Imperfect Vessels: God’s Glorious Plan to Use Us All
You don't need to be perfect for God to use you
Have you ever felt inadequate when sharing your faith?
I was talking with a man a few years ago over coffee. The shop wasn't very busy. The air was filled with the aroma of freshly roasted beans. As we sat talking about the Scriptures and evangelism he started to look concerned. The brother very sincerely and humbly told me, "Bryan, I don't have all the Bible knowledge you have. I can't answer all of their questions. And, my life certainly isn't perfect." I could sense his fear, anxiety, and hesitation.
This man wanted to be perfect and have all of the perfect answers before sharing the gospel. But, that's not how God likes to work.
God uses imperfect people
God has an amazing track record of using imperfect people to spread His glory.. Actually, I think it is one of the ways God shows himself glorious.
God established His covenant with Abraham. The same Abraham given over to half truths.
God made sure the covenant blessing went with scheming Jacob.
God used murderous Moses to lead His people.
God raised up David, the adulterer, to inherit the messianic promise.
God called disobedient Jonah to preach repentance to Nineveh.
God sent Paul, the one who had tried to destroy the church, to be the apostle to the gentiles.
It's the message not the messenger
By the Spirit the Apostle Paul knew this. There were various groups of preachers who were going around trying to one up him. Paul could have been offended or competitive. Paul could have waved around his educational credentials. Paul could have been filled with pride. But instead he wrote:
15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
Paul rejoiced that Christ was preached. It wasn't about the preacher it was about gospel. It wasn't about the messenger it was about the message.
You do not need to be perfect for God to use you. We are striving to be holy as He is holy. But, no one will be perfectly sanctified until glorification.
If someone had to be perfect before they were to go and evangelize then Jesus would not have given the great commission to the disciples in the first place.
See, God is glorified in using weak people. Why? Because He receives the glory.
The people of the world do not need you to be perfect. They need you to tell them of the perfect Jesus. The one who was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.
The glory of the gospel is that Jesus gets the glory.
You might feel like you lack knowledge or eloquence, but remember that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.
You do not need to have all the answers to share the gospel.
You do not need to be perfect to share the gospel.
Know the good news of Jesus Christ.
Tell others the good news of Jesus Christ.
Tell others of the God of grace who still loves sinners like you and me. The God who demonstrated his love for us in that while we were still sinner Jesus died for us.
Don't wait until your perfect. You'll be waiting forever.
God gets glory when redeemed sinners tell others of the grace they have found in Jesus.