A chosen vessel

Acts 9:15-16

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

The story of Paul is one of the most remarkable and outstanding stories in the history of Christian conversions. A man who was once a hater and a persecutor of the church of God was transfigured and transformed into the Apostle of the Gentiles, and a writer of a large portion of the New Testament. But how did this happen? How did an evil man become a loving man, a detester of Christianity become the greatest defender of the faith of all time, and the man who hurt others become a man who helped countless souls to come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, we see that this happened because the Lord Himself, whom he was persecuting, met him on the road to Damascus. A light from heaven fell upon him, and he became blind and heard the words of Jesus speak to him. This was the dramatic conversion that Paul needed. And he would never turn from it, nor would he be disobedient to the heavenly vision, but would preach the gospel to all the known world of the day. Christ Himself changed this man’s life. But this was such a divine intervention, that we must wonder, why did Christ meet Paul, this man of such ardent disdain for the church and the people of God?

The answer is simple, and it is found in our verse today. Jesus told Ananias, the disciple instrumental in healing Paul (then Saul) of his blindness and laying his hands on Him to receive the Holy Spirit, that this man was a chosen vessel. A chosen vessel! Saul was chosen, hand-picked by the Lord to be His messenger to the Gentiles, to kings, and to the children of Israel. God chose him in his sin to be the one to preach to all the world. He would forgive his sin, save his soul, and set him on the greatest mission ever embarked on. Paul was to suffer “great things for His name’s sake.” Paul, who persecuted others, would receive worse persecution than almost anyone ever has. This man would be the chosen vessel of God to be a representative for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, is this not the great and deep longing of all of our hearts—to be a chosen vessel? No desire is greater in the heart of this writer. I care about few other things as I care for this. The greatest and highest and most loftiest desire of any Christian is to be used by the Lord. But we do understand that it is the Lord’s choice. But how will He use one who is not available? We must be available. We must be ready! We must be committed, consecrated, and concerned about the work of the Lord. We must be dedicated to His service. We must have a mind to serve, a heart to love, and a desire to remain focused on our Lord and His mission. Are you consecrated? Do you desire this great calling? May God place it on the hearts of many—to be a chosen vessel unto the Lord.

“Now, Father, we humbly pray that Thou wouldst desire us for Thy service. There is nothing greater that we want. We want to be chosen vessels to bear your name where you will call us. And, whatever the calling may be unto which you call us, we desire to be chosen by you. Choose us and make us pure, that we may be vessels unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”