“且要在那些蒙怜悯、早豫备得荣耀的器皿上，彰显祂荣耀的丰富；这器皿就是我们这蒙祂所召的，不但从犹太人中，也从外邦人中，这有甚么不可？”（罗九23-24）。一切都在于神的权柄。神有权柄将我们这些祂所拣选并呼召的人－不但从犹太人中，也从外邦人中－作成蒙怜悯的器皿以盛装祂，使祂荣耀的丰富得以彰显，得以显明。照着祂主宰的权柄，祂早豫备我们得这荣耀。我们被祂的主宰豫定作祂的容器，就是贵重的器皿，彰显祂在荣耀里的所是。那不但是祂的怜悯，也是祂的主宰。
神的拣选有一个目标－得着许多器皿盛装神，并且永远彰显祂。所以我们许多人偏离了神目标的标竿，以为那不过是要显明祂拯救我们的爱。不错，祂爱我们。然而，祂的爱显明出来，不但是要拯救我们，也是要使我们成为祂的器皿。神这样造我们，使我们能将祂接受到我们里面，并盛装祂作我们的生命和生命的供应，目的是要使我们与祂成为一，彰显祂的所是，并使祂在我们身上得荣耀，且同我们得荣耀。这是神的拣选永远的目标。这也是我们永远的定命。
这段话也揭示我们对神用处的高峰，不是被祂用作仆人、祭司和君王，乃是用作器皿盛装祂并彰显祂。我们若要被用作神的器皿，当然祂必须与我们是一。我们是祂的容器和祂的彰显；祂是我们的内容和我们的生命。祂活在我们里面，使我们凭祂活着。祂与我们，我们与祂，至终在生命和性情上都要成为一。这是祂照着祂的主宰而有之拣选的目标。这也是我们照着祂的拣选而有的定命，这定命要在新耶路撒冷里完满的启示出来。
每日一问：作为贵重的器皿，我们的目的是什么？
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God’s Selection – It Is God’s Sovereignty (2) – Rom. 9:22-24
“And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.” (Rom. 9:23-24). Everything is of God’s authority. God has the authority to take us, who were chosen and called by Him — not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles — and make us vessels of mercy to contain Him, so that the riches of His glory may be manifested and made known. According to His sovereign authority, He prepared us for this glory. We were predestinated by His sovereignty to be His containers, that is, vessels of honor, to manifest what He is in glory. This is not only His mercy, but also His sovereignty.
God’s selection has a goal — to obtain many vessels to contain God and to manifest Him forever. So, many of us have deviated from the mark of God’s goal, thinking that it is merely to manifest the love that saved us. Indeed, He loves us. However, His love is manifested not only to save us, but also to make us His vessels. God created us in this way so that we could receive Him into us and contain Him as our life and the supply of our life, with the goal of making us one with Him, manifesting what He is, and causing Him to be glorified in us and causing us to be glorified with Him. This is the eternal goal of God’s selection. This is also our eternal destiny.
This passage also reveals the peak of our usefulness to God; it is not to be used by Him as servants, priests and kings, but to be used as vessels to contain Him and manifest Him. If we are to be used as God’s vessels, He must, of course, be one with us. We are His containers and His manifestation; He is our content and our life. He lives in us, causing us to live by Him. He with us, and we with Him, will eventually become one in life and nature. This is the goal of His selection according to His sovereignty. This is also our destiny according to His selection, a destiny that will be fully revealed in the New Jerusalem.
Daily Question: As vessels of honor, what is our purpose?