II Corinthians 3:5-11
“Our
Sufficiency is of God”
2 Corinthians 3:5 says, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing
as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.”
To become a tree planted
by the rivers of water and to become an Epistle of Christ written in the heart
is to have run a mile for Jesus in this life. But once you are a tree and once
you have seen yourself through the revelation of Jesus Christ accomplish a
great work for God the important truth to remember is that no matter how much
you learn about the Word of God and no matter how long you have lived by faith
in Jesus Christ nor how strong you think you have become as a Christian your
sufficiency is never of yourself but always of God.
This is why one of the
most important promises of God to remember in His Word is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth
me.” How easy it is for any man to make the mistake of relying upon His
own strength instead of Christ’s strength.
2 Corinthians 3:5-6 says,
“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.”
In thinking about
sufficiency let us remember that when God enables us and when God supplies our
needs He does so that we can be able ministers of the New Testament. Law and
grace: there is a difference between law and grace and there is a way law and grace go together in Jesus Christ. The New Testament is grace. The Old Testament
is law. The only way to be an able
minister of the new Testament, the only way to be sufficient of God and not of
yourself, the only way to do all things through Christ is to rely upon the
grace of God to live under grace and not under law.
2 Corinthians 3:6 says, “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.” The letter means
the law of God: Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not
commit adultery. The law of God kills justly because all men have failed at
keeping God’s law. If the law is your standard then every one deserves to die.
But God’s standard for men in this age is grace.
Now in talking about law
and grace and talking about sufficiency and being an able minister what we
should think about is glory. We live in an age obsessed with glory. There is a
glory of the law and there is a glory of grace; the grace of Jesus Christ. But
the glory of Jesus Christ is greater than the glory of any law or anyone with
the power to enforce laws. Oh yes the men of this world seek their own glory
but the glory of the grace of Jesus is always greater in this world.
2 Corinthians 3:7-9 says,
“But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of
The letter killeth. Even the laws of most countries, the letters of
the governments of most countries in the sense of their ultimate enforcing of
power and glory kill. The letter killeth. How true
the Bible is. How true the world even in its own actions and governments in
enforcing their laws be they just or unjust laws and powers how they do indeed
prove the Bible true. The letter killeth.
Those that seek after
power always seek after glory. They may have their few moments or years of
worldly glory and fame but when it comes to glory the glory of the grace of
Jesus Christ will always be greater than the glory of the law. Ephesians 1:4-7
says, “According as he hath chosen us in Him before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His Will. To the praise of
the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved. In
whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according
to the riches of his grace.”
There is no glory greater
than the law of grace. Grace begins with forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ. Of
course in looking at glory it is always good to start with the ten commandments and the glory which God revealed to
2 Corinthians 3:7-11, “But if the ministration of death written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of
Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his
countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of
the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be
glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For
even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of
the glory that excelleth. For if
that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth
is glorious.”
Notice these two phrases
that describe the Old Testament and the Law: the ministration of death and the
ministration of condemnation. Death and condemnation these two words describe
the law, the ten commandments. Now notice these two phrases which describe
the New Testament and grace: the ministration of the spirit and the
ministration of righteousness. These two words describe grace: the spirit and
righteousness. Now compare the difference death and condemnation as contrasted to
the spirit and righteousness.
In understanding glory we
can look at the nations of the world and see that when it comes to law and
government there is a glory that exists to them. In looking at the law of God,
the ten commandments and all the Old Testament there
is a glory that existed. However you cannot see the glory of the law now
because it was done away in Christ. That glory has passed that glory has been
replaced. You can read about this glory in the book of Exodus and imagine in
your mind the shinning face of Moses, the burning bush, the pillar of fire and
cloud but the glory of the law has passed and all that is left is the burnt
rock on the top of mount Sinai where God gave the law
to Moses.
Now in thinking about
glory what these verses are explaining is the temporal as opposed to that which
is eternal. O Yes there is a glory in temporal things but that which is eternal
that which endures for ever is eternally more glorious than that which does not
last.
Just as there is a desire
in man to be loved there is a desire in man to be glorified. After all man is
created in the image of God and God desires to be glorified.
2 Corinthians
Man is a sinner. But there
is eternal life in Jesus Christ. What is glory? Where is glory? It is found in
the grace of Jesus Christ, in the forgiveness of sins on the Cross of Calvary.
God hath settled on His
lees, the lees of His eternal glory from everlasting to everlasting. Why even
the name of the Lord cometh from afar burning in all His glory. The burden
thereof is heavy.
How shall not
the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? To the
praise of the glory of His grace.
Concerning the glory of
the Lord Christ Jesus the Bible says in Psalms 18:9-13, “He bowed the
heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under His feet. And he rode upn a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings
of the wind. He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion
round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the
brightness that was before Him His thick clouds passed, hail stones and colas
of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice.”
Concerning glory, we know that our God is sufficient for these things. Those
who seek glory, eternal glory seek the glory of His grace. This glory is only
found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Concerning the grace of
the LORD Jesus Christ, the true grace here in this age of grace A Christian
should desire the glory of the grace of God. One day all God’s children will be
glorified. There is glory and there is grace and the two go together in Jesus
Christ. The glory of the grace of God should be sufficient for a Christian to
satisfy the need for glory.
2 Corinthians 3:5 says, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing
as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.”
What
do you think of yourself? I think of myself as a sinner saved by grace in Jesus
Christ. My sufficiency is of God and therefore I know my glory is of the grace
of God. Sufficiency, glory, and grace. What suffices
in this life for a Christian? The glory of the grace of God.
2
Corinthians 3:5 says, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any
thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.”
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Copyright; 2013 by Charles
F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved