God's vessels unto honour (Romans 9:21)
Glory be to God!!
God's vessels unto honour
"Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" Romans 9:21
When we think about the potter who make vessels out of clay, our God who formed man out of the dust of the ground come into our mind (Genesis 2:7). By paying attention through the above and below verses of our key verse we can understand it refers to our God. Therefore all those vessels mentioned here clearly states it is we the human. By which we can understand the clear work of our God as well the differences in each of our lives who are worthy for it. The potter make a vessel unto honour and unto dishonour with the same clay. Here we can comprehend the power of the potter. But when we evidently learn it we see it is not so. Giving heed to the verses in Romans 9:11-15 both Esau and Jacob were conceived by one, by Isaac in the same womb. Even then their life experiences and their character differ from each other (Genesis 25:27). Therefore according to their difference God loved Jacob and hated Esau (Romans 9:13-15). As we see in the scriptural portions of the old testament of Isaiah 49:1, Jeremiah 1:4-5 anyone even before they are formed in the belly our God knew them and according to their state alone He works in them. There is no unrighteousness ( Romans 9:14), neither respect of persons with God (Romans 2:11). Therefore to those having willingness and interest concerning godly experiences to them God will and show mercy. They that resist against divine things God shows His hardness and make them hardened ones. Therefore one group changed to honourable ones and another group changed to dishonourable ones.
This vessels unto honour and dishonour are called as vessels of mercy and vessels of wrath (Romans 9:22-24). When we learn about the vessels of mercy mentioned here we can understand how these vessels were made vessels of mercy. Our Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. We become sinners because of our weakness in the flesh, He having fellow feeling and to show mercy we ought to go to Him (Hebrews 4:15-16). Through the tender mercy of our God we get the knowledge of salvation by the remission of our sins (Luke 1:77). It is because the blind Bartimaeus by the highway side (Mark 10:46-48) and the publican, the sinner (Luke 18:13) cry unto Jesus saying have mercy on us. To such God will have compassion and mercy says God to Moses, the devout (Romans 9:15). They are those who become vessels unto honour or vessels of mercy by the work of God.
On the other hand, God to shew His wrath and to make His power known He make few unto dishonour and vessels of wrath (Romans 9:22-24). They are those who don't have interest concerning godly experiences, being far from God and living in sin. They are not interested to plead for the mercy from God for the remission of their sins having pleasure in sin and living as sinners, God to shew His wrath and to reveal His power He make them as vessels of wrath. God therefore hardeneth such hearts (Romans 9:17-18). At each time, God hardened the heart of Pharoah thereby he continued to sin against God (Exodus 9:12). Amorites the caste of Pharoah as God gave them up to sin by hardenening Pharoah and Amorites until the iniquity of Amorites become full ( Genesis 15:16) even in the life of these vessels of wrath God make them hardened ones (Romans 9:18). Before we were saved, when we say about our past times we lived like others having our conversation in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind thereby we were children of wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3). Such ones because of their hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath and fall into the judgement against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God ( Romans 2:5).
It is true that our God enduring them much patiently until their iniquity become full (Romans 9:24). Though they were fitted to destruction as our Jesus endured Judas, the son of perdition though he was walking all along with Jesus even so our God bearing them as well (John 17:12). We could see our God about the time of forty years suffered the rebelliousness and the evil characters of the children of Israel (Acts 13:18). Saul who was rejected from being a King did God suffered much long years, after enduring him even then he was fitted to destruction thereby he was destroyed (1Samuel 15:23, 1 Chronicles 10:13-14). Because of the blindness of their heart, with interest giving themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness (Ephesians 4:18,19). In the fullness of their iniquity as God destroyed Pharoah even He will destroy them as well. Therefore atleast let us encourage ourselves to repent during the period of time when our God is enduring us patiently so that at the end we may not be destroyed as dishonoured vessels of wrath by our God. When we repent knowing that our God's longsuffering is for repentance then His longsuffering will become salvation unto us, thereby we are saved without being destroyed (2 Peter 3:9,14).
In further, when we learn about vessels unto honour we could see that our God might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory (Romans 9:23-24). Our God who are called according to the divine purpose received mercy and whom He called, them He also make to obtain justification continually He is leading them unto glorification ( Romans 8:30). They are called to obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:14). When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory (colossians 3:4). It is at the appearing of Jesus Christ we'll be found unto praise and honour and glory (1 Peter 1:7). Therefore on that day they'll be seen as vessels unto honour with Jesus.
So let us understand clearly how our God make us vessels unto honour or what we must do in order to become vessels unto honour. For different purposes and with different substances vessels are made and kept in a great house (2 Timothy 2:20-21). But it is discerned into two as some to honour and some to dishonour. No matter whichever group we belong when we say purge from these, "our praise of thinking high that we are honourable ones or our grievance that we are bad not having such sorrows", we have to purge ourselves from these two experiences. And come to the state nevertheless i live: yet not I (Galatians 2:20). Let us sanctify ourselves so that we belong to Christ either Christ to live in us. It is not that others will sanctify us but it is we that through our prayers have to search ourselves and sanctify us.
We could see three ways in 1Corinthians 11:28-31 so that these things to happen in our lives. Firstly, we have to examine ourselves. A spiritual one judgeth or examining all things in His life, yet he himself is judged of no man (1 Corinthians 2:15). Secondly, he must discern his body. Whether to see any unclean things which is the works of flesh manifest in the body through works( Galatians 5:19-21) and we have to mortify the deeds of the body through Spirit ( Romans 8:12-13). Thirdly, we should judge ourselves. We should not justify ourselves by hiding our faults. We have to judge ourselves and confess our mistakes by accepting and forsaking them ( Proverbs 28:13). Such will receive mercy from God and will become vessels of mercy, vessels unto honour.
Again when we pay attention to the vessels unto honour we could see three things. He who purge himself receive these three experiences from God and when he reveal it, only then it is evident whether he is vessel unto honour or not (2 Timothy 2:21). Firstly he became sanctified. It is our Jesus who sanctify us (Hebrews 2:11). Jesus having received of the Father the Holy Ghost and given us (Acts 2:33). Through the Holy Spirit He is sanctifying us (Romans 15:15). Not only that through the word of God and prayer our life is getting sanctified (1Timothy 4:5). Secondly, he is meet for the master's use. Those who profit stick together (2 Timothy 4:11). The remaining ones are rejected, no matter either vessels or instruments it will be cast away. The vessels which are made unto honour with His knowledge, our God will make them as useful instrument and preserve them in His hand and in His quiver (Isaiah 49:1-2). Thereby we should be much profitable to God and man (Philemon 1:11). Thirdly, prepared unto every good work. We should be used by our God and be those doing good works. Everything God had made was very good ( Genesis 1:31). Even Jesus hath done all things well ( Mark 7:37). Therefore when we are prepared for every God's good work whatever we do and whatever we reveal will be good too. Not only that since all scriptures are profitable we ought to be led by the word of God and throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16,17). Thereby let us be His peculiar people having zealous of good works (Titus 2:14). When these three experiences are clearly manifested in us we become God's vessels unto honour. Therefore, let us examine ourselves and set our lives so that we become vessels unto honour created by our God. At His appearing let us be seen as honourable persons. Let our Lord God help for it and prepare us.
