The House of God VII: Conduct Fitting the House

The House of God VII: Conduct Fitting the House

2 Timothy 2:19 - 22

To end the series on the house of God let us examine how to live in the house of God. By the renewing of our minds, God is transforming us into his likeness. He is perfecting the vessels in his house for the house agenda (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Paul compared life in the house of God to that of a great house (2 Timothy 2:19 – 22). The house  is so great that you do not live in it anyhow. Being born into a great house puts you on the spot light.   The ‘paparazzi’ come after you. You have a reputation to keep, privileges to enjoy and responsibilities to carry out. Believers are born into such a house. Humanity is watching with high expectations (Ephesians 3:9).  Heaven is watching with great support. Hell is also watching helplessly, puzzled by the manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10).

A house can be great by its extraordinary nature,  by its history of significant contributions, by its destiny, by its wealth, by whose it is, by the children it raises, by its good governance, order and the remarkable experience it gives. The house of God has all these characteristics and more. It has qualities that are above ordinary.  Let us look at three highlights.

>> A Sure Foundation

Great architects design great houses. God does great things.  His house has a sure foundation (Isaiah 28:16; 2 Timothy 2:9) and is according to God’s plan. It is built to last. It  is able to withstand any pressure. God is the foundation, designer and builder. For no other foundation can man lay than that already in place, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). Members of the house are born into it by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8). They live by faith in Gods word, and power from the name of Jesus, prayer and dependence on the Holy Spirit.

>> A Holy Ground

Do you realize the greatness of the house to which you belong?   ‘Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil (Ecclesiastes 5:1; Habakkuk 2:20).’  We also learn from Exodus 3:5 that God meets with his people on holy ground. When Moses met with God at the bush that had flames but was not burning, God warned him not to get any closer without taking off his sandals for the place was holy ground. The house of God is holy ground where God’s presence abides.  It is the place where humanity can experience God. With his sandals on, Moses could only get close to God to a point and no further. In a similar way, we also can get to know God only so far without removing from our lives things that keep us from following God more intimately. Shoes represent the attitudes, sins and weights, which hinder you from drawing to God near enough (Hebrews 12:1-3). Taking off shoes can be laying aside pride. Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Mathew 5:3).  Taking off shoes can also signify being careful to walk worthily before God. Paul wrote to Timothy the importance of learning how to behave in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth (I Timothy 3:15, 16). The great house has manners and protocols to be observed. Also, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3).

>> A High Value Opportunity

The realization of the greatness of God’s house is key in deciding worthy conduct in the house (Ephesians 2:19; 1 Corinthians 3:9). Your attitude and behavior in the house of God determines your role in the house. A great house does not have vessels of honor only. It has a wide range of vessels. Some are vessels of honor/high value and others are vessels of dishonor/low value to God’s agenda (2 Timothy 2:19-21).  Unlike the vessels in a lesser house that are only of low value. The house has vessels meet for the master’s use and unfitting vessels. People in the house are at different levels of maturity, faith, and knowing God. In a great house, there is opportunity to be of high value so why settle for less. All members of the house have the potential to be great but are not necessarily great. ‘The Lord knows those who are his. Let everyman who names the name of the lord purge himself from iniquity (2 Timothy 2:19; 2 Corinthians 4:6, 7).’  A great house has opportunity for honor and greatness that is non-existent in a lesser house. Members can determine what they become by their faith in the house especially their attitude towards sin. So if someone cleanses himself of such behavior, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart, useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

Purify yourself from doubt, fear, worry, anxiety, and bitterness. ‘Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:20, 21).  How you live in the great house determines how much of its greatness you enjoy. You are called to greatness. God promised to Abraham with whom we share God’s blessing, ‘And I will make of thee  a great  nation , and I will bless  thee, and make  thy name  great  ; and thou shalt be a blessing’ (Genesis 12:2). He also promised, ‘I will be your exceeding great reward (Genesis 15:1)’. The promises we have in Christ are exceedingly great. ‘Whereby  are  given unto us  exceeding great and  precious  promises : that  by  these  ye might be  partakers  of the divine nature , having escaped  the corruption  that is in  the world  through  lust (2 Peter 1:4).’

You are safe and fruitful in the house with a sure foundation. God is inviting his people to take off their shoes and seek him. He is calling them to desire to be of higher value to God’s purposes, people who diligently endeavor to be vessels of honor, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use. Let your heart cry out like the Psalmist’s, ‘How lovely are your dwellings, Yahweh of Hosts! My soul longs, and even faints for the courts of Yahweh. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God (Psalm 84; 92:13).

[This message is the seventh and final among several in a series of messages on the house of God. The series raises awareness of the importance of belonging and fully participating in the life of a local church.]

Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building,

204B Bram Fischer drive,

Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa