THE TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS

By Brian Frederick Kisubi

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power
may be of God, and not of us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

 

Genesis 2:7:
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Within the spirit of man (the living soul) dwells a priceless treasure deposited therein by God Almighty that helps man to be able to live the life of Christ as ordained by God from the beginning of ages. This treasure, the Holy Spirit, is the seal guaranteeing our inheritance and the witness in our hearts that we belong to God.

2 Corinthians 1:22:
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts

The Holy Ghost however, does not only play the passive role of guaranteeing our redemption; it is the enabling power in our lives that helps us to execute our duties as co-workers with God in his redemption plan. When man is filled with the Holy Spirit, this continued in-filling becomes a river which if not hindered flows out to bring healing, deliverance and liberty to the world.

John 4:14b:
... But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

This inland well of living water is supposed to flow to affect and change the lives of men. The world is waiting for this irresistible flow of power that brings life. When the well is filled up, the flow of the river shall continue to the neighbouring vicinities and take God’s blessing there too.

John 7:37-38:
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

What an opportunity for us to be such a well that releases the water of life. Beloved, if the spirit of man is in constant communion with the Spirit of God, our usefulness will only be limited by our temporary stay on earth; but as long as we are in this body we shall always bring glory to God and be a blessing to our generation.

Taking a closer look at the earthen vessels carrying this heavenly treasure, it is important for us as Christians to understand that the heart of man is the center of all divine operations, either good or evil. This heart is the combination of spirit and the soul. When we are born again, our spirit is regenerated but our soul takes time to change.

Many times the harmonious working of our spirit with the Spirit of God is affected by the influence of our degenerated souls.

Matthew 12:35a:
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things....

Matthew 12:33:
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

Matthew 12:34b:
... out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

A close examination of the above scriptures shows that the state of a man’s heart is very important in determining what comes out of him. “A cup brimful of sweet water can’t spill even one drop of bitter water however suddenly jolted.” Until the heart is dealt with, it is hard to experience the beauty of God’s treasure in us. When we are born again, our spirit is regenerated but our soul takes time to change. The soul and spirit of man must be controlled separately and there is no power that can separate the two apart from the revelation of God in his Word.

Hebrews 4:12:
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Many Christians have successfully conquered the body but are still struggling because of the power of the soul. Our soul must be conquered in order to enjoy maximum spiritual authority.

The soul is composed of the will, the emotions and the mind. Before the soul is conquered, it is very easy to be trapped in this realm. Depending on which is stronger in our lives, we begin to be controlled by any of the three components of our soul. We can for example preach and stir others by our emotions or intellectual abilities in the realm of the mind. This can produce tremendous results due to the convincing power therein, however it is not long lasting. Give it time and it will be gone. If people accepted Christ under the convincing power of the mind, in a little while they would be no more. What a waste of time and resources it would be to bring in those who will go out. Friends of God, it is through our spirit, not intellect, will, or emotions, that the Spirit of God will speak or preach to touch the hearts of men for God.

Today, too much of our intellect has continued to occupy our pulpits at the expense of the sweet revelatory sermons propelled by the Holy Spirit just because our souls are in control. Beloved, it is not my intention to demean intellectual abilities and the will power, nor the power of emotions because without them, we will still fail to express our true identity as converted Christians. Love, which is the most delicate of our emotions, will be lost, together with temper, which is the crudest emotion. For example, I can’t afford to live without the ability to reason, which is by way of the mind. But my total dependence on reasoning would not only be pride but also foolishness. Our confidence in our reasoning ability exceeds its competence. However my concern is that this power of the soul must not override our spirit and influence it, or else, we might in the long run miss out on God’s divine purpose for our lives.

The reason we can’t access him and feel his influence is because the soul has covered our spirit where he dwells. Break away from that power of the soul and you will experience the unfading glory of God. That God- given treasure inside of you will come out. Saints of God, let us seek for the salvation of our souls.

1 Peter 1:9:
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

If like David we can learn to cause our soul to submit to the demands of our spirit as prompted by the Spirit of God...

Psalm 62:5:
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.

... then salvation will be a total fulfillment in our lives and our usefulness in the Kingdom of God, based on the treasure that we posses within us, will increase to the praise and glory of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

 

 

---

From the April 2004 issue of The Vine & Branches