WHAT LIMITS GOD IN MY LIFE?

II TIMOTHY 2:20-22: “In a large house there are dishes and bowls of all kinds: some are made of silver and gold, others of wood and clay; some are for special occasions, others for ordinary use. Those who make themselves clean from all those evil things, will be used for special purposes, because they are dedicated and useful to their Master, ready to be used for every good deed. Avoid the passions of youth, and strive for righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who with a pure heart call out to the Lord for help.” GNB

OBSERVATION: Is there anything that can limit God? The Bible is very clear on the omnipotence of God. He is all-powerful and does what He wills. Yet, in His dealings with man, there is one thing that hinders His full working in our lives. It is not His ability or power.

What limits God – is what limits me!

Paul speaks to Timothy as a father speaks to his son. He uses very simple and plain language to guide Timothy to understand what will allow him to be used by God or what will limit God’s grace in his life. Paul speaks of dishes and bowls. There are some that are only good for common everyday use and others that are set aside for special purposes and special occasions.

I will never forget my baptism into understanding this principle. It was the day my future wife and I spent hours at a major department store working on our bridal registry. I was given a crash course on what it meant to start a home. I had no idea that there were everyday dishes and special dishes. We carefully looked at every dish as my wife-to-be chose each set.

What makes the dishes and bowl distinct from each other? It is the care and use of each one. The common dishes are handled roughly and scratches and nicks are commonplace. The special dishes are kept in a safe place, used only for the best occasions, and then carefully washed by hand, dried, and placed in a place of honor and safety.

This speaks of our lives. If we allow our lives to become influenced by the world or fall prey again to the passions of our old sinful nature, we impose a self-limit on what God can do in and through our lives. We are not talking about works righteousness or earning God’s love. We are saved by grace through faith alone. Our works do not earn God’s love or favor. Yet, our care for the condition of our hearts either limits or facilitates the flow of God’s grace in and through our lives.

The passions of our youth, the sins of the flesh, and the pull of this world are like cholesterol in our blood system. The heart may be healthy but if there is the wrong type of cholesterol in our veins it causes a blockage and our heart is not able to pump the needed life-giving blood to all the vital organs of our bodies. It will cause a normally healthy person to become tired and sluggish, and can even threaten their life.

These blocked arteries are like the residue of our old nature and the pull of a sinful world upon our lives. How we deal with these will determine the flow of God’s life-giving grace in and through our lives. If we become distracted, if we are pulled by our former desires, if we spend more time filling our lives with the spiritual and emotional cholesterol of this life, our spiritual arteries will become blocked and we will be ineffective in the service of the Lord.

So, what does Paul tell Timothy to do?

“Run away from infantile indulgence. Run after mature righteousness—faith, love, peace—joining those who are in honest and serious prayer before God.” (2Ti 2:22, MSG)

I think Paul could have been thinking of the life of Joseph when he spoke these words to young Timothy. Joseph, when tempted by Potiphar’s wife, when she tried to forcibly pull him into temptation, did not try to negotiate with her –

HE RAN!

We are not strong enough to overcome the weaknesses of our flesh. We cannot entertain sin and the wisdom of this world without getting defiled. We are never told to manage our sins – we are called to run to the cross of Jesus Christ, confess our sins, and seek His righteousness, His faith, His love, His peace, His grace!

WE NEED TO RUN – TO JESUS!

When I run to the cross of Jesus Christ, when I turn from my human weakness, when I allow the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse me from all sin – God is able to set me apart as a vessel of honor for His full use. I have not earned His favor or merited His love because of my works. I have simply allowed Him to remove the things in my life that hinder the flow and power of them in my life.

The enemy constantly tries to get us to take a peek at our old life. These distractions keep us from being drawn into the rivers of God’s amazing and life-changing grace. God has set before me the oceans of His grace. I can either wander in the shallow end, ankle-deep, or I can, by His grace, cast off all restraint and plunge into the depths of His love.

Lord, help me to set aside every weight and every sin that keeps me from running into the depths of Your love and grace. Remove everything in my life that limits You and make me a vessel of honor so that I can fulfill Your call and purpose in my life!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” (Heb 12:1-2, NLT)

In Jesus’ Name!