“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Cor. 3:5-6 ESV)

God makes us sufficient 

The above passage points out that our sufficiency is from God who has made us sufficient and it is not from ourselves. Some translations use other words in the place of sufficiency such as “adequate”, “competent” , or “qualified”. No matter which word is used, however, the point is that God is the source of our sufficiency, adequacy, competency and qualification. It is not through the “letter of the law”, but rather comes to us through His Spirit, bringing life. The Amplified Bible states it this way, “Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God. He has qualified us [making us sufficient] as ministers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not of the letter [of a written code] but of the Spirit; for the letter [of the Law] kills [by revealing sin and demanding obedience], but the Spirit gives life.”

All sufficiency in all things to abound in every good work

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” (2 Cor. 9:8 ESV)

“That the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:17 ESV)

Therefore…

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt 6:33 ESV)

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“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory..” (Eph. 1:13-14 ESV)

I love blackberries!

As a youth, I loved to pick blackberries. I was fortunate to live in a community where they grew wild everywhere. I loved to eat them raw and any way they were prepared. I loved them in cobblers, pies, and on pancakes. I especially loved them made into jelly.  We made large batches of it each year. Blackberry jelly cooking on the stove filled our entire house with its wonderful fragrance. When it was done cooking it was poured into small jars and then hot paraffin wax was poured into the top of each one to create an airtight seal. The seal protected the jelly from anything that could contaminate it. The jars were then placed on a shelf in the pantry ready for us to use them throughout the rest of the year. One of my favorite things to do was to open a fresh jar of jelly by removing the waxed seal with a kitchen knife and get a whiff of the wonderful fresh blackberry aroma.

God has sealed you!

Similar to the waxed seal on jars of blackberry jelly, when you believed, God placed a protective seal on you with His Holy Spirit. It is there to keep you safe and guarantee your inheritance as His possession until the day of redemption. This is something to praise God about! (Eph. 1:13-14)

You can be assured

“I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2 Tim. 1:12b KJV)

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:28 NIV)

Therefore…

“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Eph. 4:30 )

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” (2 Cor. 1:21-22)

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“God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient.” (Col. 3:12 ESV)

Every person is made by God to do the good works that He has uniquely equipped us to do:  “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10 ESV). The devil does everything within his power to stop you from doing what God has created you for. You must remain watchful, strong and vigilant in order to keep on track. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” (1 Peter 5:8-9 ESV)

Don’t let distractions stop you

“Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.” (Eccles. 11:4 NIV)

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Matt. 11:28-30)

Don’t let conditions stop you 

We had some extreme weather in our area last winter and along with it came hardships for those who had to work outside. As I drove by a nearby housing construction project, I noticed the workers were outside getting things done and I felt sorry for them. But, as I passed by the same site this Spring, I saw that it had been completed and families had moved in. It was good that those workers hadn’t quit because of bad weather. When you think about it, there are few perfect weather days and if you waited for conditions to be perfect before you did anything, not much would get done. The same can be said for doing God’s work. Conditions are rarely perfect there, too. God’s important work must be carried out at all times, no matter what the conditions may be. The Bible says to be ready to do His work “in season and out of season.” (2 Tim. 4:2). 

Don’t let laziness stop you

The problem with some is simply laziness.The Bible says, “Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest.” (Prov. 20:4 NLT). 

Therefore…

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Cor. 15:58 ESV)

“For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building.” (1 Cor. 3:9 ESV)

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

Quotes:

“God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome. What matters is the sincerity and perseverance of our will to overcome them.” - C.S. Lewis

“Christians are like the several flowers in a garden that have each of them the dew of heaven, which, being shaken with the wind, they let fall at each other’s roots, whereby they are jointly nourished, and become nourishers of each other.” - John Bunyon

“The Bible is God’s chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbor is, and how to reach it without running on rocks or bars.” - Henry Ward Beecher

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"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.” (Rom. 15:5 NIV)

I was a high-baller

When I was in my early 20’s I worked as a drywall installer, also called a sheetrocker. My partner and I were what you would call in those days, high-ballers, because we were very fast at it! In fact, we often completed two houses in one day. Back then we nailed drywall on with a hammer (it's screwed on these days), and I figured out, at 48 nails per sheet, that I hammered in about a million nails every three months! That's a lot of nails! All that lifting and hammering made me very strong in those days.

Eventually I changed jobs and started doing something less strenuous

Many years later, my son John, was installing wallboard on the ceiling of a house he was working on and asked me if I would give him a hand since I knew how to do it. I agreed, and grabbed my old set of tools and jumped right in. I was happy to see that I could still swing a hammer and lift the heavy board! It was like I had never stopped…. well, for a very short time, anyway. I soon ran out of energy, and got tired. Sadly, even though I knew what to do, and was willing to do it, I was no longer in my 20’s and didn't have the strength or endurance I once had. I felt bad about it, but John just smiled, and said, “it's okay Dad!” I knew he was trying to be encouraging to me and I appreciated it. I continued to help him that day, but he did most of the heavy lifting.

Endurance and encouragement

Endurance is defined as the act of working very hard without stopping, even in the face of difficult situations or pain. Encouragement is defined as an expression of support or approval, or is words or actions that assist or inspire someone or something.

In our walk of faith, God gives us both endurance and encouragement, and He expects us to do the same for others

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Heb. 10:24-25 NIV)

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thes. 5:11 NIV)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Cor. 1:3-4 NIV)

Quotes:

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” - Thomas A. Edison

“If you are going through hell, keep going.” - Winston Churchill

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“I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.” (Psalm 119:60 NIV) 

Hasten: To move or act swiftly. To happen sooner than otherwise would be the case; Speedy, hastiness, hurriedness, rush, fastness, motion, movement, swiftness, urgency.  

When God commands, just do it

If you’re a parent and you tell one of your children to do something, but he delays and says, “I’m thinking it over!” Like most parents, you will predictably respond with some appropriate corrective discipline. That’s because you know that delayed obedience is actually disobedience to you. In the same way, when God, your Heavenly Father, tells you to do something, He expects you to do it—now. God also wants you to obey fully. Not partially or half-heartedly. Partial obedience is also disobedience. You can’t pick and choose what instructions you’ll follow and what you won’t follow. 

Delaying to act fast is sin

Someone has described the space between, when you know what you must do and when you actually do it, as disobedience—another word for sin. The Bible puts it this way, “To know what the right thing to do is, and yet not doing it, is sin.” (James 4:17). When God commands you do do something, that is always the right thing to do without delay. 

“For he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today!” (Psalm 95:7-8 NLT) 

If you call Jesus your Lord, then immediately do what He says!

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46 ESV)

“But I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.” (John 14:31 ESV)

“But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’” (Jer. 7:23 ESV)

Therefore…

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;” (Exo. 19:5 ESV) 

“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.” (Exo. 23:22 ESV)

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:22-23 ESV)

 Quotes:

 “Have you noticed how much praying for revival has been going on of late - and how little revival has resulted? I believe the problem is that we have been trying to substitute praying for obeying, and it simply will not work.” - A. W. Tozer

“Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.” - Jim Elliot

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“Return, you backsliding children, And I will heal your backslidings.” (Jer. 3:22 NKJV)

Backsliding: To revert to bad habits or lapse in religious practice. To slide back, in a figurative sense; apostatize; turn from the faith; depart from or abandon religious principles or practices. To slide back; to fall away; esp. to abandon gradually the faith and practice of a religion that has been professed.

Backsliding doesn’t happen suddenly 

Backsliding happens gradually, little by little. It’s like the old boiling frog story, where the pot containing a frog in cold water is heated up very slowly, one degree after another, and the frog remains in the pot and comfortable until it’s too late and gets cooked. Similarly, Christians must not remain still in their relationship with God without putting in regular effort to “press towards the mark, which is Christ.” (Phil 3:14). 

What you must do to move forward

To move forward and not slide backwards, you must work to strengthen your relationship with God and to remain hot and to not become lukewarm through doing nothing (Rev. 3:16). Charles Spurgeon stated it this way: “The Christian life is very much like climbing a hill of ice. You cannot slide up. You have to cut every step with an ice axe. Only with incessant labor in cutting and chipping can you make any progress. If you want to know how to backslide, leave off going forward. Cease going upward and you will go downward of necessity. You can never stand still.”

If you’re backslidden or lukewarm

If you find yourself in a fallen, lukewarm, or backslidden condition. God offers to restore you. He says, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works...” (Rev. 2:5 NKJV). 

God’s offer, what to do, what to pray, what God does, and the results 

• God’s offer

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” (Isa. 1:18 NLT)

• What to do

“Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’”. (Mal. 3:7 NIV)

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,” Acts 3:19 NIV)

“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8 ESV)

• What to pray 

“For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.” (Psalm 25:11 ESV) 

“…my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!” (Psalm 109:21 ESV)

“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.” (Psalm 51:1 NLT)

• What God does 

“I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again.” (Isa. 43:25 NLT)

• The results

“He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” (Col. 2:14 NLT)

“I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” (Isa. 44:22 NIV)

Therefore…

“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”  (Luke 15:7)

Quotes:

“The Christian life is never static. One must either grow in grace, or there will be backsliding and deterioration.” - Henry Ironside

“In every Christian’s Heart, there is a cross and a throne, and the Christian is on the throne till he puts himself on the cross; if he refuses the cross, he remains on the throne. Perhaps this is at the bottom of the backsliding and worldliness among Gospel believers today. We want to be saved, but we insist that Christ do all the dying. No cross for us, no dethronement, no dying. We remain king within the little kingdom of man’s soul and wear our tinsel crown with all the pride of a caesar; but we doom ourselves to shadows and weakness and spiritual sterility.” - AW Tozer

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"And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” (John 17:22–23 NIV)

So, exactly what is glory anyway?

Glory is defined in the dictionary as high renown or honor won by notable achievements. It is fame, prestige, honor, distinction, acclaim.

In the Bible, glory can mean different things depending on its context

• The glory of position: Joseph in Egypt. (Gen. 45:13)

• The glory of possessions: Jacob’s servants and livestock. (Gen. 31:1)

• The glory of young men: is their strength. (Prov. 20:29)

• The glory of the elderly: is their long life. (Prov. 16:31).

• The glory of human character: is willingness to overlook the faults of others (Prov. 19:11), or to avoid strife (Prov. 20:3).

• The Glory of God: His greatness (Deut. 5:24) and hundreds of other verses.

• The Glory of Jesus’ second coming: “The Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:27 NIV)

Why did Jesus share His glory with you?

Jesus said in John 17 that He was sharing his glory with you, and He gave the reason, “That they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

You must reflect His glory!

Because He shares His glory with you, your life must reflect that glory as you go about loving others as He loves you!

“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6 NIV)

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16 NIV)

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21 NIV)

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“I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” (Isaiah 45:3 NIV)

Wow! “Hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places.” Imagine that!

There have been many stories throughout history about hidden treasures, such as the lost Dutchman’s Goldmine, for one, believed to exist somewhere in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona. About 8,000 people a year continue to search for it. Think how exciting it would be to actually find such a thing.

The hidden locations

There is someone who actually knows where all the hidden treasures are, and of course, I'm talking about God Himself. He has that information! And He could tell you where they are located, as our verse at top says. And, sometimes he does. But, that may not be best for you, He knows that too, because for many, riches do cause problems.

Be discerning!

Keep in mind that there are different kinds of riches and treasures and some are much better to be had than others. Ask God for wisdom. 

The deceitfulness of riches

“But the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19 ESV)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21 NIV)

Heavenly treasures

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal." (Matt. 6:20 NIV)

Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matt. 13:44 NIV)

A good foundation is a treasure

“Storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.” (1 Tim. 6:19 NIV)

 Wisdom and knowledge are treasures

“That their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 2:2-3 NIV)

God’s kind of blessings makes rich without sorrow

“The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.” (Prov. 19:22 ESV)

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“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.” (Eph. 1:7-8)

When I was living in California in the 1950’s, my dad bought a three bedroom house on two acres of land for five-thousand dollars! That was a lot of money for a house back then! But not so much money now. That same place would be worth over a million dollars in today's California housing market. When Susan and I bought our brand new three bedroom home in Washington State in 1971, we paid seventeen-thousand dollars for it. We sold it twelve years later for forty-five thousand. We then bought our present home for fifty-five thousand dollars. We recently had it appraised and it's now worth about four-hundred-fifty thousand dollars!

It amazes me how much prices have changed over the years! Not only houses, but everything else!

The riches of God’s grace - priceless!

Prices of things often fluctuate. They go up and they go down. But, one thing that will never change is “the riches of God’s grace,” (Eph. 1:7). Its value is priceless because it is paid for by the shed blood of God’s Son, Jesus Christ! There is nothing in existence, or has ever existed, more valuable, more precious! And to think, “He made it abound to us in all wisdom and prudence.” (Eph. 1:8).

Think what this means to you!!

No matter what you may have done, “The riches of His grace” has it covered! His grace towards you is above and beyond and it more than covers any possible need!

Exceeding riches of grace!

• “That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:7)

• His grace is more than abundant!

  “And the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.” (1 Tim. 1:14)

• The riches of his kindness leads to repentance!

  “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom. 2:4)

We all fall short and need God's grace!

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”. (Rom. 3:23 NIV)

Quote:

“I'm not perfect. And who knows how many times I've fallen short. We all fall short. That's the amazing thing about the grace of God.” – Tim Tebow

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