In the Scripture we read about diver sorts of vessels. There are vessels made of gold, silver, copper, brass, iron, marble, wood and clay or earthen.

In the treasury of the temple there were various sorts of vessels.

Josh 6:19 But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, [are] consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.

Josh 6:24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that [was] therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.

Still the first time the word vessel (Lev. 6:28) appears it is with an earthen vessel, which is fitting because the first man is an earthen vessel.

1Co 15:47 The first man [is] of the earth, earthy: the second man [is] the Lord from heaven.

Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return.

2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

The troubling thing about an earthen vessel is when something unclean falls into it, it can not be cleansed by man efforts it must be broken.

And upon whatsoever [any] of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether [it be] any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel [it be], wherein [any] work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed. And every earthen vessel, whereinto [any] of them falleth, whatsoever [is] in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.

(Leviticus 11:32-33)

Psa 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

Isa 45:9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! [Let] the potsherd [strive] with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

Adam was a perfect earthen vessel in the day he was created. He was unmarred (Jer. 18:4) vessel and could have produced the same (Gen. 1:28).

You may not believe in a sinful nature and may believe that you were born an unmarred vessel, but one of the greatest earthen vessels knew better and spoke of it clearly.

(Romans 7:17-23)

When Adam the earthy (earthen) had sin fall into his vessel he could not cleanse himself and became a marred vessel. Sin and death breaks all earthen vessels. Fig leaves can not mend the vessel nor can any self-reformation or trying to keep the Law cleanse it.

Just as the children of Israel could not cleanse an earthen vessel to satisfy God’s requirements for cleanliness, so it is with us. No fuller that man may produce can cleanse this marred and unclean earthen vessel.

Pro 20:9 Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

Seeing that unclean earthen vessels are fit for destruction (Romans 9:22), what is man to do? His only hope is to trust the one that took on the form of in earthen vessel. He was never marred. Why, he was not of Adam the original marred earthen vessel.

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

(Philippians 2:6-8)

Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.

(Hebrews 4:15)

This unmarred earthen vessel knows what it was like to feel dried up as a potsherd and he did it for us unworthy vessels.

Psalms 22:7-8 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, [saying], (8) He trusted on the LORD [that] he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

If you as a Christian know of a lost potsherds remind them not to strive with their Maker, but trust the one who formed the clay.

But what of us saved vessels?

Earthen vessels go to the grave along with the rest of the broken pieces of pottery.

1.It must be remembered that even God himself, after death has done its work on us, does not resurrect a repaired earthen vessel. He will only transform it.

As [is] the earthy, such [are] they also that are earthy: and as [is] the heavenly, such [are] they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

(1 Corinthians 15:48-52)

Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Phi 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

It is erroneous thing that teaches you mortify the flesh by becoming a vegetarian or becoming a practical eunuch.

Marriage and the pleasure that go with it, if in line with Scripture are a blessing from God.

Heb 13:4 Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

Proverbs 5:18-19 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. (19) [Let her be as] the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

1Co 7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

Matthew 19:10-12 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with [his] wife, it is not good to marry. (11) But he said unto them, All [men] cannot receive this saying, save [they] to whom it is given. (12) For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from [their] mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive [it], let him receive [it].

Psa 127:3 Lo, children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and] the fruit of the womb [is his] reward.

1Co 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.

Untold sin, misery and heartache have been the cause by denying marriage while we dwell in these earthen vessels. Forced celibacy

is unscriptural and the rotten fruit of the Papist only prove this.

If God has given you the ability to live as a eunuch that is one thing, but the odds are he has not. We have enough trouble with this earthen vessel as it is.

1Co 7:28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

1 Corinthians 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except [it be] with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

B. DIET

1 Timothy 4:4 For every creature of God [is] good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

Some of the brethren must really be thankful, for when they look down they can not even see their toes.

If you are overweight due to no fault of your own that is one thing, but what kind of message are many preachers giving to those in the pew who are trim due to either hard work or diet. The answer is obvious.

Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

We have a paradox one hand we are to bath, nurture and take care of this vessel and yet we are to mortify any desire that are contrary to Writ.

Eph 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not.

Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].

1Pe 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

D. THE CARNAL MIND, THE OLD MAN, THE FLESH AND THIS EARTHEN VESSEL

It would be safe to say that the lost man has a carnal mind (Rom. 8:7) an old man (Eph.5: 22) and obey the desires of the flesh (Eph. 2:3) while he abodes in his earthen vessel. These terms are almost interchangeable when speaking of such.

The Child of God is spoken of as being spiritual (1 Pet. 2:5), a new man (Eph 4:24) and a denier of the lust of the flesh (Rom. 13:4) among other things while he abodes in the same. And these of course are interwoven with each other.

The problem is while we live in this earthen vessel that the things the lost man does naturally are a struggle unto us.

Paul would not have written this if Christians did not have trouble walking in the Spirit.

Fighting one’s former self is a full time job and will not end until we lay this earthen vessel down. The good thing is after you figuratively beat the brain out of the old man the flesh and the carnal mind which are his best devices weaken their hold.

The trick is by the grace of God is keeping him nailed to the mat.

2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

E. The treasure within this earthen vessel

This tabernacle dwell in this earthy house (11Cor 5.1) and yet at times the Scripture refers to the body as a tabernacle (11Peter 1:13,14). Nevertheless this treasure is the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. The soul within us longs to escape this earthen vessel and to be clothed with our house from heaven. There the marred earthen vessel will no longer trouble us and we will always do that which is pleasing to our Lord.