2 Timothy 2:20-26 - Vessels of Honor

2 Timothy 2:20-26

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. 

23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

We are to be vessels of honor to our Lord who is the Holy of Holies (Hebrews 9:25, 27-28) and commands us to be holy as He is (1 Peter 1:13-14, 15-16) as we put to death our sinful attitudes and actions by the powerful working of His Spirit (Romans 8:13-14, Ephesians 4:22-23, Galatians 5:16-18) within who sanctifies us.  Common use vessels were made of breakable clay for washing and other ignoble filth, while those made of precious metals like silver and gold lasted longer and kept their lustrous appearance.  These precious vessels for honor were used for more noble purposes and were valued by the owner just as we reflect our Master in heaven by cleaning up our act as it were so that He can use us to give honor and glory to Him as we reflect His image (2 Corinthians 3:18, Romans 8:29) back to Him as we are used to serve our Lord for the sake of the gospel and His good name.  When we cleanse our from the inside out by relying on the work of His Spirit as we choose to put off and put on as the scriptures tell us in Romans 13:12-14 (Ephesians 4:22-24, Colossians 3:8, 12-13), then we are made more and more like Christ each passing day and are made to be equipped to serve ever more in doing the good works prepared (Ephesians 2:10) for us from the start of our creation and re-creation In Christ.  This means we flee from the sins of our youth (1 John 2:15-17) and run after righteousness, love, and peace with a pure heart that aligns with our calling and our desire to follow the Master.  We likewise must put off or avoid arguments as we seek to serve in gentleness with patience as we teach others and correct them humbly and not pridefully as we remember how our Lord teaches and corrects us.  This is not always easy to do but is what we are called to.  By humbly bearing witness in the testimony of God’s grace in His word and in our own lives, we help lead them to understand so that they may hear and be convicted of their sin to repent and receive Christ as Lord to save them from God’s wrath.  By their escape they see right and wrong in their sin and His righteousness and are set free from the bondage of the adversary who has them bound in sin to follow him instead of the Lord God in Christ Jesus.  As vessels of honor, we present the truth that they may hear and be drawn by the Lord to,this repentance to faith and salvation from the judgment to come that they too may honor and glorify God through faith in His Son.  Let us keep cleaning up our vessels to be used for this service to the Lord!