2 timothy 2:21

“Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” ESV

This is a heavy verse. The context is hitting on both doctrinal and moral dishonor. So, let’s start with moral.

Paul is the author of 2 Timothy, and he lays out these two acts of dishonor very clearly. He first speaks of being cleansed, which comes from our trust in Jesus and his work on our behalf. Our cleansing comes from what Jesus did on the cross and God’s work in us, not our own doings.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV

We have our own part in cleansing as well, which is how close we are to God. I’m sure at some point you have heard a pastor somewhere say, “You are only as close to God as you want to be.” Which is extremely true. The closer we are to God the more sanctified we become. We begin to hear his voice better and can set it apart from all others. Just like how he wants to set us apart by knowing him and responding to what he has for us. As we seek him and listen to his voice, the more useable we become. I’m not saying some Christians are seen more by God, or seen on a better level, but I am saying that as we take part in having a close relationship with him we will see what he has to offer and how he wants to use us for his honor and glory.

Now onto doctrinal dishonor. It can happen so easily before us without even knowing, which is a scary thought. All throughout chapter two Paul is addressing false teaching. Warning us to be aware of the ungodliness it can lead to, and how deceiving/intriguing it is. But verse seven encourages us that the Lord will give us understanding in everything, and as we stay committed to him and allow him to cleanse us, we have a better understanding in who he is and how to rightly interpret scripture.

I’ve had my own struggles in being exposed to false teaching, and to say it almost destroyed my faith completely is an understatement. Scripture was taken out of context and twisted into a message that made you feel good and become self-centered so quickly. I felt like my salvation was fake for so long and that I needed to restart/relearn everything.  I praise God for what he has done and how he brought me out of that and has used it as a part of my testimony in helping others who may face the same thing. Which is a big part of why I started this blog in the first place. To help others understand the importance of context and how God intended for scripture to be read, not what we want to turn it into.

1-13-22