2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

Prepared, fit for use, with the assertion that purity identifies the vessel fit for honor. The word purge indicates a need to rid ourselves of impurities. Let me add with all respect, if God had to wait for me to be pure before I can be used, He would not get any use out of me in this world.

Pure gold is not fit for use in jewelry, it is too soft. It must however be refined to rid it of substances which would not allow it to shine or make it brittle. Then alloys are added which make it perfectly fit for use, even though it is not pure gold.

Iron is the same. Pure iron rusts easily and is not as strong as it can be if the right alloys are added to give it the correct properties required for the correct application of use. Machining, wear, and tensile strength are all changed in iron according to the alloys forged into the making during refinement.

Since this is true of the nature of things, is it true of our nature also? The very next words penned in 2 Timothy 2:22 lead me to believe yes. “Flee also”. Examine the preceding text to narrow the long list of contaminates to one root causal effect. Ii is in verse 18 “who concerning the truth have erred”.

Christ has made provisions for failed execution of truth, i.e. confession and forgiveness. What good does confession do a man if it is not based in truth? Confessing to a lie is a false witness. Thou shalt not bare false witness. Our failures are rooted not in execution of the truth but in our understanding of the truth.

Now as we stand for Christ these two millennia later, the truth is much more important to understand since we exercise truth so long after its conception. Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life, needs us to know truth more intimately now than ever considering all the impurities that have been added over those years. Error must be refined from our hearts and minds so that we might be used of God according to His purpose.

Psalm 9:18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

I have one question that is met with silence and blank stares from those who do not believe in Jesus Christ. That question is this: What do you expect? I add no qualifiers, no conditions, and ask that they share only their expectations. Granted I have limited access to a wide sample of the population and that if I asked lofty people I might receive an answer. Someone else will have to give that conversation. My audience is more of the poor sort.

What has life dealt this people that they have not given much thought to their own expectations? It is possible that they expect more of the same but do not hope for more of the same. In this I find a common thread, that hope is dashed by events in this world. Sincere effort does not guarantee success. If at first you don’t succeed try, try again is all but gone from public speech.

Christians have an expectation based on hope which is not performance based. Our hope is in the promises of a God who is true and powerful to meet our expectations, if we base them on those promises.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

I expect to continue in the Way.