Listening to a message last night by a Christian teacher, and reading along with the speaker a passage of scripture in 2 Timothy, I was captivated by these words from verses 21 and 22:
"Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."
Wow! First of all, these verses speak to me about the call to sanctification (the call to holiness). And secondly, these verses speak to me about usefulness for God's work. Recently, I had an awakening about the work of Christ on our behalf called "Justification" - a work that has resulted in my being reconciled to God forever, and now finding myself standing before him holy, blameless, and above reproach (see Colossians 1:21-22). This has nothing to do with my own efforts and behaviors, and everything to do with the efforts and behaviors of a truly righteous Jesus Christ on my behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21). While that is true about my standing (or, position) before God, there is another work of God, called "Sanctification," that has to do with my actual day-to-day practice. Sanctification is the call of God into a holy life on a practical level; you might say, becoming in practice what he has already made us in principle (see Hebrews 10:14).
On the one hand, God wants us to live in the blessing and reality of our position of good standing with him (having a righteousness that is not our own). And, he wants that blessing to free us from the power of sin's accusations in our daily lives. But on the other hand, God also want us to press into the reality of a life lived in holiness (living out righteousness on a practical level). I tend to think of these as two steams of the Christian walk - justification and sanctification. Or, maybe a better metaphor is, one stream with two currents.
Frankly, I like the current of justification. That's a section of this stream that I like to just hang out in. It's so refreshing! And, in addition to reconciling us to God, that is a very important part of it's purpose. We need the refreshment and strengthening of good standing with God. The current of sanctification, that's something else entirely. This section of the stream seems to be filled with turbulence! Its here where I encounter my day-to-day sin. It's here where I experience the loving discipline of my heavenly Father. And, it's here where I so easily fall prey to legalism and performance Christianity. But like it or not, it is clearly something God is calling me into, something he calls us all into. Take note again of those words from 2 Timothy 2:21:
"Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work."
This morning I meditated a bit on those words. I checked some scriptural cross-references. And, after taking in the meaning more fully I penned two questions to myself...
Q: What is the "dishonorable" in my life right now?
Q: What (in my life or character) may be, in any way, interfering with my being a vessel usable for the Lord Jesus Christ?
Well, I can tell you that by the end of this day, I encountered plenty within me that is in the way of my being usable to the Lord Jesus in various situations and circumstances. And yes, with that has come a sense of brokenness, and a cry to God for his mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing, along with prayers for heart change in some very specific areas. Then too, I have turned to the scriptures on God's amazing work of grace - justification. And, I have reminded myself anew (you might say, I preached the gospel to myself again) of how God has made me completely acceptable and well-pleasing to himself through the finished work of Jesus Christ.