We, who were once dead in transgressions and saved by the grace of God, are His handiwork, His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:5). All of us were created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of performing good works for God (Ephesians 2:10). I am convinced that each of us in this sanctuary or via Zoom has a passion or a strong desire towards something true, noble, valuable, and admirable – the Kingdom of God. We all want to use our God-given resources to build His Kingdom in this world as well as in Heaven. In our text for today, the Apostle Paul provides us with a powerful illustration and discusses how we can be vessels that God can use for His honorable purposes.

According to Paul’s description, in a large house, there are articles made from various materials such as, gold, silver, wood, or clay. The potters add different ingredients to the raw materials and create various items. Some are used for special purposes, while others are commonly used. Some vessels are very attractive and can be displayed in special kitchen cabinets. Certain dishes are reserved for memorial events like wedding anniversaries, birthday parties, and family reunions. The phrase, “in a large house” in this scripture can be interpreted as God’s church. Once again, in the house of God, there are various articles, whether made from special ingredients or not. In other translations of the Bible, the word “articles” is described as vessels, dishes, or instruments.

Throughout this message, I have used these terms interchangeably. The vessels in God’s church can be compared to individual believers. Some believers may seem to have a golden or silver status, while others are known as common followers of Jesus. Sometimes we might misinterpret this part of the scripture. Paul is not suggesting that people in a golden status are better than those in a clay status. Both have their unique purposes for which they were created. The only difference between the two is some functions of the usages. Recall the illustration of human body that Paul described, known as “one body and many parts” (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). One day, a group of eyes might boast towards the feet, claiming something like: “We are better than you. We are the more honorable part of the body.” Is that true? No, it is not! All organs of the human body are equally important. Every vessel is blessed by the Creator, God.

Now, Paul poses this question to himself, and I’m paraphrasing it in my own words: “Who can be employed for honorable purposes in God’s church?” His response to this query is as follows: “Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). As the people of God, we often assume that the Lord can utilize individuals with extensive knowledge, impressive talents or gifts, and abundant resources for noble purposes.

In my experience working with campus ministry, I recall a guest speaker at a summer Bible conference emphasizing the importance of social status in the future. Throughout his lecture, he encouraged university students attending the conference to excel academically, pursue a good education, and strive to be leaders in their respective fields. One of his slogans was “Aim higher than normal for the glory of God.” That was a great message. I still maintain the belief that as Christians, regardless of our roles in teaching students, nursing patients, constructing houses, tending fields, or managing businesses, we should strive to make the best use of our God-given talents for His glory. By achieving excellence in our diverse careers, we can positively impact more lives when we dedicate our efforts to God.

However, it is crucial for us to acknowledge the potential negative consequences in our society when prominent Christians fail morally. If a person with immoral tendencies holds a higher social status and aims to do God’s work, it may provide more harmful influences. An unclean person is unfit for God’s ministry. Therefore, I earnestly pray to God that my heart is transformed by His Word before I share it with others. I consistently ask myself: “Am I changed by the Word I am delivering?” It does not matter how much time I spend preparing a sermon, but the matter is whether I obey and am changed by what I preach. Without this personal transformation, I, as a spiritually blind individual, may not effectively guide others in God’s ways.

Today, Paul provides a definitive answer to the question: “Who can be used for God’s special purposes?” God employs vessels that cleanse themselves from dishonorable things. The term “the latter” in this scripture refers to the previous phrase “common use” as translated in the New International Version of the Bible. In other versions, “the latter” is translated as “dishonorable purposes.” When we explore the context from the previous portion of this scripture, which is from 2 Timothy chapter 2, verses 14 through 19, and the following part of 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 21, we can find that dishonorable things are described as ungodly or false teaching, wickedness, quarreling, the evil desires of youth, foolish, and stupid arguments. If, as believers, we want to be used by God for His special purposes, we need to examine our minds with His Word and cleanse our hearts of any dishonorable elements regularly. This cleansing process is crucial for every believer.

Some of us may question whether this approach is legalistic. I would like to briefly answer this question. First of all, the Apostle Paul made a clear statement. Before I read his declaration, I want to mention that before Paul encountered Jesus and accepted Him as Lord, he was a genuine legalist. On his own, he sought righteousness by obeying all of God’s laws. In Romans 8:1, he proclaimed, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” Once Paul repented and trusted in God, he experienced freedom from condemnations and became a new creation. Paul also made another statement: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). And then, he said in our text for today, “We, as new creatures of God, are all called to become holy in our daily lives, useful to the Master and Lord our God, and prepared to do any good work (2 Timothy 2:21).

Once more, please understand this. The cleansing process is not undertaken by individuals. We do not have the capacity to purify ourselves. By our own effort, we cannot compensate for our sins. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel made offerings to God and asked Him for His forgiveness whenever they did wrong. God heard their requests and accepted their offerings. However, it was a temporary arrangement between God and human beings. That forgiving ministry did not work because we, as sinners, have continuously gone against God. In the New Testament, God provided a permanent solution for His people by sending His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. He died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead. Through Him, we, who repent of our wrongdoings and put our trust in the Lord, can have eternal life and forgiveness. The cleansing business is completed by Jesus Christ. The one thing we need to do is cleanse ourselves continually by turning away from sins and turning toward God. In our walk with God, we are responsible for purifying ourselves by relying on the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. No matter how unclean we may have been, the blood of Jesus can purify us and make us pure in spirit when we humbly seek God’s transformative power.

This morning, God wants each of us to come to Him as we are and seek cleansing from all things we have done against Him and others. God can then use us for noble purposes, no matter how much or little we have in terms of knowledge, talents, gifts, or resources. Remember that God uses only those who cleanse themselves from dishonorable elements. Before God’s invitation to communion today, we need to cleanse ourselves.

The Scripture says, “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). From this scripture, I have observed a couple of significant points. First, the verbs in each phrase, “flee the evil desires…” and “pursue righteousness…” are in the present imperative tense. In other words, we need to obey these commands and engage in these activities continuously. These actions are not one-time events but a continuous and lifelong process. We should persist until God calls each of us to be with Him.

Second, we are instructed to flee any ungodly things. We are not supposed to engage in any consultation with evil spirits. Our adversary, Satan, is more cunning and powerful than we are. Once we involve in any compromising business, we will definitely be deceived and defeated. It is one hundred percent certain. In the book of Genesis, Joseph, a man of God, was tempted by his boss’ wife. At that time, he did not take any conversation with her. He just ran away from her. As soon as possible, he escaped from that place. And then, he ran to God. He ran toward the Word of God. Later, Joseph made a wonderful testimony even to his brothers who hated him and sold him as a slave in Egypt for a wicked purpose: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). Joseph had been used for God’s special purposes. Thus, we must flee from anything that draws us away from God’s ways.

Third, we need not only to flee wickedness but also to actively pursue godliness. The first divine fruit mentioned by Paul is righteousness. To be righteous before God, we must be cleansed from our sins and actively desire His righteousness. We can find this divine attribute in the Word of God called the Holy Scripture. This is one main reason why we need to read the Bible every day. The Word of God is a lamp for our feet and a light on our path (Psalm 119:105). Have we ever driven a vehicle without turning headlights on dark roads? Can we drive safely? I don’t think so. In the last verse of the Book of Judges in the Old Testament, it is said, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25).

Nowadays, everybody seems to have their own definition of righteousness. It can depend on what kind of perspective individual people have. One issue to some people can be accepted and right. Interestingly enough, that same issue can be interpreted as wrongdoing. King Solomon asked God for His wisdom to govern His people and to distinguish between right and wrong (1 Kings 3:9). Later, he confessed, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” (Proverbs 9:10). During our meditation on the Word of God, we need to ask the Holy Spirit for His sacred wisdom to guard our hearts as well as to choose the right things the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to do in our daily lives.

One day, we will all stand before God and be asked whether we have been useful to the Master before we are invited to the Heavenly banquet with Jesus Christ. As we prepare to partake in the Lord’s Supper this morning, let us ask God for the strength so that we may turn away from any wickedness, for the power of the blood of Jesus Christ so that we may be cleansed from any sins, and for the strong desire so that we may be used as His instruments – vessels of honour – for His special purposes. Amen!

*In this message, I have used some thoughts and materials from various sermons based the text, 2 Timothy 2:21-26.