2Corinthians 5:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed. Behold! all things are made new. But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ has reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)."
2Timothy 2:15-21 (Amplified) says, "Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing (rightly handling and skillfully teaching) the Word of Truth. But avoid all empty (vain, useless, idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness. And their teaching (will devour it) will eat its way like cancer or spread like gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus, Who have missed the mark and served from the Truth by arguing that the resurrection ha already taken place. Thy are undermining the faith of some. But the firm foundation of (laid by) God, stands, sure and unshaken, bearing this seal (inscription); the Lord knows those who are His, and let everyone who names (himself by) the Name of the Lord give up all iniquity and stand aloof from it. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also (utensils) of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble (use) and some for menial and ignoble (use) So whoever cleanses himself (from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences) will (then himself) be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work."
Let's recognize first of all, that both the "wood and the earthenware" are still in the Master's House, along with the "gold and silver utensils." If you are born-again, then you are in the Master's House. The above scripture wasn't written to distinguish between those in His House and those who are not. But, those who will "cleanse" themselves from these things, can make themselves a "vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master."
Probably not every Christian is working as hard as others, to "prove" himself to be used by the Master. Paul said, "Whoever cleanses himself" "Will make himself" or can make himself a vessel to be used by the Master. Paul speaks about a man and wife relationship in Ephesians 5:26-32 (Amplified) saying in Verse 32, "This mystery is very great, but speak concerning (the relationship of) Christ and the Church." He says in Verse 26, "So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the wood."
These scriptures held us understand better, what Paul was saying to Timothy about, "If a any man will cleanse himself from these things, he can make himself a vessel to be used by the Master." It's left for the individual to cleanse himself from the things in the world. He must understand and wash away the contaminating things of the world with applying the Word to his life. The Word (taken literally) will cleanse the outer contaminates from the believer. This is something that is left to the individual believer.
Paul advises Timothy in 2Timothy 2:16 (Amplified) saying, "But avoid all empty (vain, useless, idle) talk, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness." People's opinions will not change the Truth of God's Word. I've heard people say, "When God's ready for me to stop drinking, then He will take away my whiskey." This isn't even close to what Paul said. He said, "That a man will cleanse himself." When we search God's Word to find what God says about the drunkard, we can "wash ourselves with the water of the Word and allow the power of the Word to cleanse us from drunkenness."
Jesus did all that was needed to set us free, but we must still apply His Word of Truth to our lives and allow that Truth to cleanse us. Paul speaks again to Timothy about allowing idle words into our lives, in Verse 17 and the results of listening and being influence by undermining words. Thus, Paul says, "And their teachings will devour it (Truth), will eat its way like cancer or spread like gangrene." Cancer starts out very small, but spread throughout the entire body. Gangrene is a wound or open sore, that wasn't properly taken care of and allowed blood poison to flood the blood stream and poison the entirety of a person. Both begin small, but are deadly.
There are certain things that have spread throughout the Body of Christ, by those who undermine the Word of God and have allowed the "doctrines of devils" in the Body. These have robbed the Church of faith in God's ability to deliver them from certain things in our lives. God requires us to "study to show ourselves approved by Him." It doesn't matter what some might say about God, but only what you believe. Some might believe that certain things "have passed away," but if God's Word doesn't agree with that, then we must go with the Word.
We sometimes fail to figure God into so many situations in our lives, because we've been taught "God doesn't do these things any longer." Through Jesus, God has made everything available to us, that we need to be victorious in all things. We must rightly divide God's Word and learn from the Holy Spirit, what is ours from God. Then, we can be vessels to be used by the Master.
All these vessels (gold, silver, wood, and earthenware) are in the Master's House, but not all of them are "honorable and noble." Some are for "menial and ignoble use." I prefer to cleanse myself, in order to present myself for "honorable and noble use." You might still be in the Master's House, but not be in a place where He can use you like He wishes too. We erroneously wait for God to "wave His magic wand" and "turn us into something other than what we've chosen to be." Paul tells us that "there is something we must do," that will allow God to have a choice in which vessel He can use.
Not all vessels in the Master's House are the same. Some are wood, while others are earthenware. All of them have the same ability to be gold or silver, but not all of them have done what is necessary to make themselves useful. This isn't legalism, becoming righteous by works. Jesus has already taken care of that. These are things required to allow righteousness to live though us. We need to stop living through God, because our lives are hid in Him through Christ Jesus. It's not us, but "the Father in us," that will reveal the Awesome God we serve to the world. We must get in God's Word and allow the Holy Spirit to wash away the corruption of the world around us.
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