Ready For The Master’s Use

II Timothy 2:20-22

In my home are a large number of containers. There are some plastic trash cans, a mop bucket, canisters, nice dishes, and various baskets and pieces of pottery. Each one serves certain purposes. All of them including the trash can need cleaning from time to time to make them fit to use. Most people would refuse to eat from dirty dishes, and a dirty trash can may stink up the whole house. Washing them out makes them useable again.

There are a great many people with different jobs to do in the church, just as there are many needs for containers in a home. Each one has certain functions. All must be clean to be acceptable for doing their job. Just as dirt and food smears would make a dish un satisfactory, sin in ones life, false doctrine, practices contrary to the scriptures, and focusing on earthly belongings and pleasures make us unacceptable in serving God. As long as they are in our lives, we are like an unwashed dish sitting on the counter. We are just in the way.

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 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. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (II Timothy 2:20-22)

II Timothy 2:16-19 describes some of the things we need to eliminate from our lives in order to please God. “But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless 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.”

I John 2:15-17 points out the danger of those youthful lusts for belongings and pleasures. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

Instead, we need to focus on developing “righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Most homemakers have certain containers that are used specifically for a certain job. For some reason the container seems especially suited for the job, so it is the one most often used. As Peter says, a person who develops these things will never be left on the shelf.

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” (II Peter 1:5-9)

One who hasn’t developed these properties in his life doesn’t recognize his position, or God’s right in his life. He is content to sit in the cabinet unused. After a while dust collects and they are not ready to be used.