Vessels Open to the Lord, a Living Sacrifice for Him
Here are stanzas 2 and 3 of the hymn began in the prior post. I added Bible references closely tied to some lines of the hymn.
For God’s dispensing, we have been,
Made into vessels open to Him; (2 Cor. 4:7)
His element is wrought in us,
Making us living stones, corporately; (1 Peter 2:5)
Being saved from self, the flesh and its will,
It’s no longer I, but Christ lives in me; (Gal. 2:20)
Members of the Body, built up in love, (Rom. 12:5)
Joined to be one, for Him corporately.Lord, as a living sacrifice, (Rom. 12:1)
We will be perfected by Thee (Gal. 3:3)
To build Thy Body, seek increase, (Eph. 4:16)
Lord, the commission now we receive
In spirit, soul, we’re one for His goal,
The lampstands to spread His recovery, (Rev. 1:12, 20)
A local being, a global seeing,
Gospel in hand, the kingdom we’ll preach!
Although this hymn only names New Jerusalem at the end of the chorus, I am impressed with the attitude of those who wrote it. They express an absoluteness to give themselves to the Lord for Him to work out His purpose.
The writers are “vessels open to the Lord,” which means they are not seeking other things. They are beholding the unseen, eternal things, which lead to the “eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17-18), a characteristic of New Jerusalem.
They offer themselves “a living sacrifice, holy, well pleasing to God” that they, with many others “may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and well pleasing and perfect” (Rom 12:1-2). This “good and well pleasing and perfect” will of God is the church life today, the manifestation of the kingdom in the coming age, and New Jerusalem in eternity.
Photo courtesy of pixabay.com.
Posted by Don on April 11, 2022
