THE HEAVENLY POTTER

THE HEAVENLY POTTER

Jer.18:1-12; Gen.1:26-28; Rom.9:20; Isa.26:16; 45:9

God is our Maker. When He made us, He made us in His image – perfect, fearfully and wonderfully made. But sin corrupted (and continues to corrupt) the perfect image which God had made. But God is still a Potter and will rework what He had originally made till it becomes perfect once again;

Remolding the Marred Vessel (Jer.18:4)

God wants to bring us back to what He originally planned us to be:

(Gen.1:26-28) – The image of God

(Rom.8:28-32) – The Image of Christ

God is the Potter. He forms, but He also mars. He can vary what He created as He pleases. He made man and formed them different colours and races. It is foolish to query Him (Isa.45:5-10). Our bodies can be instantly brought low by disease, and no physician can be of any help till God blesses the means. Our souls depend entirely on Him. In His time, the stiff-necked (obdurate) soul will relent, the dead will rise, the drooping comforted, and the weak made strong…Till then the Bible is a sealed book! By God’s sovereign fiat the most flourishing families are speedily brought low, and also, they speedily be restored to their former prosperity. A mighty empire can be raised from the most humble beginning (Isa.51:1-2; Deut.7:7). But it can also be brought down to ruin in one single hour (2Kings 19:35; Exod.14:28) (See Horae Homileticae V.9).   

Repentance Leading to Malleability (Jer. 18:7-8)

How do we respond to this knowledge? Holy fear and reverence to God (Psalm 139)! Repentance is God’s provision for the restoration of the image of God in man. Even before Christ came God loved it when His people repented and turned back to Him (1Kings 21:27-29; Dan.4:34-37; Exod.33:19). God’s character is unchangeable. He is waiting every day to show mercy and grace to all who would request it.

Whoever you are, you are at this very moment preparing for heaven or hell. Through our repentance and His restoration, He will make us vessels unto honour (2Tim.2:20-21). If in the end you turn out as a vessel of dishonour, know that the fault will be yours. Remember it is God’s love and creative power that transforms us into honourable vessels. We must be like clay in His hands – soft and remoldable – ready to repent and change into God’s divine image. We must submit to and trust in this God who has all power, who holds our future in his hands. God is not arbitrary in His actions towards us. When He acts towards us, He acts in accordance with His eternal purpose for us and in accordance with our response to His commandments, while at the same time applying His mercy as well as severity.

When we submit in His hands as the clay totally yields to the potter’s hands, He will make all things beautiful in His time. God remolds and reshapes us through His word:

(Rom.12:1-2) – Present yourself a living sacrifice

(Eph.4:30-32) – Grieve not the Holy Spirit… be ye kind one to another

(Eph.5:18-31) – Be filled with the Spirit… etc.

(Lev.11:44; 20:28; 1Pet.1:15-16) – Be ye holy

Resistance Leading to Stubbornness and Destruction (Jer.18:9-10)

God’s character is unchangeable (Exod.33:19). But notice in this verse that past righteousness if not maintained does not commend anyone to God’s benefits.

Stubbornness always leads to destruction. Stubbornness destroyed Pharaoh and his army. God gave them a long time to repent. He warned them by sending plague after horrible plague, but they refused to repent. Then suddenly, tall firstborn male children died in one night. Then the entire Egyptian army perished in the Red sea.

King Nebuchadnezzar’s pride brought his downfall. His Belshazzar was destroyed for foolishly toying with the vessels of God’s Temple. King Ahab died in war. Jezebel his wife was thrown down from the upper story of their palace. Her blood spattered everywhere and the dogs licked it up (2Kings 9:30-37).

God wants us to walk in the way of righteousness and of holiness (Isa.35:8; 49:11; 62:10).

(Heb.3:7-13) – God tells us through His word not harden our hearts against His word as those people did, and as the Israelites did in the wilderness, and God swore that they would never enter the Promised Land.

So what is God saying today? Repent and believe the Gospel so that you will be saved.

He is saying commit your life to Jesus the Saviour who died on the Cross to purchase your pardon. He is saying, be like soft clay in the hand of God so that He may make you into a vessel unto honour.

As hardened clay, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb.10:31)