John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth came through Jesus Christ."
2Corinthians 5:17 (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 away. Behold, the fresh and new has come."
We seem to have a problem accepting the Truth of these passages in our lives and continue seeing ourselves as sinners, who are unrighteous in God's eyes. In Romans 9:23-26,20-21 (Amplified) Paul writes, "And what if He thus purposes to make known and show the wealth of His Glory in dealing with the vessels (objects of His mercy which He prepared beforehand for Glory), even including ourselves whom He called, not only from among the Jews but also from the Gentiles (heathens)? Just as He said in Hosea, Those who were not My people I will call My people, and her who was not beloved I will call My beloved. And it shall be that in the very place where it was said to them; You are not My people, they shall be called sons of the Living God."
Paul writes about the Jews, Gentiles and the Potter in Verse 21, saying, "Has the Potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same mass (lump) one vessel for beauty and distinction and honorable use, and another for menial or ignoble and dishonorable use?" Some have taken this scripture to describe "bad" people, saying that "God deliberately made them for destruction." The real intent of this scripture, speaks about how the Potter created the new creation people from clay that was "of no use." These were the Gentiles who were outside the covenant. The Potter (God) took this ignoble and dishonorable clay, which was of no use to Him, and formed them into "sons of the Living God," like Verse 26 says.
We are that clay and have no right to tell the Potter, "We are unrighteous, unworthy and are still sinners," when He determines who He has made us to be. Verse 20 says, "But who are you, a mere man, to criticize and contradict and answer back to God? Will what is formed say to Him that formed it, Why have You made me thus?"
Will the new creation people, who are made sons and daughters of God, say to the One Who made us, "You created us incorrectly and incomplete?" We are what we are in Christ Jesus, by the design of the Potter. If God made us new creation beings, who are righteous and holy in Christ, then why do we strive against the Potter, as though He had no authority to make us thus? It was the Potter's will and Purpose, to make the vessels who were of no use to Him (us, the Gentiles) honorable vessels. We must not contradict what the Potter has made, but should rejoice in His mercy and honor Him for what He has done in us.
Our carnal minds keep us from believing that what God has done in Jesus is complete and that He has made us honorable vessels that actually contain and hold the Precious Holy Spirit. 1Corinthians 7:19 (Amplified) tells us, "Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very Sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received as a Gift from God? You are not your own."
The Potter taken vessels that were useless to Him and made them into containers that hold His Glory and Presence. God is the Potter and He takes the discarded clay, places it back onto the wheel and forms it into vessels, "As He chooses." He formed us into new creation and we're still what He made us to be, even if we deny what He's formed us to be.
Many act like we're still ignoble, useless or broken pottery to God, but this isn't true. We were made righteous and holy, at the Potter's discretion and not our own discretion. The clay can't ask the Potter, "What do You think You're doing?" No, the vessel is what the Potter formed it to be. He is the Potter and we're the clay. In Christ Jesus, we are new creations that the Potter has made from dishonorable clay.
We've failed to walk in the fullness of what He's made us to be, because of our own carnal thinking and remembering what we used to be. We still see ourselves as who we once were, instead of seeing ourselves like He formed us to be. We still try walking under the Law, as carnal, unspiritual and unsaved people, instead of rejoicing in our new creation citizenship and son-ship rights with our Heavenly Father.
This was done by God's will and as His children, we should rejoice and fulfill His will in our lives. Paul writes about this in Romans 12:2 (Amplified) saying, "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs, but be transformed (changed) by the entire renewal of your mind, by its attitude and ideals, so that you may prove for yourselves what is the Good and acceptable and perfect will of God; even the thing which is Good and acceptable and perfect in His sight for you."
God made you a new creature altogether and this is His perfect will for you. When we argue with the Potter, saying that we're not what He formed us to be, then it's difficult for us to be the vessels of honor and hold the Glory in His House. We're the "good China" and the "good crystal" that adorns the Master's table, in His House. And, we're the ones who are called to "Come and dine" at His request.
We must receive what the Potter has made us to be and believe that God made us new creations in Christ Jesus. He placed the unusable clay, placed it on the Potter's wheel and formed us into what He wanted us to be. This is Grace and Truth.
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