God has built the foundation-house by HIS never-changing  Word. The inhabitants who populate this house of God are collectively known as The Church, the Bride of  Christ.

Have you considered that within the "visible" church, there is a true church, often referred to as the "invisible" church? We sometimes say there are people who play church and others who are the church. It is not unusual  for church leaders to ponder the question, "How many of these people are true  Christians?" They can tell by observation that not all are.

The Apostle Paul writes this letter with grave concern  for the true church of Jesus  Christ. As he unfolds this illustration of the "foundation-house," he says that there are two over arching truths about it.

That is the perfect means of sorting the real and invisible church from everyone else. We cannot see God's membership rolls. But we can see when a man or woman turns from their old life of sin. We can see those, who by faith, have the life of  Christ.

Selection  for  the noble work of God begins with your own choice. 

The visible church and the invisible (true) church are both represented in this part of the illustration. In the greater, or visible church, there are two kinds of vessels:

There are vessels of silver and gold. These are noble vessels.

There are vessels of wood and earth. These are ignoble vessels.

The first is holy and honorable. The second is unholy and dishonorable.

God selects the vessels of honor  for HIS use. Those are the vessels which have been "sanctified," or set apart,  for noble purposes. When a vessel is set apart  for God, it is never to be used  for ignoble (worldly or sinful) purposes again. The ignoble vessels, those which have not been sanctified, cannot be used  for the noble purposes of God. What is the difference? It is in their being set apart, their sanctification.

Being "set apart," or "sanctified," is a matter of the vessel's choice. There are many who want the honor of being an anointed vessel, who want to be used by God  for noble purposes. But, they are unwilling to set themselves apart from ignoble things. They want to co-mingle the noble and ignoble, the holy and unholy.

This scripture is saying, "Set yourself apart  for God! Be done with the ignoble things of this sinful world. Sanctify yourself like fine vessels of silver and gold and God will refine you of everything unclean. Not till you have set yourself apart unto God will HE select you and anoint you, then appoint you to some noble work in HIS House."

Selection  for the noble work of God begins with your own choice. You must choose this sanctification. And when you do, you will discover that God has chosen you  for something noble in HIS house.

Here's how the Apostle says it, "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel  for honor, sanctified and useful  for the Master, prepared  for every good work." (2 Timothy 2:21 NKJV)