Holiness Is a Life of Usefulness
G. Campbell Morgan emphasizes that holiness is essential for believers to be useful vessels in God's service, requiring trust and obedience amidst suffering.
G. Campbell Morgan emphasizes that God's unchanging purpose is fulfilled through His people, which is made possible by holiness of character. He stresses that only cleansed vessels can be used by God, urging believers to separate themselves from unclean things to become instruments of His will. Trust in God is paramount, as our confidence in Him reflects His confidence in us, and true trust manifests in a life of obedience. Morgan highlights that those who have received God's secrets are often those who have suffered for their faith, and through their trials, they contribute to the advancement of God's Kingdom. Ultimately, a life of holiness and usefulness is marked by a deep trust in God and a willingness to be shaped by Him.
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The unalterable and unchanging purpose of God is the accomplishment of His purposes through His people. That is rendered possible through holiness of character. Cleansed vessels are the vessels that Jehovah makes use of. "Be ye clean ye that bear the vessels of the Lord," was the word of the Hebrew prophet. "Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing," is the word of the Christian apostle. It is through holiness of character that I become a vessel ready to the hand of God for the accomplishment of His will.
Surrendered instruments are those which He employs. Not only is it true that clay cannot say to the potter, What formest thou? It is true that the instrument through which he will form and fashion the clay must be plastic in his hand even as the clay is. Believing souls He trusts. The measure of my confidence in Him is the measure of His confidence in me. Let me put that in this form. Are you a man that God can trust? You are if you are a man who can trust God. Trust, again let me remind you, is not merely singing the song that declares your confidence, but it is the life of obedience that relies on God.
"He made known His ways unto Moses," gave him the program of events; "His acts unto the children of Israel"; they had to wait and walk step by step. "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him." Has God ever told you a secret, something in your inner life that has become a flaming, fiery passion? You spoke of it and the world crucified you for doing it. The men to whom God has whispered His secrets of ultimate purpose and present plan are men absolutely at His disposal, and they have had to suffer in the world, but by their suffering the Kingdom is coming. If I want to find a highway along which God is moving toward ultimate victory I shall follow the tracks where I discover the blood of martyrs. He can tell me His secret only as I trust Him wholly.
Sermon Outline
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I
- The purpose of God through His people
- The necessity of holiness
- Cleansed vessels for God's use
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II
- The call to separation from the unclean
- Holiness as a vessel for God's will
- Surrendered instruments in God's hands
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III
- Trusting God as a measure of usefulness
- Obedience as a demonstration of trust
- The relationship between trust and confidence
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IV
- God's secrets revealed to those who fear Him
- The cost of following God's call
- The role of suffering in God's plan
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V
- The significance of martyrdom in God's kingdom
- Following the path of God's movement
- The ultimate victory through holiness
Key Quotes
“Be ye clean ye that bear the vessels of the Lord.” — G. Campbell Morgan
“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him.” — G. Campbell Morgan
“If I want to find a highway along which God is moving toward ultimate victory I shall follow the tracks where I discover the blood of martyrs.” — G. Campbell Morgan
Application Points
- Strive for holiness in your life to be a vessel that God can use.
- Demonstrate your trust in God through acts of obedience.
- Embrace suffering as part of your journey in fulfilling God's purpose.