Nov 14

What determines whether a person will be useful to God for his noble purposes? The passage referred to previously, 2 Tim. 2:20, 21, says that God's useful vessels must be clean. We know that this cleansing is not anything that we can do of ourselves but that the blood of Jesus must clean our hearts and make us clean and acceptable and useful to God.

But that does not mean that we have nothing to do ourselves. The second verse of that passage, verse 21, says that "If . . ."

That little word "if" means that there is a condition for all this to take place. Many of God's promises are conditional. If we will do something, then God will do something for us or to us or through us. In the matter of service to God, he can work through us only if . . . what? What is the requirement for him to work through us? We have already seen that it is to be clean and that only Jesus can make us clean.

But that does not mean that the matter of service ends there. We must choose of our own free will, after having been cleansed by Jesus' blood, to continue in that cleansing, through the working of the Holy Spirit, called sanctification. We must cleanse ourselves daily from ignoble purposes -- our own plans and desires in life -- and choose the Father's plans and purposes for our lives. If we do this, then we open up the way for him to act in our lives and to be vessels fit for carrying out his purposes.

"If a man cleanses himself . . . he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master. . . ."

Have you dedicated yourself to this purpose, to be found cleansed and worthy to be used for God's noble purposes? In order to accomplish this, have you sought God's help and grace to get rid of sin in your life?

Scripture for today: 2 Timothy 2:20, 21
Thought for today: I must choose to let the Holy Spirit sanctify me so that I can be cleansed continually and be found useful to God for his holy purposes.
Prayer for today: Thank you, Holy Spirit, for continuing to cleanse me of all that would disqualify me from service to my Holy God.

NOV 14