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Jars Of Clay

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” – 2 Corinthians 4:7

Does your life look like that of an exceptional saint?

“5 Steps to Slay Your Giants Like David”

“Never Sin Again”

“How To Live Your Life Fully For God”

Perhaps you’ve seen books with titles like these or YouTube videos. They promise to tell you how you can become the super Christian you are meant to be…but is that really what the Bible says we are supposed to be?

Heros of the Bible
The Bible tells us the historical and theological truths from God. All the stories of the “Biblical heroes” actually happened. It can be easy to start to think that these heroic moments are the norm. However, we need to remember two important facts when reading the Bible:

  1. The accounts recorded in the bible take place over thousands of years.
  2. The accounts recorded in the Bible tell of a few people out of the millions (or maybe billions) who lived during that time.

When we read that Sampson had incredible strength and could do mighty deeds, keep in mind that were lots of other people around who weren’t unusually strong or doing mighty deeds.  Elijah called down fire from heaven, but this isn’t how the typical Israelite started their campfire or how the normal sacrifice from a priest was consumed.

Most people were ordinary people living ordinary lives and doing ordinary things. They ate and worked and raised their kids. They went to worship, heard the Word of God, and went home. Not only that, but they sinned…a lot.

The David of Bathsheba Rather than Goliath
Not long ago I heard someone make the case that we need to change how we do Sunday School for kids. They talked about how kids grow up thinking these heroes were amazing and that’s what their life should look like. He said that was something he struggled with for years. Then they said,

“I think I would have been better served hearing more about David and Bathsheba than David and Goliath.”

His argument was simple. David was a sinner just like we all are. Maybe we need to talk more about David (and all the people in the Bible) and his many sins and how God still loved him, drew him to repentance, and forgave him. As sinners, that’s the more relatable message and the message we really need to hear, the message of a sinner being saved by a gracious and merciful God.

Jars of Clay
This is the point of 2 Corinthians 4:7. Christians aren’t super-human or sinless. If we were, people might think we were responsible for our own salvation. Rather, we are ordinary and sinful. We are like jars of clay. Nothing special in and of ourselves and easily broken.

What makes us special is what we have inside, Jesus. We have a treasure of immeasurable value that is not from us, but all the work of God so that people (and so we) can see that our salvation and even any “great deeds” we may do are wholly and completely from God.

So, if you look in the mirror and see a plain old pathetic jar of clay, that’s ok. The real treasure you have isn’t how great, beautiful, powerful, or righteous you appear to be. It’s the gift of salvation from a gracious and merciful God who loves you, draws you to repentance, and forgives you.

Heavenly Father,

Keep me ever humble and repentant that the real treasure of Jesus would shine in my life to everyone around me.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt