YOU GET TO CHOOSE!
Does the sacrificial death of Jesus bear no weight in my heart, rendering the trials He endured
for my sake meaningless? Why did I choose to soil the beautiful work God has done in this
vessel? I can’t fully fathom the depths of grief I’ve put the Holy Spirit through when I
willingly steered my body, which technically is His Holy vessel, into sin. The resultant was
that I made myself a vessel of dishonor.
I became an individual in the Body of Christ who knows the word of God but chose to rebel
against it. As a vessel of dishonor, it was culture to forsake the lead of the Holy Spirit which
made me the contradiction of a true child of God instead of the manifestation of one (Rom
8:14). Thank God for granting me repentance so I could get out of that dangerous rebellious
rut!
God has called ALL His sons to be a representation of Him on the earth so that our lives will
draw sinners to Him. How can we fulfill that mandate if we look like them? If we are
entangled and entertained by the same things that they are? We cannot live a life that
constantly opposes God and His kingdom principles and call ourselves Christians. God’s
intent is to manifest/reveal Himself through our bodies to others – which is our greatest and
most impactful way of being a witness of the gospel.
Because of this fact, just as God challenged me I must challenge you and ask, “What are you
doing with the temple of God? ” Are you allowing Him to manifest Himself wherever you go;
whether at home, school, work, and especially behind closed doors?
Are you a vessel of honor? This expression speaks to one who (by the power of the Holy
Spirit in them), walk in obedience to every word that comes from God. Such a person
willingly presents their body as a living sacrifice to God making them fit and ready for the
Lord’s glory to flow in and through them. They reckon themselves dead to sin/having no
fellowship with it and alive unto God (Rom 6:11-13) hence their continual pursuit and
abiding in righteousness, faith, love, and peace.
Are you a vessel of dishonor? Do you have the Holy Spirit yet choose to oppose the divine
nature you were fitted with at salvation? There is no place in scripture that says or suggests
we are to yield ourselves to God at times. It’s quite the opposite actually!
Matthew 6: 22-23
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of
light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light
that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
NEWS FLASH! – 2 TIMOTHY 2 WAS WRITTEN TO A YOUTH IN CHRIST
Consecration is not a ritual, limited to a special few, and neither is it seasonal. God is calling
us, even as youth to make it our lifestyle. It is to fully submit to living a sacrificial life,
denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily. This guarantees we will walk upright before
Him.
Once our heart is settled in this truth, a profound peace will stir within and the internal
conflict as it pertains to doing the will of God will be obliterated. The reality is, we are either
for Him or against Him, no man can serve two masters. As you read this today who will you
choose to serve in each moment of your life?
1 John 1: 5-7
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light,
and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie,
and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Here’s the thing about vessels – they were created for use. God however does not desire to use
us only for us to be cast away (1 Cor 9:27). His desire is that we be used inside of having
fellowship with Him that we may be eternally secured and that only comes through
consecration. Now, whether a vessel of honour or dishonour, whatever we choose cannot
hinder His glory and thwart His plans. It is us who will lose if we do not choose rightly. A
word to the (godly) wise is sufficient.
Stephanie Parkes