A Sure Foundation

“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His.  And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”  II Timothy 2:19-21

As Paul continued to instruct Timothy about those who would bring false teaching into the church, attempt to add to what God has said in His word, or deny the existence of God and of Jesus Christ, the foundation, the very core of God, stands certain.  Just because folks do not believe what the word of God says, that doesn’t negate one iota of scripture.  God has provided a seal to the truth that Jesus Christ knows those who are truly His.  Ephesians 1:13 tells us that those who truly believe in Christ are “sealed” with the Holy Spirit of promise, that is, separated and set apart for God because we belong to Him.  The devil has no claim on believers even as he tries to tempt and harass us.

Since believers have the greatest privilege of being part of God’s family, brothers and sisters of Christ, sons and daughters of Almighty God, then it behooves believers to walk in righteousness and shun sin of every sort.  Since Jesus died to provide forgiveness of sin, it is shameful, disrespectful, and arrogant for believers to live a life of sin.  I am speaking of a lifestyle or a pattern of sin.  I believe that if a person has truly been born again, he or she can’t live a lifestyle of sin without being absolutely miserable and eventually repenting or having a life cut short.  If someone truly has the Holy Spirit residing within them, He won’t let them rest until they do repent.  People who say they are Christians but live a sinful lifestyle and never seem to suffer any repercussions from it, probably should examine themselves and see if they are truly born again.  You can’t do wrong and get by, as the old gospel song says.  Because believers are human and still have a sin nature, we will sin, but there is forgiveness when we repent (I John 1:9).

Paul illustrated the people who make up the church by comparing the church to a “great house” not only in size but also in value.  In this great house, there are vessels of gold and silver, that is, people who are dedicated and committed to Christ, doing good works, and living righteously.  However, there are also vessels of wood and earth, people who perhaps are believers, yet they are not very committed and have not made Jesus Lord of their lives, becoming careless about sin and bringing dishonor to Christ and the church.  Those who are like the vessels of gold and silver are, like these valuable metals, strong, secure, and enduring, a real honor to God while the vessels of wood and earth (clay) wear out over time and are of little use to God’s kingdom.

It is the responsibility of the believer in Christ to strive for excellence in his or her walk with the Lord.  The Holy Spirit is given as a “prompter” to the believer to do what’s right, and God’s word is the “life manual” by which the believer is to construct his or her life, thus there is no excuse to not know what God requires of His children.  Those who follow Christ and strive for Christian excellence, avoiding sin, are those who are the vessels of honor.  They are sanctified, that is, set apart for the Lord, made holy through repentance and belief in Him, useful and able to be used by the Lord to serve Him and others, and prepared to do all sorts of good works.

In verses 22 through 26, Paul cautioned Timothy as he urged him to flee youthful lusts.  These could not only be sexual lusts (we have no record that Timothy was married), lying, cheating, playing pranks on people, or involving too much time and attention to sports.  (Speaking of sports, I wish some folks gave as much attention to spiritual matters as they do their favored ball teams.)  The best way to avoid these lusts is to follow righteousness– determine to always do what is right and not be swayed to do some sin; charity– to develop a true, godly love for others, seeking the best for them; faith– to grow in dependence on the Lord; and peace– to have a calm assurance that God has everything under control.  Timothy was also urged to spend time with those who are prayer warriors, those who prayed from a heart that is pure.  When I hear those who pray from a pure and honest heart, my prayers seem rather feeble, but, the good news is that the Holy Spirit takes our prayers, no matter how eloquent or feeble they are, and intercedes for us, making our prayers in line with the will of God because sometimes we just don’t know how or what to pray (Romans 8:26-27).  Where would we be without the Holy Spirit?  I don’t even want to think about that.

Paul cautioned Timothy again about the need to avoid foolish and ignorant questions that only cause strife.  We must use common sense in dealing with others.  We should keep our words gentle, not harsh and overbearing, patiently teaching others in a calm but firm way.  We shouldn’t get swept up in controversies and rumors.  Have you ever heard someone say or said yourself, “I don’t know if this is true or not, but…..”  This is something a Christian should never say.  Have an attitude of meekness with those who want to argue.  Hopefully, patient and loving confrontation will soften the hearts of those who are out of God’s will and bring them to repentance.  If sinners are convicted by the Holy Spirit of their sin, they can then recover themselves from Satan’s trap be repenting of sin and turning to Christ.  That is the only way to be set free from sin’s bondage.  We can always depend on God’s sure, firm, and eternal foundation.