The Graphic Gospel (5): Vessel of Glory

VESSEL OF GLORY

Our salvation is of the Lord
and for His glory.
He has saved our souls
to change our lives.
Each Christian is a unique vessel
of God created in Christ Jesus
for good works.

No two are alike,
but
ALL are to be like Christ.

Therefore, as you received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.
Col. 2:6 ESV

For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God
prepared beforehand,
that we should walk in them.
Eph. 2:10 ESV

…so as to walk in a manner
worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing to him,
bearing fruit in every good work
and increasing in
the knowledge of God.
Col. 1:10 ESV

Jesus…gave himself for us
to redeem us from
all lawlessness and to purify
for himself a people
for his own possession
who are zealous for good works.
Ti. 2:14 ESV

In Christ
we are not only
JUSTIFIED:
declared righteous
in God’s sight through
faith in Jesus Christ
(Rom. 3:24; Rom. 5:1)…
We are also
SANCTIFIED:
Set apart,
made holy,
a vessel for God’s glory.
An example from
Baker’s Dictionary
helpfully explains
sanctification like this:
“a person or thing set apart
for the use intended
by its designer.
A pen is ‘sanctified’
when used to write.
Eyeglasses are ‘sanctified’
when used to improve sight.
In the theological sense,
things are sanctified when
they are used for the
purpose God intends.
A human being is sanctified,
therefore, when he or she
lives according to God’s
design and purpose.”

We want to BE that which Christ
created us to be and that which we
already ARE.

We have been set apart for
His glory.
We want to fully engage with Him
humbly, submissively,
obediently, and
faithfully in that process.

When God
called and set Peter apart,
impetuous and impatient
Peter became indefatigable
and persevering.

When Jesus confronted
Paul on his way to Damascus,
vicious, religious, vigilante
Saul
became loving, vigilant,
and victorious Paul.

Who would you be
today if Jesus had not saved you?

Who would you be if you
were fully submissive to
Christ?
Christ in you,
is your hope of glory…
now and in eternity!
HE will do it but
He is calling you
humbly submit
to His work in your heart.

Taking the Truth to Heart

Will you turn your thoughts
to consider who you are now
that you are IN Christ?
And what was God’s purpose
in choosing you and
redeeming you?

You have been saved to be a vessel
of God’s glory and
not your own glory.

Yet, the default setting of our flesh
is to find worth in achievement,
accomplishment,
accolades,
and attention.
The flesh
demands attention
and craves glory.
The sin within wants credit,
wants to be noticed,
wants to prove others wrong,
wants its own way,
wants to make a point,
wants to make a name for itself,
wants to be accepted by others,
wants to be popular,
wants recognition from those
that matter,
wants, wants, wants, wants…
In other words…
The sin within LUSTS
after the things of this world.
It “LOVES” the things of this world.
John in his tender, shepherding,
and passionate love for his sheep
warns and exhorts them with these
clear and convicting words:
“If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world-
the desires of the flesh and
the desires of the eyes and
pride of life –
is not from the Father but is
from the world.
And the world is passing
away along with its desires,
but whoever does the will
of God abides forever.”
1 Jn. 2:15-17 ESV

We have been saved for
Christ and His glory!
We have been saved to
exalt His name!
We have been saved to
lose ourselves in Christ!!!

Ask the Lord to help you
become a fully devoted
vessel for HIS GLORY
and HIS ALONE.

Close in Prayer:

O Lord, help me.
I have been saved to be a
vessel of your glory and not my own.
Yet, I feel my flesh demand attention
and crave glory!

Help me
turn my gaze toward
Jesus.
Help me turn away
from my self focused
and self-centered living
and instead to live for Christ
and Him alone.
Lord Jesus, particularly now,
during this time of year,
I beg of you
I cry out to you
to help me truly
believe the Gospel.

I want to believe
the Gospel in such
a way that it helps me lose myself
so that I can become
fully who I have been created to be in Christ!!!
I want to believe the Gospel
so that it impacts
how I live each and
every moment of every day and
how I feel toward others.

I want my life to be
distinctively
Gospel driven.
Lord I want you to
do for me what you did
for Peter and for Paul.
I plead with you
to help me see myself and my sin
and to see Jesus and His sacrifice
so that I have
understanding of what you
have done for me.
I, even as a believer,
can barely comprehend
what you have done for me.
Abba Father,
have mercy upon me.
I want to live for Jesus
just as He did for me…
I want to be willing to die to myself
so that Christ would live in me.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

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