We are living in the last days and God is bringing believers into a place of further separation. Each one of us has to make the decision which kind of vessel we want to be for God. That part is not on God’s end. God’s house is great. In His house there are many types of vessels. Some are for uses that are worthy and some unworthy, but God does not choose the type of vessel we each will be. We are the ones who make that choice.
2 Timothy 2:20-21 AMPC
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.
Notice that the cleansing in verse 21 is not done by God, but by you. This is your part. This is my part. It is not God’s. If you don’t do this, no one else is going to do it for you. It’s the same in the natural when you go and take a shower. God isn’t going to take you and give you a cleansing. You shower, you brush your teeth, you comb your hair, you wash your clothes and separate the dirty from the clean. All of that is necessary for us to function in life. This is what we are talking about, but in spiritual things. If we cannot do these simple things, how do you think God is going to put you in the game? He won’t be able to use you. It is our responsibility to let go of all that mess of contaminating and corrupting influences.
So who chooses what kind of vessel you will be? You do. By your choices you are telling God,”I want to do this job”, or you are saying, “well, no, I don’t think too much about these spiritual things. I just want to be doing whatever. I just want to be on the fence. I just want to do whatever I want to do.” I want to make sure that you understand that it is not up to God. It is more up to us what we get to be in God’s kingdom. You cannot say you don’t have an opportunity. Stop looking at other people saying “so-and-so is more blessed, and so-and-so is this or that.” God is not a respecter of persons, and we really need to repent for comparing ourselves to others. Saying those things is like using dirty words. We are the ones that make ourselves useful to the Master or not. Do you understand that it initially has more to do with you than God Himself concerning what He is able to do with you? The reality is that God desires for every single one of us to be a vessel of honor, but it is up to you.
Every single one of us has the same opportunity. No one can tell me that God is a respecter of persons. I was born into poverty in a third world nation, but I made the decision not to let my circumstances determine my destiny. I am here to say and testify that God did it for me. I’m not poor any more! I’m walking in the plan of God for my life and receiving His blessings! All of this happened because I decided to cleanse myself from the mess that was in my life. I began to prepare myself to become a vessel of honor and I am going to continue to do so. Of course God’s word and grace is what accomplishes the work to change and transform us, but I first had to make a decision to follow Him and prepare myself for His service. We cannot say we have no responsibility in becoming what God intended us to be. We cannot say “I am the way that I am because my mom and dad did this or that.” That will not even count. That is not going to fly. You cannot blame anyone else.
The requirement is on us to be a vessel fit for the Master’s use. So let’s make the choice today to be the vessel of honor. It’s your choice. It’s my choice. We are going to stop blaming God or another person for whatever we didn’t get to do or whoever passed us up for an opportunity. People have been used to close doors for me, but that was the thing that promoted me every time. No one can stop you from becoming what God has planned for you when you make the choice to follow him and to cleanse and prepare your life as a vessel for His use.
Are you ready to make the choice? If so, just say “Lord, I make the choice today to cleanse myself so that I can be a vessel of honor and be ready for You to use me.” Once you do this, and begin to act on your decision, God’s grace will empower you to walk it out.
