This will serve as an awakening to our place and function as believers, and how we can offer proper and right offerings to God.

 

2 Timothy 2:20-22

²⁰ But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. ²¹ Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. ²² Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

 

2 Timothy 2:20-22 AMP Classic

20 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]. 21 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. 22 Shun youthful lusts and flee from them, and aim at and pursue righteousness (all that is virtuous and good, right living, conformity to the will of God in thought, word, and deed); [and aim at and pursue] faith, love, [and] peace (harmony and concord with others) in fellowship with all [Christians], who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.

 

Let me start with this analogy. We have different buckets and bowls in our houses that we use for different things and in different places. Perhaps someone comes to your house and both of you are doing certain things in the kitchen and at a point, the person needs a bucket and goes to bring one to use. And suddenly you notice and you say, no! you can’t use that one in the kitchen, it’s for the toilet. I will call it a “toilet bucket” Or the other way round, the person wants to use a bucket for kitchen purposes, used for food and all that in the toilet. And then, you say No! it’s only for the kitchen. Let me call it a “kitchen bucket.” You can’t use it for the toilet. Now, the question is, what made it a toilet bucket? Or a kitchen bucket? Because when we go to the market to purchase buckets or very big bowls, it’s not written on it that when you buy this one, use it for the kitchen or use it for the toilet, except for some types of buckets that seem designed for a particular purpose like mopping. But generally, buckets are sold and you buy them and decide what you want to use them for. For some people, there are some buckets, they resign to stay outside the house used when washing clothes.

 

So, by what you use it for, its overall function for you, and the environment it dwells in most times, makes it dishonorable or honourable so to say, just like my toilet bucket and kitchen bucket. Permit me to use this example this way for the sake of this topic we are discussing, the bucket or bowl used for food, preparation of food is used “more honourably,” toilet bucket or bowl is “dishonourable”

 

In that passage that we read, there are two categories that the vessels were put in. First was their making-gold, silver, wood, etc. The second category is their use-honorable and dishonourable.

 

The bible says in that large house, there are vessels of gold and silver, and also vessels of wood and earthenware, and irrespective of their making, whether gold or silver or wood or earthenware, they can be used for honorable (noble, good) purposes or functions or dishonorable functions (ignoble, common).

Because the bible didn’t tell us, the gold plates were the ones used for honourable purposes, and the ones of clay were used for dishonourable purposes so irrespective of the making, they can be used honourably or dishonourably.

I believe we know in the old days and maybe it might still be existing that clay pots and cups and plates were used even for kings and it was very honourable. So, its use determines it being honourable or not So, the bible is saying to us that despite their making, they may be used dishonourably or honourably. I hope we are seeing it in our bibles.

 

 

Honourable means bringing or deserving honour, and Dishonourable means bringing shame or disgrace on someone or something, disrepute, discredit.

 

Our focus today will not be on design or the making but more on function, more on what kind of service it gives, it offers.

 

Let’s see another passage;

Is 43:21 says these people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise

We know that all of us humans, were made to give God worship right? But yet there are those that despite our making in the image and likeness of God, despite the intention of God for us to offer worship to Him as priests, there are many that are of dishonorable use.  Many are failing to function as the Priests they should be. That’s why I said, our focus is not particularly the design or making but the function. You can be made of gold, and still offer dishonorable service. From gold, we expect a lot by what it is made of but according to that passage in 2^nd Timothy, you can still offer dishonourable worship, or sacrifice even with our making.

Because of our making, our design, we were made for honourable use, we are made for good works, we were made to give praise. We are made in the image and the likeness of God, to show the life of God on the earth. So, despite our making, our design which is meant to be for honourable use, many people are of dishonourable function.

 

I was listening to a  song days back and the song minister said when people ask you “where is your God, show them your life.” That’s how it should be actually but in the real sense, is that how it is? That’s the original design, people should see your life, your dealings, how you operate, function, and see God. And I was grateful that the minister didn’t mention things that didn’t have substance, your money that God blessed you with, and your new car.

Note that I am not saying they are not good to be in your life for people to see. Those are the added packages. Those are the blessings of God. But the song minister said show them your life, let them see grace, see God’s workings. These are more tangible things. Those are the things that bring honour to God.

Even those that do not believe in God have all those blessings of God, they follow certain principles, in their own understanding, and belief in their strength and intelligence, they have acquired a lot, live more comfortably and lavishly, in wealth and affluence than most believers. But there are things they don’t have and those are the things that we must embrace that truly honours God.

Remember we were all made to honour God in the first place but many people that enjoy so many things do not even believe or care that God exists so what makes the difference? They do not give honour to God. So, despite our making, the honour we give to God is in our separation for good works, our consecration, and us being set apart. That’s how we give honour.

The bible says, the righteous fall 7 times but He rises. Why? Because we have God. We bounce back because we have God. We do not wallow in the trials because we have God. With God is the capacity to bounce back. That’s how we make sure our God is honoured.

We have the luxuries of life and can still sleep in peace, why, because we have God. We don’t have to sit up all night worried if everything we have will be taken away from us because our God does not sleep or slumber.

I am giving all these examples to make us see that despite our making, everyone in the world, there is a difference we must showcase as believers, if not we are going to be like all other vessels in the large house. There is an honour we must give. There is an honourable function we must carry out.

We are all vessels but our function makes the difference. Honourable service, worthy service, and worthy worship are what God seeks.

There is a story in the bible, the background of that story is that the Pharisees were saying in that chapter to Jesus, “why don’t your disciples wash their hands before they eat”

This was Jesus' answer to them

Matthew 15: 11 AMP

It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that defiles and dishonors him, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles and dishonors him.”

 

Matthew 15:17-20 AMP

¹⁷ Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? ¹⁸ But whatever [word] comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what defiles and dishonors the man. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming). ²⁰ These are the things which defile and dishonor the man, but eating with [ceremonially] unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

Offering honourable service is a matter of the heart. And that’s why the consecration of the heart is a serious matter.

“These are the things that defile a man…. “These things show in what you do, what you say, everything physical and when people see these things, it causes for dishonor to the God you claim to serve and belong to. A person cannot think about murder and the person is imprisoned for thinking about it. The person has to act it out. The person will have to carry out this dishonorable act to be jailed. Because no one sees his thoughts except God but the root cause is the problem because once it is dealt with, the case of being dishonourable and honourable will be dealt with

The core of offering right or proper offerings to God is the heart.

There is a consecration of the heart if we must do as believers. It’s a serious matter. That is what will separate us from just everyone in the world doing one thing or the other for God.

 

2 Timothy 2:22

²² Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

 

2 Timothy 2:22 AMP

22 Shun youthful lusts and flee from them, and aim at and pursue righteousness (all that is virtuous and good, right living, conformity to the will of God in thought, word, and deed); [and aim at and pursue] faith, love, [and] peace (harmony and concord with others) in fellowship with all [Christians], who call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.

 

There is a purification of the heart. You should be of a pure heart and In fact, you should strive to fellowship with believers that are of a pure heart. For you to want to be around people of a pure heart, means the matter of your heart has been dealt with.

Your pure heart will determine what you can bring out, produce from your mouth, or show in your life. It starts from the heart

If your heart is right, every other thing, your consecration, service, and offerings to God will be right. The heart is what separates the kind of service that is acceptable or not. Because if it is in giving service, a lot of us, practically every believer can list so many things that he or she is doing in service to God but we must sit back and check our heart or else we waste so much time doing something but it’s nothing.

Matthew 5:8: Jesus said blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. He was talking about the root of the matter, the heart. Not just in doing the right things, there must be an accompanying right heart.

In Psalm 51, David knew what he was saying when he said to create in me a clean heart. After he had sinned against God with Bathsheba and all that.

Prov 27:19

As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man

1 Peter 3: 3-4

Do not let your adornment be merely outward-arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God

God looks at the heart because that’s where the person is. So, if the heart is right, worship, service, and honour to God will become right. The enemy will fight the heart of every believer because that’s the core of the person. Where God looks at. Where God determines if our service is honourable or not. if the motive is pure or not.

2 Timothy 2: 21 AMPC says,

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things [which are dishonorable—disobedient, sinful], he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified [set apart for a special purpose and], useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

 

The bible says if anyone cleanses himself. If anyone! So, despite our making, if anyone desires that I will no longer be used for dishonorable purposes, I want to be a vessel unto honour, separated, consecrated, profitable, fit for good works. Then a cleansing is needed a consecration.

 

So, the prerequisite for being used honourably is to cleanse ourselves. Like the analogy about the buckets that I gave. If I want to reverse the functions of a particular bucket, I will need to do what? Wash it thoroughly, over and over again, and change its environment. So much so that no one can guess what it was used for in the past. In the same way, the bible is telling us that perhaps we were given to dishonourable works, but cleansing ourselves will guarantee our use honourable, and cause us to be sanctified, set apart for a special purpose, prepared for every good work.

To cleanse means to purify from guilt; to make clean; to remove filth, to free from a foul or infectious disease, to free from pollution, and consecrate to a holy use by washing, rubbing, scouring, scraping, purging, ventilation, etc.

Consecration means to make or declare to solely dedicate yourself to God.  This means making a conscious, willing decision to dedicate your soul, mind, heart, and body to God. This decision must be one of will, intelligence, and affection.

There is a cleansing, a consecration of the heart that will determine if we are of honorable or dishonourable works or purpose. Offering the right offerings to God must start from a right heart, that is clean that is pure.

A prayer we must always pray daily like David is “create in me a clean heart, purify my heart.”

In Psalm 139, the last verse He said, search me O God and know my heart, try me and know my anxieties and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

If our service, offerings, and all we are giving to God must be honourable, and acceptable then it must come from a pure heart, a right heart. A heart that is free of contaminations or corrupt influences that is focused on doing God’s will.

2 Timothy 2:19

¹⁹ Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

 

2 Timothy 2:19 AMP

¹⁹ Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God [which He has laid] stands [sure and unshaken despite attacks], bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord stand apart from wickedness and withdraw from wrongdoing.

Honourable service starts with the heart. God looks at the heart

 

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Benedicta Apeh!

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