Sufficiency in Christ
You Were Never Meant to Be Enough on Your Own
SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 3:4-6 NKJV - And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
OBSERVATION:
Paul uses a word in these three verses to drive home an important truth. The word he uses is sufficiency.
Sufficiency is the condition or quality of being sufficient or adequate. Sufficient means enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end.
As a young man, I used to have the words Sufficiency in Christ embossed on the front of my Bible. Most people have their names on the front of their Bibles (which is not a bad thing), but for me, I knew I needed the reminder. It’s about Jesus’ work, not mine. I struggled greatly with who I was in Christ. I always felt I couldn’t measure up, wasn’t worthy or holy enough, and spent many years trying to become something I could not be. One day, while reading this very section in 2 Corinthians, the light turned on. My sufficiency is in Christ.
For years, I struggled to overcome the thought that I wasn’t enough. Much of this stemmed from what happened in my life as a child. I often had nights when I lay in bed, crying out to the Lord in desperation. I had been told so many times, for so many years, that I was not good enough that it became who I was. It was not humility; it was pride! I had let it become who I was and would not let myself see myself through God's eyes. But glory to God, he rescued me and showed me who I am in Christ!
2 Corinthians 3:4-6 NKJV - And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
OBSERVATION:
Paul uses a word in these three verses to drive home an important truth. The word he uses is sufficiency.
Sufficiency is the condition or quality of being sufficient or adequate. Sufficient means enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end.
As a young man, I used to have the words Sufficiency in Christ embossed on the front of my Bible. Most people have their names on the front of their Bibles (which is not a bad thing), but for me, I knew I needed the reminder. It’s about Jesus’ work, not mine. I struggled greatly with who I was in Christ. I always felt I couldn’t measure up, wasn’t worthy or holy enough, and spent many years trying to become something I could not be. One day, while reading this very section in 2 Corinthians, the light turned on. My sufficiency is in Christ.
For years, I struggled to overcome the thought that I wasn’t enough. Much of this stemmed from what happened in my life as a child. I often had nights when I lay in bed, crying out to the Lord in desperation. I had been told so many times, for so many years, that I was not good enough that it became who I was. It was not humility; it was pride! I had let it become who I was and would not let myself see myself through God's eyes. But glory to God, he rescued me and showed me who I am in Christ!
Some people refuse to be used by God because they think of themselves as “not ready,” but in a sense, we are never ready or worthy. If we were, the sufficiency would be in ourselves and not from God. – David Guzik.
Brethren, if Paul is not sufficient of himself, what are you and me? Where are you… Do you indulge the dream of self-sufficiency? Be ashamed of your folly in the presence of a great man who knew what he said, and who spoke under the direction of the Spirit of God, and wrote deliberately, ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves.’
Our sufficiency is of God; let us practically enjoy this truth. We are poor, leaking vessels, and the only way for us to keep full is to put our pitcher under the perpetual flow of boundless grace. Then, despite its leakage, the cup will always be full to the brim. – Charles Spurgeon.
Brethren, if Paul is not sufficient of himself, what are you and me? Where are you… Do you indulge the dream of self-sufficiency? Be ashamed of your folly in the presence of a great man who knew what he said, and who spoke under the direction of the Spirit of God, and wrote deliberately, ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves.’
Our sufficiency is of God; let us practically enjoy this truth. We are poor, leaking vessels, and the only way for us to keep full is to put our pitcher under the perpetual flow of boundless grace. Then, despite its leakage, the cup will always be full to the brim. – Charles Spurgeon.
APPLICATION:
Like me, you can come to the understanding that our identity and all was in Him, and that He is enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end.
Paul would encourage you and me with the words he used to encourage the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV - Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Find your sufficiency and your freedom in Christ. Through His Spirit, allow Him to transform you into what He wants you to be, into what He already sees you as! We may only see in a mirror dimly, but through the Spirit, you and I can realize that our sufficiency is in Christ!
PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, for being my sufficiency. Thank you for the reminder of this truth today. May I walk in You today, knowing You are my all, my everything. You are faithful and always will be. Though I now truly understand I am NOT worthy, I know without a doubt You are more than enough to meet any need or achieve any proposed end.
Like me, you can come to the understanding that our identity and all was in Him, and that He is enough to meet the needs of a situation or a proposed end.
Paul would encourage you and me with the words he used to encourage the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV - Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Find your sufficiency and your freedom in Christ. Through His Spirit, allow Him to transform you into what He wants you to be, into what He already sees you as! We may only see in a mirror dimly, but through the Spirit, you and I can realize that our sufficiency is in Christ!
PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, for being my sufficiency. Thank you for the reminder of this truth today. May I walk in You today, knowing You are my all, my everything. You are faithful and always will be. Though I now truly understand I am NOT worthy, I know without a doubt You are more than enough to meet any need or achieve any proposed end.
The moment we stop striving to be sufficient in ourselves and start trusting in Christ's sufficiency is the moment we are finally free to be used by God.
Posted in 08 - 2 Corinthians
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