from sin, and clothed in the pure
robe of Christ’s righteousness, it is all-important that we strive to make this
reckoned righteousness an actual thing to the extent of our ability; for only
so can we prove ourselves worthy of the imputed righteousness. It is purely of
divine grace that we are reckoned of God as righteous, before we have
actually become so. Seeing in us the desire to be righteous and the effort to
be so in his appointed way, God, accepting the will for the deed, reckons us
righteous now, and treats us as sons, since we have been redeemed from the
curse and have accepted this gracious provision for reconciliation.
If, however, after being thus reconciled to God and reckoned righteous,
our course of conduct proves that we no longer love righteousness; if we do not
endeavor to make the reckoned righteousness an actual thing by a constant
endeavor to purge out the old leaven of sin; if we are content to let it remain
and to work in us, and if we neglect to strive against it, then we are proving
by such a course that our love of righteousness is growing weaker, and we are
proving our unworthiness of the Lord’s gracious reckoning in our favor. But
if, on the contrary, we are striving daily to purge out the old leaven of sin,
if we are not merely working it down occasionally and allowing it again and
again to ferment and disturb the whole spiritual being, endangering its
complete souring and spoiling (but purging it out by constantly resisting it)
cleansing our thoughts, words and deeds with the truth, and cultivating the
blessed fruits of the spirit of love, joy and peace,-then, indeed, as the
Apostle affirms, we shall be vessels meet for the Master’s use.
And not only so, but the Lord can honor such vessels because they honor
him; they fairly represent him and his cause. If they are meek and
humble-minded, not inclined to think of themselves more highly than they ought
to think, but to think soberly, the Lord can exalt them to positions of trust
and honor without injury either to themselves or to the cause; and thus they
are more and more sanctified and prepared for every good work.
Let as many, therefore, as would be honored and used of the Master now and
hereafter-as many as have this hope in them-seek to purify themselves, to purge
out the old leaven of sin. In the language of another forceful illustration,
let us endeavor to war a good warfare against the world, the flesh and the
devil. And be assured that in these duties we have the work of a lifetime; and
even at its close we will still find the necessity for the robe of Christ’s
righteousness to cover the remaining deformities of our character.
While the purging here spoken of refers to the general cleansing from all
sin and uncleanness, the Apostle had special reference on that occasion to
purging from a disposition to hearken to the false doctrines of those who would
subvert the faith of the Church. His counsel is to avoid foolish questions and
strife about words to no profit; to shun profane and vain babblings which
increase only unto more ungodliness, which savor more of bombast and
self-exaltation than of truth and godliness, and, on the contrary, to study to
show ourselves approved unto God, workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly
dividing the Word of truth.-2 Tim. 2:15.
There is much significance in that word “study”;
and only the studious find the narrow way to the divine approval and
acceptance. Study to show thyself approved-study the doctrine; study
your course of conduct, to keep it in harmony with the doctrine. Study how to promote the peace and prosperity of Zion, and how to
shield yourself and others from the missiles of error and from the poison of an
evil, worldly spirit. Study to perform the duties of a faithful soldier of the
cross-the seemingly insignificant, as well as the bravest and noblest deeds. A
soldier has many seemingly trivial duties to perform, and he is as really doing
his duty as a soldier when he is polishing his armor, foraging, cooking his
meal, cleaning camp, clearing the way or building bridges for the army to pass
as when he is fighting the enemy. All such necessary incidental work is
entirely compatible with his commission as a soldier, and is not to be
considered “entanglements” or hindrances. And these things cannot be avoided
or carelessly done without a measure of unfaithfulness.
So with the Christian soldier. The routine of life, house-work, daily
toil, any and everything incidental to a proper and honest provision of “things
needful” for ourselves and those dependent on us for support, as well as
provision for the prosecution and care of the Lord’s work,-all this is a proper
part of our engagement as soldiers of the Lord. The Apostle Peter was as truly
serving the Lord when catching the fish from whose mouth he got the coin
wherewith to pay the Lord’s taxes and his own, as when proclaiming, The Kingdom
of God is come nigh unto you. The Apostle Paul was as truly a soldier of the
cross and doing his proper work as such when making tents (rather than be
chargeable to any) as when, at Mars hill, he preached Jesus and the
resurrection. Whatever is done with a view to the glory of our Lord,
the Captain of our salvation, or for the benefit of any of our fellow-soldiers,
or for our own preparation for this warfare, or in the discharge of obligations
which our Captain has recognized and approved,-this is proper work for us as
soldiers, and not entanglement in the affairs of this life.
But the Christian soldier must study to perform even the commonest duties
in a manner creditable to his calling. Nor must he permit himself to become
entangled with other things which do not relate to his duties as a soldier, and
thus to be side-tracked. For instance, if a soldier knowing how to repair
watches were to divert his attention from his regular duties, neglect his camp
and battle duties, and the commands of his Captain and the proper work of a
soldier to acquire some extra compensation by this means, he would be an
unfaithful soldier. And so the Christian who turns aside to seek some personal,
temporal advantage, to the detriment of his duties as a soldier, is likewise,
to some extent, an unfaithful soldier and likely to be drawn out of the ranks
entirely.
Study to show thyself approved. Study the Word. Study yourself that you
may become well acquainted with yourself-that you may know your talents for
service and in what directions they lie, and your weak points and how they may
be guarded against; that you may know both your abilities and your shortcomings.
Then study to avoid error and to shun all foolish questions and profane and
vain babblings. Remember that only the foundation of God standeth sure, and
that all other foundations are worthless and all other theories must come to
naught. But “The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord
knoweth them that are his. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ
depart from iniquity.”-2 Tim. 2:19.
And if any man desire honor from God, let him not
fail to seek it in God’s appointed way-along the pathway of humility; for the
Lord giveth his favors to the humble. If you would be a vessel fit for the
Master’s use and a vessel of honor, humble yourself under the mighty hand of
God and he will exalt you in due time. Do not be in a hurry about it either;
but whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might, beginning and ever
continuing to cleanse your earthen vessel, that it may be fit for the Master’s
use.