“Our Competency in Christ”

2 Corinthians 3:4-18

Last week we looked at the six ways Jesus builds His Church: By opening doors of opportunity! (2:12), by giving us victory in Christ! (2:14a), by using us to spread his knowledge! (2:14b-16), by using insufficient messengers! (2:16b), by the speaking the word of God! (2:17) through the testimony of your life (3:1-3)!

“How can God use me? I’m a mess! Doesn’t (2:16b) establish our inadequacy for this work?”

The answer to that question is, “YES…You are NOT competent!”

In order for Jesus to use us in building His church, He must start by BUILDING US—DOING A WORK IN US FIRST!

(READ TEXT:

2 Corinthians 3:4–18 CSB

Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God. It is not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry that brought death, chiseled in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the Israelites were not able to gaze steadily at Moses’s face because of its glory, which was set aside, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry that brought condemnation had glory, the ministry that brings righteousness overflows with even more glory. In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was set aside was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious. Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness. We are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from gazing steadily until the end of the glory of what was being set aside, but their minds were hardened. For to this day, at the reading of the old covenant, the same veil remains; it is not lifted, because it is set aside only in Christ. Yet still today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts, but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.

– PRAY)

KEY VERSE: (vv.5-6a) – We are MADE competent in Christ!

“HOW?” You are made adequate for THREE REASONS:

I. Because of the WORK OF GOD – (3:4-6a)

(v.4) – It is a result of our position in Christ!

(v.5) – The SOURCE of your adequacy is God!

1 Corinthians 15:10 CSB

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

We sang about it this morning: “In Christ Alone!” “On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand!”

(v.6) – We become “…ministers of a new covenant” because of the work of God!

Ephesians 2:10 CSB

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Philippians 2:13 CSB

For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.

Colossians 1:29 CSB

I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.

II. Because of the NATURE OF THE GOSPEL – (3:6)

The “new covenant” is INWARD as opposed to EXTERNAL!

It is “not of the letter” – it is NOT through the Law – “the ministry that brought death” (v.7)!

What is the purpose of the Law? –

1 Timothy 1:8 CSB

But we know that the law is good, provided one uses it legitimately.

The “…letter kills” –

Galatians 3:19, 22-25)

Galatians 3:19 CSB

Why, then, was the law given? It was added for the sake of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator.

Galatians 3:22–25 CSB

But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise might be given on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed. The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

The “new covenant” is “…of the Spirit […] but the Spirit gives life.”

Which brings us the third reason:

III. Because of the MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT –(3:7-18)

Six descriptions are given to the ministry of the Spirit:

1. It is a GLORIOUS ministry! – (vv.7-11)

The giving of the Law was a glorious event, but the result was “death”and “condemnation.”

(v.11) – The New Covenant that “…will be even more glorious” because the result is life that does not pass away!

2. It is a ministry that BRINGS RIGHTEOUSNESS! – (v.9)

As opposed to a “…ministry that brought condemnation,” (‘I’m bad, God’s mad, and we’re all had!’)

“HOW? How does this ministry make unrighteous people glorious?” –

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 CSB

Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom. And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 CSB

He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

3. It is a ministry of HOPE and BOLDNESS! – (v.12)

The PURPOSE of “…such hope” is to DO SOMETHING! It is a hope that motivates us to action!

“…we act with great boldness.” – We act with COURAGE! And we don’t APOLOGIZE!

4. It is a ministry of REVELATION!– (vv.13-16)

1 Corinthians 2:14 CSB

But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.

5. It is a ministry of FREEDOM – (v.17)

(John 8:32) – “…the truth will set you free.”

6. It is a ministry of TRANSFORMATION – (v.18)

What is the “mirror?” The text is clear that it’s not a literal mirror – “…as in a mirror.”

Where do we behold the glory of the Lord? – I believe the “mirror” is the Word of God.

What does a mirror show? The image of the person looking in it.

AS I look into the Word of God, I see myself and the glory of the Lord. I see myself as God sees me, with Christ in me, of who I am, and what I can become in Jesus Christ.

IN THAT PROCESS of reflection, I am CHANGED—TRANSFORMED INTO THAT SAME IMAGE!

We “..are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit!”