Earthen Vessels, Treasure, and Glory to God

Earthen Vessels, Treasure, and Glory to God

📖 2 Corinthians 4:1–7 (KJV)
✝️Towne East Baptist Church – December 7, 2025
👤 Pastor Bill Allred

How does God use ordinary people to carry an extraordinary message? In 2 Corinthians 4:1–7, Scripture reveals a powerful truth for every believer: God places the priceless treasure of the gospel inside fragile, earthen vessels so that all the glory belongs to Him alone. This message explores why the gospel cannot be changed or destroyed, why God chooses imperfect people to proclaim it, and why the saving work of Jesus Christ remains the most valuable treasure the world has ever known.

Meta Description: Discover why God uses ordinary people—earthen vessels—to carry the priceless treasure of the gospel. A Bible-centered message from 2 Corinthians 4:1–7 on God’s power, Christ’s sacrifice, and glory that belongs to God alone.

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
2 Corinthians 4:7 (KJV)

God the Potter, We the Clay

One of the clearest pictures Scripture gives of our relationship with God is the image of the potter and the clay. God is the Creator—the Almighty Potter—and we are the clay in His hands. Every believer can picture it: God forming, shaping, and refining us on the wheel of life, patiently working us into what He desires us to be.

That simple children’s song captures a deep biblical truth: God is still working on us. Creation itself took only days, but the shaping of redeemed people is ongoing. Sanctification is not instant; it is intentional.

In this passage, Paul reminds us that God has placed an incredible treasure inside very ordinary container. That treasure is the gospel of Jesus Christ—that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). The power is not in the container, but in what it carries.

This truth raises two practical questions:

• Why does God use earthen vessels?
  • Why is God’s treasure so valuable?

Why God Uses Earthen Vessels

Paul explains that the gospel is hidden only to those who are lost, whose minds have been blinded by the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:3–4). The problem is not the message—it is the blindness of the hearer.

The gospel cannot be changed. From Abraham to Revelation, salvation has always been by faith in God’s promise. Long before Israel became a nation, God preached the gospel to Abraham: “In thee shall all nations be blessed” (Galatians 3:8). Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. He was saved by trusting God’s promise of a coming Savior.

For us today, the message is the same in substance but clearer in history. The Savior who was promised has come. Faith has always been the means, and Christ has always been the center.

Even near the end of the age, during the tribulation, Scripture speaks of the “everlasting gospel” being proclaimed to every nation (Revelation 14:6). The message has not evolved, improved, or been replaced. It has never changed—and it never will.

Men may try to add works, rituals, or human effort to salvation, but that does not alter the gospel. It only exposes human pride. God’s truth is not on trial, and it does not need correction.

The gospel cannot be destroyed. Earthen vessels are fragile. They crack. They break. They wear out. The gospel does not. It has survived persecution, false religion, governments, philosophies, and centuries of hatred.

The gospel is powerful—saving people in the darkest moments of life. It is productive—having brought millions to Christ for over two thousand years. And it is promised—secured by the eternal God Himself. As long as God lives, the gospel stands.

All the glory belongs to God. Paul reminds us plainly: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7).

We are earthen—formed from dust (Genesis 2:7). We are vessels—containers that are weak, fragile, and dependent. Without the Potter, we are nothing. We did not find God; He sought us. No clay ever climbed onto the potter’s wheel on its own.

Yet God chooses to use saved people. Every believer is God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works He has already ordained (Ephesians 2:10). Vessels are made to be used—and God graciously allows us to carry His most precious treasure: the gospel of Christ.

Why God’s Treasure Is So Valuable

The gospel is valuable because it changes lives. The woman at the well came broken, immoral, and rejected. She left forgiven and transformed. The lame man at the temple gate lived dependent and helpless until the power of Christ raised him to walk, leap, and praise God.

The gospel changes the course of people’s lives. Saul of Tarsus went from feared persecutor to faithful preacher. James, the half-brother of Jesus, went from skeptic to shepherd of the church in Jerusalem.

The gospel sets the condemned free. Mary Magdalene was delivered from demonic bondage. The woman with the issue of blood was freed from suffering. The maniac of Gadara was restored from madness to a sound mind. No chain is stronger than the grace of God.

Above all, the gospel is valuable because of its price. Salvation was purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ—blood shed from His brow, His hands, His feet, and His side. That blood flowed from the cross of Calvary to the feet of sinful humanity. No earthly treasure compares to that cost.

Conclusion

The potter and the clay remain one of the clearest pictures of God’s work in our lives. The treasure He places within us—the gospel of Jesus Christ—is priceless.

It changes lives.
It changes direction.
It sets captives free.
It was purchased at the highest cost—the blood of Christ.

God uses earthen vessels because the gospel cannot be changed, cannot be destroyed, and must be carried to those who need it. In all of it, God receives the glory.

Fragile containers made of dust, yet chosen by God to carry eternal treasure—this is grace beyond measure.

A Call to Respond

The gospel is not only a message to admire—it is a truth that demands a response. If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, today is the day to believe the good news: Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose again so that you might have eternal life.

If you are a believer, remember that God has chosen you—an earthen vessel—to carry His priceless treasure. Live faithfully, speak boldly, and serve humbly, knowing that the power is not in you, but in the God who works through you.

If you would like to know more about salvation, need prayer, or want to connect with Towne East Baptist Church, we invite you to reach out to us. We would be honored to walk with you as God continues His work in your life.