GEMS OF GRACE : #13-09 www.thecarpenterschurch .

org

Vesselsof
Value (Part 2)
by Pastor Nkechi Ene (Mrs.)

I n the preceding article, we saw that as Christians we can be rightly described as being “vessels of value.” You are a vessel of value
because just as the price a person is willing to pay for an item determines the value of the item to that person, in the same way,
you are valuable to God because He was willing to part with all He had just for you. You are valuable because of your scarcity or
rarity – there is no other person like you. The value placed on your head is independent of where you are coming from.

In this issue, we will discuss some other factors that do not detract from your value, and also discover what Jesus Christ, your
Collector, does when He acquires you, His choice vessel of value.
Romans 9:21­26 says,
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay,
of the same lump to make one vessel unto
honour, and another unto dishonour?
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath,
and to make his power known, endured with
much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted
to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of
his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had
afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the
Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them
my people, which were not my people; and her
beloved, which was not beloved.
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place
where it was said unto them, Ye are not my
people; there shall they be called the children
of the living God.
Size Does Not Determine Value
A little diamond piece can be more valuable than the
price of a piece or plot of land. Some Christians are
carrying heavy ‘baggage’ of who they know or don’t
know; what they can or cannot do. Those things mean
nothing. Somebody else who is naked, thin, small,
!"#$%&'(#)*#'+$,-)-+*'-#+.$/00$'-1"*+$'#+#'2#34$56$(6'*-6)$67$*"-+$3689:#)*$:&;$<#$'#('6398#3=$+*6'#3$-)$&$'#*'-#2&0$+;+*#:$6'$*'&)+:-**#3$-)$&);$76':$6'$<;$
&);$:#&)+>#0#8*'6)-8=$:#8"&)-8&0=$("6*686(;=$'#86'3-)1$6'$&);$6*"#'=$?-*"69*$*"#$('-6'$(#':-++-6)$67$*"#$&<62#4
empty and knows nobody but knows the value that God has placed
on their head can achieve much more than someone else who is big,
heavy, and carrying the weight of all the people he knows.
Beauty Does Not Determine Value
Scientists discovered a plant, the Corpse plant, which became a
tourist attraction that attracted a fee. But the unique thing about the
corpse plant is that it smells like a dead body. There is no beauty in it
but it is so rare that people are ready to buy airline tickets, pay hotel
bills, and pay a fee to come in and smell the corpse plant. You must
understand that God can use even the foolish things about you to do
very great and mighty things for His glory as long as He can get you
to believe that you are valuable and rare. You may never have gotten
into the University, but it does not matter, as long as Christ paid
the price for you. “Is it not that man who could never make it before
he got born again?” people may ask. It does not matter, Christ saw
something in you that was worth His Blood. Someone says, “Oh
Lord, if only my nose was smaller,” or “If only my hair was longer,”
or, “If only I had straight legs.” God saw you with all your flaws and
He thought “big nose, short hair, and knock knees, this is worth
my Blood.” When you try to change yourself, you are cheating your
Collector. Another definition of the word “value” is the estimate of
the monetary worth of something as evaluated by a professional. There
is no one who is more professional than God. So if He checked you
out, put a price tag on you, and saw it fit to pay that price, then stop
looking down on yourself.
The Collector’s Work
What does a Collector do when he finds a valuable item? What does
Jesus do after He finds a person?
The first thing He does is to clean it and as He cleans and polishes it,
 GEMS OF GRACE : #13-09 www.thecarpenterschurch .org
God saw you with all your flaws and He thought “big nose, short hair, and knock
knees, this is worth my Blood.”
He removes every trace of where it came bracelet. It is the most expensive bracelet when He paid the price for you is
from and then the real beauty begins to you’ve ever seen, there is none like it; because He plans to make gain from you.
show. That is why all the dirt on you is it cost me so much.” In the same way, The primary gain He will make from
unimportant. All He has to do is buy you Jesus publishes you and talks about you you is when the purpose He gave you is
and since He has bought you, He will because He’s very proud of you. You fulfilled. When people come to receive
may ask, “Why is He proud of Jesus as Lord and Saviour, He is making
me?” It is because He believes a gain. The question to ask yourself is,
in your ability. God cannot “is He making profit from me?” Is the
keep His mouth shut about you. kingdom expanding because of you? He
In the same way, you must not plans to have a “return on investments”
keep quiet about yourself. Keep from your life. You can only begin to
talking about yourself and what do that by knowing that there is a high
the Master has made out of value He’s placed on you and He plans
you. Even if you don’t talk, He to make a profit.
... the word “value” is the estimate of the monetary will keep talking. But you need
worth of something as evaluated by a professional... to talk in order to hear yourself The Bible says that you should make
God checked you out, put a price tag on you, and and to believe that what He says yourself a vessel of honour, sanctified,
saw it fit to pay that price... about you is what is true about meet for the master’s use, profitable for
you. If you do not talk, you will the Master, prepared unto every good
clean that thing from off you. You may keep on hearing what those around you work [2 Timothy 2:21]. He’s placed a
have been a prostitute, you may have are saying about you. You will hear what value on you because He wants to make
failed in business or committed murder, the conditions around you, your parents, gain. You didn’t pay Him when He
it really does not matter where He picked your spouse, and your boss are saying picked you out of the dunghill. He paid
you from, He’ll clean it all off. about you. What you need to listen to is the price and He wants you to add to the
what the Master says about you. And He value that He has placed on you.
The second thing He does is that He is making boast in you.
comes to His store and sets the newest I pray that you will know that you are
item He has collected apart. That is After He’s publicized you to
called separation. In other words, He the world, people will come
removes you from all the others which from every direction. They
makes your uniqueness stand out. He have heard the Master’s voice
sets you apart because you are different, and what He has to say about
and you cost the most. Nobody spends you. That is the way you can
big money on something and treats that impact your generation. When
thing carelessly. you realize the purpose that
God has given to you, you will
Some Christians mingle with unbelievers recognize that your purpose is
in their businesses, private lives, and a solution for somebody and If you do not talk, you will keep on hearing what those
relationships. Some even go as far as the person that has that need around you are saying about you.
mingling with unbelievers through will be automatically attracted
marriage, even though God set them to the solution. valuable before His eyes, and that He
apart. When you mingle with your past, has a very high price on you. Your
you mingle with things that belong The last thing that happens is that the esteem is of the highest degree possible.
in the dunghill. The reason for that is item begins to make gain for its collector. He has lifted you up and He sees you
because you don’t know the value He has Do you think he would let them see it as something very precious. He has
placed on you. He has separated you and for free after he paid a high price for it, polished you, cleaned and removed all
set you apart. cleaned and publicized it? No! He plans the rubbish from around you. He can’t
to make a gain from that thing and when keep His mouth shut about you. As you
The next thing the collector does is that the people come, they will pay to see it. know these things, He will make a gain
He stands in front of His shop and from you. G.O.G
announces, “Come and see! I just got a The reason why you did not rapture
!"#$%&'(#)*#'+$,-)-+*'-#+.$/00$'-1"*+$'#+#'2#34$56$(6'*-6)$67$*"-+$3689:#)*$:&;$<#$'#('6398#3=$+*6'#3$-)$&$'#*'-#2&0$+;+*#:$6'$*'&)+:-**#3$-)$&);$76':$6'$<;$
&);$:#&)+>#0#8*'6)-8=$:#8"&)-8&0=$("6*686(;=$'#86'3-)1$6'$&);$6*"#'=$?-*"69*$*"#$('-6'$(#':-++-6)$67$*"#$&<62#4