Being Useful For The Master

-May 5, 2022-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”

(2 Timothy 2:21).

As believers in Christ, we all want to be useful for the Master. It doesn’t just happen, for we must prepare ourselves to serve the Lord effectively and be clean vessels that He can use. Paul mentions four things in this passage in 2 Timothy 2:19-22 which will aid us in being vessels for honor, useful for the Master: departing from evil (v.19); being sanctified (v.21); fleeing youthful lusts (v.22); and pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart.

•Departing from evil – To depart from evil is separate ourselves from any evil or even questionable things. This world is against Christ and diametrically opposed to the Word of God. Paul told the Thessalonians, “Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). We must separate ourselves from sin and the things of the world that would defile us, mar our testimony, or set a bad example to others.

•Being sanctified – Being sanctified is being set apart for the Lord. We need to be clean vessels. Imagine a surgeon operating on you using unsterile instruments! Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

•Fleeing youthful lusts – Youthful lusts are not only injurious to young people but to all of us as well. To lust for something is to have a strong desire for it. In the NT it is a desire for sinful things. It is usually in connection with sensual or sexual things. 1 Corinthians 6:18 says, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”

•Pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart – To pursue is to actively strive for something. It is not enough to flee from evil, we must pursue good. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:15, “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is is good both for yourselves and for all.”

May the Lord help us to be useful for the Master each day of our lives by departing from evil, being set apart for the Lord, fleeing youthful lusts, and pursuing righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Only then can we be clean vessels and useful for the Master.

Have a blessed day following Jesus and always being prepared to be used of Him. Stay safe and healthy.

In the service of the Master,

Dean