Always Prepared

Always Prepared

“Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”

We have to be cleansed if we are to be prepared for good works, and those who are cleansed are prepared. “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Tit. 2:14. You have to purify yourself in order for things to start happening.

The works have been prepared for us. Eph. 2:10. We are not prepared if we are busy with our own affairs. Since God has prepared the works, we have to do them when we come to them, or when they come to us. If we do them only when it suits us, the question arises as to how much we are occupied with our own affairs. The more we are taken up with our own affairs, the fewer good works we get done.

“Because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” 2 Cor. 5:14-15.

Being pure means that I do not live for myself. Being cleansed means that I am cleansed from all of my self—from living for myself. Everyone wants to do some good as long as it suits him. There is no sacrifice involved in that; actually it is not a good work. If we are pure, we live for Him who died for us and rose again; then we are prepared. When we see an opportunity to do some good, we do it; and because we are prepared, we will see the works. “And every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2.

The degree of my zeal for doing good is relative to the degree of my purity. The person who does not bear fruit has not given up living for himself. It is impossible for him to be a disciple of Jesus. Luke 14:26-27.

As Jesus continues to do His work in us, we understand better and better what is good to do. Instead of looking for works that are great in the eyes of man, we can see the works which God prepares for us in our daily life, and so we can become rich in God because we live for Him.