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God's Sufficiency Is for Godly Living

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The following is adapted from Bob Hoestra’s class Living By God’s Sufficiency, available free at the Blue Letter Bible Institute (www.blbi.org).

Previous posts in this series:

The primary implications and applications of new covenant living for the lives of believers exist at the heart of the Gospel. The heart of the new covenant beats for daily living in the abundant grace of God.

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.
(2 Corinthians 3:5)

God’s Sufficiency Is for Godly Living

Embrace God’s sufficiency. Believe in God’s sufficiency. Stand upon it. Act upon it. Revel in God’s sufficiency with your whole heart and mind. It can be humbling and uncomfortable to realize that one is sufficient of himself. And yet, as there is nothing of lasting value within man that is not directly from Christ Himself, the realization can only serve to liberate the believer from guilt and shame. Man is not sufficient to think of anything godly, anything eternal, anything Christlike, anything life-giving, anything justifying, sanctifying, edifying, transforming, or anything good. Of himself, man can do nothing. And that is humbling. Yet the believer is to embrace this truth in all humility.

But not only does God want to humble the believer, but He humbles him that His child might receive His encouragement. Though the believer cannot supply anything needed to make a life godly, he can ever rely upon the sufficient grace of God. The same God who calls us to godly living is willing to share His resources with us that we might grow in godliness.

Man does not have what it takes.

Despite the great American heritage of self-sufficiency, man does not have what it takes. Such hubris is the way of the kingdom of man. Man will build the Tower of Babel and fly into the depths of space, but this does not demonstrate sufficiency for matters of any real importance. The sufficiency for real life comes from God. It is good to be humbled by our natural inabilities, to find that man was never able to please God after he fell from grace in the Garden.

We are new creatures.

The believer, though, who is a new creation in Christ, is designed to be a vessel to carry about the life and presence of the One who is always able to think and act righteously. The believer who recognizes his insufficiency is left in the best possible frame of mind. He is left depending daily upon the sufficiency of God in all things. That believer will be counting upon His resources and drawing upon God’s grace by faith. He will be ever depending, abiding, and looking unto Jesus.

God’s sufficiency is for godly living. We shall ever be learning what it means to live by the sufficiency of God.

Lord, forgive us for the many, many times in our striving and straining that we have tried to make the Christian life happen by our resources. Teach us how to trust in You. Make us to draw upon Your resources and give us faith to believe that they are fully sufficient for every challenge and opportunity—and especially for growth and service. We thank You for this glorious new covenant Lord. We love You. The more we know of You and the more we see Your handiwork, we come to love You and praise You and thank You that much more. In Your Son’s holy name. Amen.

Comments

  1. This was exactly what I needed today! I feel the weight of life’s trials and I find myself striving trying measure up. However, it is solely by the grace of Jesus Christ alone that I am able to sustain.

  2. I have noticed over the years there is often a common message that is ministered at the same time all over the world. This past week I ministered a New Creation at a rescue mission. I had planned on speaking of putting others first, Philippians 2:3. The message was in the process and something said “no” it must be about being born again and a new beginning. As this week has gone by I have heard a number of ministers address this subject and now I find it here on the blog.

    I don’t think I will ever get over being amazed at what God puts in my heart and the words He has come from my mouth. I have told others I often feel like a third person listening to two other people discuss the gospel. Matthew 10:19; “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,” I have learned I don’t need to be arrested for this to work, I need only to arrest my own pride and allow the Spirit to work.

    Only God knows what message and at what time people need to hear what He has to say. May we all become bolder in sharing the truth knowing He is in control.

    In the name of our Christ Jesus, Amen

  3. The Word of God is alive to those that will hear and an uncomfortable mystery to those in darkness near. For those moving in the heavenly flow, the Light of God through them will show. Waves so bright, giving sight lifting up those in Shekina Light.

    “See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword — it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 CJB

    Good morning. I too have noticed over the years a seasonal message. Another push going on is the message that our Messiah is coming soon. Even so, Lord Jesus come.

  4. Such a wonderful post. Thank you Chris. You are all a blessing to me. And the replies are so spiritually enriching. How blessed I feel to be among such a crowd of witnesses.

    I’ve noticed so many times the same whisper of the Spirit touch different ears in different places with the same message. It’s an AMAZINGLY beautiful sound and experience. So many times when someone says, “That was just what I needed to hear.” I grin in my soul. Of course He knows what we need to hear, of course there is a spiritual common whisper of instruction to the body of Christ. We are, after all, ONE BODY. It works in such miraculous ways. But I’ve noticed also that I have to be watching and listening. It’s not what I look at, it’s what I see. It’s not what I hear it’s what I’m listening for, the voice of my Master. When I look for Him He shows up in the most amazing ways. When I filter out the racket of the world and listen for the Saviors voice what a glorious melody! When my bed ridden mother needs assistants and I’m tired and I’d rather just be quick about changing her soiled linens, in those moments if I can view my hands as His hands, if I can attend to my dear old mother as if she were my Lord, God always uses the moment to bless me with sense of His presence that goes beyond a mere mortal chore and overwhelms me with a joy only heaven can surpass. How blessed are we really to have such a God?

  5. This calls to attention a few of the flaws in modern Church teaching/believing. First, the focus on Jesus, not the Father, who is the rightful recipient of our prayers, intercessions, and worship. Note how we were taught to pray to Jesus in church (most I visited) and this was not his example nor commandment to the disciples. Asking in Jesus’ name is not the same as asking him to answer prayers himself.

    Second, the Church seems to think we cannot please G-d “since Adam”. I disagree. Let’s look at the context of rom 8:8.

    Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

    Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

    Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

    Just this passage along refutes that statement – those in the Spirit (holy spirit filled believers) are able to please G-d. Not that they do a good job of it, but they CAN.

    There is also the example of Noah, and Enoch (G-d took him because he was so pleasing.) There are more. As prophets of G-d, they had his Spirit, and could carry out what pleased him. Post-Jesus, we all can have the Holy Spirit filling us, but many in the Church even debate whether there IS a Holy Spirit … how could He indwell such unbelief? He can’t. G-d never works in the unbeliever – search BLB to study that.

    1 Thess 4:1 exhorts believers to please G-d. Unless you believe the disciples asked the impossible of converts to “humble” them? Not.

    Third, the Church teaches what seems to me a phoney-baloney kind of humility, which lacks depth. It is more than an emotional experience where we diminish ourselves and compare our frailty to G-d. We DO have things we can do to please G-d. Then He knows we can be trusted with the power of the Holy Spirit, so G-d can use us effectively, as in successfully praying for the sick and having them recover. (a commandment, not an option … Mark 16:17-18)

    What can we contribute? We can bring obedience to G-d, sincere repentance, honest love without an agenda, diligence to study/apply the Word, willingness to be led of G-d and let go of selfish things like doctrinal biases. (this last bringing discord – which He hates)

    No, we don’t have what it takes to be successful in all G-d asks, but that is why he sends us the Holy Spirit for power and teaching, sent Jesus for redemption and ongoing intercession, and Father stands ready then to hear us when we walk in blamelessness like Daniel. (repent every time, first thing when you pray to cover this)

    …Father, forgive my sins, the known and the unknown, and help me grow in understanding of the Word, knowledge of You, and power in your Spirit. Let me see truly where I need to grow, and help me do that day by day. Thank you for your mercies that are new each morning, and your desire that even the wicked should repent and be saved and have eternal life in You. Thank you for the atoning gift of Jesus. In his name I ask this. Amen.