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God is our sufficiency!
February 22, 2019
"Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." 2 Corinthians 3:1-6
The word here in our text for “sufficient” means competent, ample, or able! Have you ever found yourself in a place where you have felt very inadequate and insufficient of the strength or ability to change a particular situation? Perhaps you have thought that the circumstances surrounding you only seemed to be mounting up into greater and greater impossibility? If you have found yourself in this place, you are in great company! Many throughout the word of God found themselves in the same place.
The Apostle Paul here in 2 Corinthians answers concerning the Corinthians' conversion. He says to them, that what has been done in you is nothing of human reasoning or ability. But Paul says what has been done in you has been wrought of God Almighty through the power of the Holy Spirit! He says it is not of our ability, intellect, or knowledge that brought about the transformation in you, but “our sufficiency is of God.” He directs all of the due glory and honor to God, who alone can transform an individual from the inside out.
He says that there is a noticeable difference in your life that does not need to be written about “with ink” to explain what has happened, but instead, it can be seen being lived out in your daily life! In other words, the transformation was not something that could only be spoken of but something that others could also see! It was a visual transformation apparent to all who came in contact with them!
How did this transformation take place? It was by “the Spirit of the living God.” It was not by the keeping of the law; instead, it was the power of the Holy Spirit enabling them to walk as living, breathing, testimonies of the power of God’s grace! In his first letter to the Corinthians 2:4-5, Paul stated these familiar words to them: "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."
Here again, he is echoing the words spoken through the prophet Zechariah (4:6) “not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of host.”
So often we look around at the many needs there are, of the many who are still unreached, of the lost, hurting, and broken among us and it becomes easy to feel helpless. I want to encourage you through these words of Paul and Zechariah. You do not have to rely on your ability or strength to see the impossible become possible! Pray and trust God! In the world’s eyes, the impossibilities are just mounting higher and higher, to the point that many believe there is no hope! Dear friend “our sufficiency is of God” and “by his spirit” we can make an eternal impact on the world around us! “Greater is he that is you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) Rise up in faith today! Believe and trust God to perform the supernatural today! If Christ is enough to build the church upon so that even the very gates of Hell cannot prevail against it, then indeed He is still sufficient for us today!
I will leave you with this last thought. I once heard a high school student-athlete testify that not one time did scoring the game-winning touchdown or hitting a game-winning home run change anybody’s life! But every time I tell someone about Jesus and live out my faith in front of them their life is affected for eternity. They are not only able to hear the testimony but also able to see the change the Jesus can make in someone’s life!
Remember preacher, teacher, song leader, bus driver, door greeter, layperson, prayer warrior, etc. “our sufficiency is of God!” Each day will present challenges, but He is enough!
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