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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
2 Timothy 2:20-22
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
In a lot of households, there are two sets of dishes.
One set is used for just every day dining. These typically aren’t very fancy or impressive but they get the job done, day in and day out. Ditto for the silverware utensils used.
The other set of dishes is usually put on display in a special piece of furniture, most often called a “china cabinet”. These plates, bowls, cups, and accompanying cutlery are reserved for special occasions, occasions like Thanksgiving or Christmas where there would be company visiting for dinner.
As we look at our scripture passage for today from the second chapter of 2 Timothy, we see the same scenario existed where there were designated common and special items in the home. Look again at Paul’s words as he uses the matter to teach a spiritual truth to Timothy and, in turn, the Ephesian church.
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Vv. 20-22
Note here that this
distinction between special and common articles only existed in large houses
which was simply code for the residences of the wealthy.
What were the articles?
Well, looking at various translations you will find anywhere from utensils to dishes to bowls. It’s obvious these items could be anything used for dining in the household.
So what does this have to do with being a Christian believer?
Well, we see Paul making the point that the Lord doesn’t just want the common person (read unrepentant sinner) when it comes usefulness for carrying out His special purposes. Rather, He expects someone to “cleanse themselves” from their natural wickedness and allow their Master to make them holy as He is holy, set apart by Him to carry out any “good work” He wants.
We then see Paul offering more detail into the cleansing God desires. This involves a fleeing from “the evil desires of youth” so to “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace”. This would result in a person behaving in ways that were pleasing to the Lord, behaviors that would create a pure heart within them.
In sum, God expects a believer to prepare themselves and be sanctified so to carry out His special purposes. It was true in New Testament times and it remains true today so let us make a commitment daily to pursue and obtain the righteousness of our Lord by striving to live like Jesus who will always bring us to a place of faith, love, peace, and purity in heart.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.
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