The Bible Edge
Everyone needs an Edge, Believers can have a Bible Edge
August 17
Daily Reading: Jeremiah 18-22
Jeremiah 18:4
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Jeremiah’s lesson from the potter’s house has intrigued Bible readers for almost three millennia. There is much in the way of practical application that could be taught, but for the sake of the brevity of this space consider one thought. The potter’s skill of remaking the marred vessel is a picture of every believer in Christ being remade, suitable for His use.
Before salvation, every person is marred. Marred by sin.
In order to bring one to salvation the Lord breaks them down to self. This is being performed to every person who is Biblically lost. The conviction of the Holy Spirit proclaims the lost to be just that, lost. No one else may see this work in the life of a lost person, they may not even know this or understand it. But make no doubt, to one extent or another the Lord through His Holy Ghost is attempting to cause the lost to come to the end of their self-sufficiency so they might turn to Him through His Gospel.
Once He is accepted by faith, the lost become children of God. As such, He, the Lord God of Heaven, remakes them in His image. Proof? II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. There are many other verses like this, but none better.
Years ago, I wrote this poem that highlights the relationship between the Potter and the vase.
The vase said to the Potter
Why have you made me this way?
My neck is far too narrow
My handle, too delicate they say.
The Potter said to the beautiful vase
Why speak to me in this way
If it were not for my loving touch,
You’d still be a hunk of clay.
Remember, not every illustration the Lord uses is absolutely one hundred percent applicable. This is a wonderful example of such. While in real life the vessel the potter marred and remade had no choice in the matter, but humans do. The free will of man enables or hinders the Potter’s work in their life, just as Judah, Jerusalem, Israel exercised their free will toward sin and idolatry which brought forth God’s judgment. His actions toward them were a direct result of their rebellion toward Him. In this they had a choice, they chose poorly. Alas, we must leave off here…
Until tomorrow, live for Christ today.
William T. Howe, Ph.D.
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