“The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.’ So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.
“Then the word of the Lord came to me: ‘O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.’” (Jeremiah 18:1-6 ESV)
God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit – is our creator. He is the one who made us. But when we are born into this world we are born in the image of Adam with sin natures. So we are like this spoiled clay in the Potter’s hand (and God is the Potter). But when we believe in Jesus Christ with God-persuaded faith in him, then we are changed. We are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to righteousness.
So we are now this clay in the Potter’s hands who he is reworking into another vessel, a vessel that he can use for his purposes, and for his honor, and for his glory. For all of us who have been called of God and chosen of God to be his holy people, who have been drawn to faith in Jesus Christ by God, and who are now being saved, and being conformed to the likeness of Christ, and who are being sanctified, are clay in the hands of the Potter who is reworking us into another vessel fit for his service.
[Rom 3:9-26; Rom 5:12-19; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:29; 1 Co 15:21-22,42-49; Eph 1:3-4; Eph 2:8-10; Psalms 139:13-16; John 1:1-4; 2 Tim 1:8-9]
But we have to cooperate with God and his work of sanctification in our lives. We have to surrender our lives to him, submit to his Lordship, and obey his commandments (New Covenant) – all in his power, strength, and wisdom, by the grace of God. For even though we are not saved of our own doing, of our own fleshly works, our salvation is not absent of works, but they are the works that God prepared in advance that we should walk in them as his workmanship (Ephesians 2:10; cf. Titus 2:11-14).
Now God has a very specific will for all of our lives collectively, as his body, which we can read about in the Scriptures. And Jesus stated it well when he said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, then we have the hope of eternal life (Luke 9:23-26).
But the Lord also has very specific assignments for each one of us individually which he wants us to fulfill. And even though we are all one body, by faith in Jesus Christ, we are all different parts with differing functions, and so we are not all going to be the same or do all the same things. But what is important is that we are listening to the Lord and that we are following his lead and that we are doing what he has called each of us to do in service to him and in service to our fellow humans.
[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]
And all of this involves our Lord (our Potter) molding and shaping us like moldable clay in his hands as we cooperate fully with his work of sanctification in our lives in making us into the vessels that he wants us to be for his purposes. But, again, we must cooperate with our Lord in his work of grace in our lives in making us into the vessels (the people) he intends to use. We must allow ourselves to be transformed by his love and grace into the people that he wants us to be. Will you be moldable clay in his hands?
Video Talk
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The Lord’s Anointed
An Original Work / December 16, 2011
Based off Isaiah 61
The Spirit of the Sov’reign Lord on me;
Anointed to preach the Good News;
Sent me to bind up the brokenhearted;
Proclaim freedom for the captives.
He sent me to preach release for pris’ners
Who are walking in sin’s darkness;
Proclaim God’s grace to all men who’ll listen;
And tell them about God’s judgments;
Comfort all who mourn;
Give crowns of beauty;
Oil of gladness and thanksgiving.
They will be called oaks of God’s righteousness,
A planting of our Savior, God,
For the display of our Lord’s splendor, and
They will rebuild God’s holy church.
God will renew them, and will restore them,
And you’ll be called priests of the Lord.
You will be ministers of our God, and
You will rejoice in salvation.
The Lord loves justice;
He is faithful to
Reward those who are seeking Him.
I delight greatly in the Lord;
My soul rejoices in my Savior, God.
He has clothed me with His salvation,
And in a robe of His righteousness.
He has given me priestly garments to wear,
As the bride of Jesus Christ.
As the garden of our Lord and Savior,
He causes us to grow in Him.
He makes righteousness,
Praise, and thanksgiving
Spring up before all the nations.
https://vimeo.com/114836524
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