The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.”
Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel (potter’s wheel). And the vessel that he made of clay was marred (ruined) in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!
Jeremiah 18:1-6 NKJV
There is such a beautiful hidden message within this Scripture (Jeremiah 18:4), which I would love to share with you.
And the vessel that he made of clay was marred (ruined) in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.
The hidden message within this Scripture is that God is the Potter, and we are the clay. Also, the vessel that was ruined or ‘marred’, represents our ‘old man’ which has a corrupt sinful nature. We know that when God created man, He created man in His own image – meaning that He created us perfectly. In the garden of Eden, there was no sin, sickness, corruption, or death. Therefore, our understanding is that we inherited this corrupt nature from Adam, as a result of the fall. In other words, when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, one of the consequences of their act of disobedience was that mankind developed a sinful nature.
I’d like to show you another example from Scripture of this fact:
So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
Genesis 6:12 NKJV
If we look in the bible Strongs and concordance (e-Sword), we notice that the word ‘corrupt’ from this Scripture in Genesis, is the exact same Hebrew word (shaw-khath) from the Scripture in Jeremiah 18:4. The word used in Jeremiah 18:4 is the word ‘marred’, but the meaning is the same: to decay, corrupt, destroy or ruin.
A sinful nature is a corrupt nature, meaning that it gets worse over time. I’d like to use a practical example to help bring this point across. Think of a banana. A banana starts out green, and as it ripens it turns yellow and eventually it will turn brown or black. The reason is because a banana is prone to corruption or decay. There is no way to stop it. You can possibly slow down the process by refrigerating the banana, but even then, it will eventually rot and decay. The same is true with a sinful nature. Having a corrupt sinful nature means that people may give in to sin from a young age, but eventually that sin will grow until it starts to control their lives. They then become a slave to that sin, and the problem is that a slave cannot free himself/herself. The bible also warns us that unrepented sin will always lead to death and destruction.
In the Scripture (Jeremiah 18:4) describing the potter and the clay, we see that the first vessel was marred or corrupted, therefore the potter decided to make it again into another vessel as it seemed good to the potter to make. I believe that God uses this hidden message within Scripture to teach us that He doesn’t take a sinful nature and make it better, or reverse its process of corruption – just like a banana’s process of corruption can never be reversed. Just as the potter made the clay into another vessel, God makes us into a new creation in Christ when we are born again. The bible tells us that this new creation is actually the ‘new man’, which God has created in true righteousness and holiness.
That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24 NKJV
How do we become a new creation in Christ?
For neither is circumcision anything (of any importance), nor uncircumcision, but (only) a new creation (which is the result of a new birth – a spiritual transformation – a new nature in Christ Jesus).
Galatians 6:15 AMPC
There will come a time in each one of our lives where conviction of sin will come through the Holy Spirit, and we will realize that we cannot save ourselves. We will see sin for what it really is, and we will cry out to God for His forgiveness and mercy. We will come to understand that our conscience declares us guilty before a holy righteous God, because we have sinned against Him. At this time, each of us will have a choice to make. If we choose to repent of our sins (by completely changing our minds about sin and therefore turning away from sin), we know that God will forgive us. After we have repented of our sins, we need to get baptized in water and receive the gift of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. This is how we get born again.
Just as Jesus died on the cross, was buried and rose again, we follow the same pattern when we get born again:
- The bible tells us that our old man was crucified with Christ (Romans 6:5-6) so that the body of sin can be done away with.
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
2. We get buried with Christ through water baptism (Romans 6:4).
Therefore we were buried with Him through (water) baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life.
3. We get raised together with Christ (from spiritual death to spiritual life) – Colossians 2:12-13
Buried with Him in (water) baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses.
When we get baptized in water, the ‘old man’ with its sinful nature gets buried with Christ. This is how we experience freedom from the power of sin. In other words, we are no longer slaves to sin because the body of sin has been done away with (Romans 6:6). We rise as a new creation in Christ with a new nature (the new man). The bible tells us that old things have passed away and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Character of the new man in Christ
But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.
Colossians 3:9-10 NKJV
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians 3:12-17 NKJV
Thank You Father that You are the Potter, and we are in Your skillful hands, ready to be molded and shaped into the very image of Your precious Son Jesus. Thank You that each day we can remind ourselves that our old man was crucified with Christ. Thank You that each day we can choose to walk in newness of life, bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Thank You that You are molding and forming our character, so that we can look more like Jesus, and walk just as He walked. We bless Your holy name Lord, and we give You all the glory and praise. In Jesus precious name. Amen.