At your favorite restaurant a delightful waitress brings your refreshing glass of iced tea. But you see lipstick on the edge of the glass. I’m sure you would request a new glass of tea. Then you unfold your napkin finding your knife has dried food on it. You would demand a new set of silverware. You might even leave in disgust.
You know the food is good and the tea is fresh, but if the plate, silverware, or glass is dirty, you would be offended. What if God put His Spirit into you, yet your life is not clean of known sins. Do you think He would be offended?
“So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21 CSB)
This Bible verse in not talking about how to be in right relationship with God in salvation. This verse is assuming you have already come to faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior. The “good work” does not produce salvation. Salvation produces the “good work.”
This verse is addressing those of us who have already become Christians. We must also be useful as a “special instrument, set apart” for God’s use. The useful Christian “purifies” himself or herself through confession of sin. That way they live in fellowship with God with whom they already have a relationship in Christ.
Just like you would not use your dog’s petfood bowl to serve dinner to a guest, you also would not use a sinful life to serve God who is the most special Guest in our life. He’s not just a guest, but the Lord of our lives.
First, are you a Christian? Have you acknowledged God loves you, you are a sinner before God, Jesus died in your place as payment for your sin, and received Jesus Christ into your life as Lord and Savior? This what it means to be saved and become a Christian.
Second, are you a useful Christian to the Master? We as Christians can allow dirty glasses, knives, and plates into our lives. We must stay clean through daily confession of sins. No, you don’t get saved over and over again. You get save once. But you must get cleaned up daily to be “prepared for every good work”.
Come worship in-person each Sunday at 8:45am (Traditional) or 11:00am (Contemporary). Go online at Balboa.Live or Facebook/Balboa Baptist or YouTube/BalboaBaptist to watch livestream or recorded. www.BalboaBaptist.Church