“ 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor”
‭‭1 Thes ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Discipleship Class xxx

Class Reading: 1 Thesa 4:1-8, 2 Tim 2:15-26,

Christ came to give an excess of ZÖĒ life to us John 10:10 that we might showcase the life of God, and also to be a conduit through which others come in contact [saved/refreshed/blessed] with that life, to the glory of God.1 Pe 2:9.

In practice what this means is He fills us up like a bucket and leads us out into the world [where men thirst] and invites them to drink freely of the living waters contained in us Isa 55:1. But what happens to the efficacy of His work and how satisfied would He be with the results when His vessels are full of holes in multiple places?

No one enjoys using a leaking bucket to fetch and carry water a mile. It is time consuming, wasteful and ineffectual! Christ our Lord neither enjoys sloppiness Prov 18:9 nor wastage John 6:12-14 in His vineyard. To this end, He enjoins each of us to know how to control our own body in Holiness and Honor; presenting ourselves as useful vessels 2 Tim 2:21 that preserves the integrity of His work and maximises His returns for His investment. This He regards as our ‘reasonable service’. Romans 12:1

Factors which commonly puncture us and reduce our effectual witness?

Being a witness involves the engagement of your spiritual senses sanctified and regularly exercised Heb 5:14 to facilitate the ministry of reconciliation. These senses are often interconnected and interdependent on each other.
A quick summary of some of the factors which puncture and blunt us.

Mouth Leakage:

  • ‘Idle words leak life‘………..Watchman Nee
  • Sin related to the mouth always defiles the vessel & produces leakage which dilutes the power in the words we are given to speak.
  • Idle words. Speaking lies. Swearing. Obscenities. Immoral Talk. False Witness. Basically any word you cannot speak comfortably before the Lord is probably compromised.
  • Prov 10:19 ‘Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut‘.
  • Eph 4:29 ‘Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers‘
  • James 3:11 “Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?“
  • James 1:26. Exo 23:1. Psa 34:13.
  • Would you count your social media interactions in this category too?

Eye Leakage:

  • Lust of the eyes. Haughty Eyes. Beholding carnal things.
  • Matt 6:22-23 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.”But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
  • Matt 5:29 “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell“.
  • Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.“

Ear Leakage:

  • Do we incline our ear toward holy things or more often unholy things? toward wisdom or foolishness? Do we use our ears to test words before they enter our heart?
  • Rev 3:22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
  • Job 12:11 “Does not the ear test words,As the palate tastes its food?“
  • 2 Tim 4:3. Isa 30:21. Psalm 58:4. Lev 8:23.

Heart Leakage:

  • Prov 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.“
  • Heb 12:15 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;“
  • Luke 6:45. Matthew 15:18. Psa 51:10. Mat 5:8. Matt 6:25-34.

Conclusion

Suppose you had 2 buckets of the same size and make. 1 very intact, the other quite leaky. You would be left with only 3 choices:
1: Keep the leaky bucket aside for repair and future use.
2: Reserve it for ‘limited – simple work’
3: Never use it for water again: but perhaps as a dustbin for trash.

All christians are saved equally before God. Our nuisance value however differs based on how each person has been able to maintain his vessel in consecration. Its not that God has preferences per se: but rather He is an astute investor who seeks to get maximum returns for every seed of life He sows.

Your ‘effectualness” as a witness is relative to the degree to which you keep your vessel consecrated in holiness and honor. On a daily basis, as you seperate & reserve them for use by God and His kingdom work (even as you refuse to lend them to sinful use), the more accurate and effectual you can expect them to be in their employment by the Spirit.

13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. Romans 6:13

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