December 12th, 2023
Recently, I’ve been thinking about what it means to be a vessel of the Lord and I want to share my heart with you! Last time, we talked about seeing God clearly, with an unveiled face, and one of the verses we looked at was 2 Corinthians 4:6 which says,
‘For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
The next verse is divided in most of our English translations by a new heading, however it is actually a continuation of Paul’s thought. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says,
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
We are the earthen vessels Paul referenced in this verse, and the treasure is God’s glory, illuminated in our hearts by the revelation of Jesus Christ. What exactly does it mean to be a vessel though?
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a perfect example. As Christmas approaches, her life will undoubtedly be discussed more than any other time of the year. Her story is so important, and I don’t think it should be relegated to just a couple of Sundays! However, what I find most interesting about Mary’s life is actually her insignificance. She was a young virgin, likely a teenager based on what we know from the historical context of her day. She was an Israelite, but she was not from an important or wealthy family. There was nothing about Mary on the surface that made her special. However, when Gabriel appeared to her and told her she would carry the Messiah, she responded:
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
What we know of Mary is that she was pure, willing, and a servant of God. Moreover, her attitude didn’t change when she learned that she would carry Jesus. She maintained a humble heart of worship even as she bore the responsibility of being the mother of the Messiah. She worshipped God, saying:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation.” (Luke 1:46-50)
Her response was focused on Him, rather than on herself. This is an important lesson for all of us! As believers, we can’t allow ourselves to be distracted by our own lives, even if it’s in trying to please God. God loves us and we are significant to Him, but we have to remember that our lives are not about us. If you found something valuable, would you care what it was in or where you found it? Of course not. He is the treasure the world needs. He is the pearl of great price. It’s only when Jesus is lifted up that people are drawn to salvation!
I believe we can even allow ourselves to be distracted by trying to be a good vessel. That, in and of itself, is pride. What qualified Mary? All God needed from her was her purity and her “yes.” That is still all God is looking for in us! 2 Timothy 2:20-21 says,
“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 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.”
Purity qualifies us to be a vessel of honor in His house, but how are we purified? It’s only by the blood of Jesus, as we obey His Word. Hebrews 9:13-14 says:
“For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
1 Peter 1:22 says,
“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.”
Even our purity is a work of His Word and the Holy Spirit! Even that doesn’t rest in our power or strength! God will not reject anyone who comes to Him. We can only disqualify ourselves by refusing to come or refusing to believe Him. His blood is more than enough! What God needs from you is your yes and then He will do the work. Mary could have said no, and so can we. So many of us tell God “no,” not because we don’t want to do what He’s called us to do but because we feel we are unqualified vessel. However, it is God who justifies, qualifies, and purifies us by the blood of Jesus. He is enough and if you try to be enough in your own strength, you will never feel like you measure up. Even our purity is a gift from God in Christ Jesus. He doesn’t need your perfection. He needs your obedience and your “yes.”
This week, I want to remind you that you are not the treasure, and that should be encouraging. We are simply the vessels, perfectly loved by God. We get to carry the presence and glory of God, just like Mary did. We don’t have to be perfect; we just have to be obedient, and we have to be willing. As Mary said, “be it done unto me according to your word,” so can we. God has plans for us, just like He had plans for Mary. However, He always gives us a choice. Will you choose to trust that God knows what He's doing in your life? Will you believe that God can use you despite all of the things you think should have disqualified you? Especially during this Christmas season, I encourage you to remember that you, like Mary, are a carrier of the greatest treasure the world has ever known, and the world is absolutely desperate for it! You are an earthen vessel, but what an absolute privilege! He has made a way for us to carry Him to the lost and the broken! You are enough because He has made you enough. In your weakness, He is made strong. When He qualifies the unqualified, He demonstrates that the “surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7). We can all carry the Gospel to the nations. We can all heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead! We can all see heaven come to earth. We can all see His glory, because He has made a way, and it’s not about us. It’s all about Him!
‘For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
The next verse is divided in most of our English translations by a new heading, however it is actually a continuation of Paul’s thought. 2 Corinthians 4:7 says,
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
We are the earthen vessels Paul referenced in this verse, and the treasure is God’s glory, illuminated in our hearts by the revelation of Jesus Christ. What exactly does it mean to be a vessel though?
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a perfect example. As Christmas approaches, her life will undoubtedly be discussed more than any other time of the year. Her story is so important, and I don’t think it should be relegated to just a couple of Sundays! However, what I find most interesting about Mary’s life is actually her insignificance. She was a young virgin, likely a teenager based on what we know from the historical context of her day. She was an Israelite, but she was not from an important or wealthy family. There was nothing about Mary on the surface that made her special. However, when Gabriel appeared to her and told her she would carry the Messiah, she responded:
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
What we know of Mary is that she was pure, willing, and a servant of God. Moreover, her attitude didn’t change when she learned that she would carry Jesus. She maintained a humble heart of worship even as she bore the responsibility of being the mother of the Messiah. She worshipped God, saying:
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation.” (Luke 1:46-50)
Her response was focused on Him, rather than on herself. This is an important lesson for all of us! As believers, we can’t allow ourselves to be distracted by our own lives, even if it’s in trying to please God. God loves us and we are significant to Him, but we have to remember that our lives are not about us. If you found something valuable, would you care what it was in or where you found it? Of course not. He is the treasure the world needs. He is the pearl of great price. It’s only when Jesus is lifted up that people are drawn to salvation!
I believe we can even allow ourselves to be distracted by trying to be a good vessel. That, in and of itself, is pride. What qualified Mary? All God needed from her was her purity and her “yes.” That is still all God is looking for in us! 2 Timothy 2:20-21 says,
“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 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.”
Purity qualifies us to be a vessel of honor in His house, but how are we purified? It’s only by the blood of Jesus, as we obey His Word. Hebrews 9:13-14 says:
“For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”
1 Peter 1:22 says,
“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.”
Even our purity is a work of His Word and the Holy Spirit! Even that doesn’t rest in our power or strength! God will not reject anyone who comes to Him. We can only disqualify ourselves by refusing to come or refusing to believe Him. His blood is more than enough! What God needs from you is your yes and then He will do the work. Mary could have said no, and so can we. So many of us tell God “no,” not because we don’t want to do what He’s called us to do but because we feel we are unqualified vessel. However, it is God who justifies, qualifies, and purifies us by the blood of Jesus. He is enough and if you try to be enough in your own strength, you will never feel like you measure up. Even our purity is a gift from God in Christ Jesus. He doesn’t need your perfection. He needs your obedience and your “yes.”
This week, I want to remind you that you are not the treasure, and that should be encouraging. We are simply the vessels, perfectly loved by God. We get to carry the presence and glory of God, just like Mary did. We don’t have to be perfect; we just have to be obedient, and we have to be willing. As Mary said, “be it done unto me according to your word,” so can we. God has plans for us, just like He had plans for Mary. However, He always gives us a choice. Will you choose to trust that God knows what He's doing in your life? Will you believe that God can use you despite all of the things you think should have disqualified you? Especially during this Christmas season, I encourage you to remember that you, like Mary, are a carrier of the greatest treasure the world has ever known, and the world is absolutely desperate for it! You are an earthen vessel, but what an absolute privilege! He has made a way for us to carry Him to the lost and the broken! You are enough because He has made you enough. In your weakness, He is made strong. When He qualifies the unqualified, He demonstrates that the “surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7). We can all carry the Gospel to the nations. We can all heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead! We can all see heaven come to earth. We can all see His glory, because He has made a way, and it’s not about us. It’s all about Him!
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