You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Used By God

“Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”

2 Timothy 2:21 (ESV)

If you want to be used by God, you don’t have to be a perfect person—but you do need to purify your heart.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:21, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (ESV).

God uses all kinds of people. He uses shy people and outgoing people. He uses people of different races, ages, stages of life, and backgrounds. He uses men and women. God will use plain vessels, ornate vessels, big vessels, and small vessels.

But there is one thing God will not use: He will not use a dirty vessel. You have to be clean on the inside. But here’s the good news: No matter who you are or what you’ve done, you can be made clean.

How do you do that? How do you become pure? You do it through a simple word: confession. Augustine, a Christian leader who lived a few hundred years after Jesus, said, “The confession of bad works is the beginning of good works.” The Bible says in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing” (GNT).

The word “confess” in Greek is the word homologeo. Homo means “same,” and logeo means “to speak.” So homologeo literally means “to speak the same” as God does about my sin. It means you agree with him: “God, you’re right. It wasn’t a mistake. It was a sin. It was wrong.” It doesn’t mean you bargain with God (“I’ll never do it again”). It doesn’t mean you bribe God (“I promise to read my Bible every day if you’ll forgive me”).

You just admit your sin.

That may seem too simple to you. You may ask, “All I’ve got to do is admit it, and God will forgive me?” Yes! It’s called grace.

Here’s what you can do if you really want to be used by God: Take time this week to sit down with a notebook or journal and ask God, “What’s wrong in my life? Show me. I’m going to write it down, and I’m going to admit it. I’m going to confess it to you.” Then, when God gives you an idea, write it down.

The first time I did this, I thought I was going to write a book! And I’ve done this many times since. Make a list, and then write 1 John 1:9 over the list and say, “God, I admit these sins to you. These are wrong. I don’t want them in my life.” Ask God to cleanse your life. God will forgive you!

You must purify your heart—it’s the starting point of being used by God.

Talk It Over

  • When was a time that you allowed sin to go unconfessed in your life? How did that affect how God was able to work through you?
  • Is there a sin in your life that you know you need to confess? Take a few minutes to confess it right now.
  • How does it feel when your heart is pure? How have you seen God use you when you were clean before him?

There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus

The Bible says in John 3:18, “Those who believe in the Son are not judged” (GNT). Romans 8:1 says it like this: “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (NLT).

No matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been, you’ve got a place in God’s forever family ready and waiting for you. The invitation is wide open. Just believe and receive.

How do you do that? Trust in God’s character and the grace he extends. Confess your sins and ask God to forgive you. Claim the promise of Jesus, that salvation is free and open to anyone who turns from their sins and agrees to follow him as their Lord and Savior. Humbly ask God to accept you into his forever family.

Are you ready? Then start your journey by praying this simple prayer: “Dear God, I know when I die, I’m going to give an account of my life to you. I know I have sinned against you, and I have lived by my plan, not yours. I want that to change, starting right now. I want to turn away from my sins and toward you.

“Thank you for sending Jesus to die for all that I’ve done wrong so that I don’t have to pay the penalty. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I know only your grace can save me, Lord. I could never be good enough to get into a perfect place.

“Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you took all my guilt on yourself. You made me acceptable for heaven, and I humbly ask you to save me. I believe in you, Jesus. And I believe you will keep your promise to save me instantly, certainly, completely, and eternally. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at [email protected] and let me know. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.


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