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Writer's pictureRyan Van Deusen

Sufficient or what?

Where I live, in the United States, there is a requirement before any new building is allowed to be built. It must receive a building permit, and be inspected by the local City Planning division. There are several inspections throughout the process beginning with the drawn plans, and ending with the structure itself. What is the question being raised in each stage of the process? It is one of competence.

In order to even be allowed to be the builder of the building you must obtain a contractor’s license. However, passing all the tests is not what determines competence. It is what is produced from their work that proves their competence. The contractor could argue with the inspector, “I have a license to build, you know my work is going to be good, just trust me. Isn’t my license sufficient to show I will produce good work?” It would be nice if we lived in a world where this would be true. Yet, without knowing it, people operate every day according to God’s laws. No person can be competent of themselves. Our own claims are not sufficient. Each person’s competence must be determined by one of greater authority.

See how Paul displays this situation biblically, he says, “And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 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.”1

If you read the introduction you have noticed that this statement also holds the beginning of the next statement in the commitment of the Ambassador. That is that we are to be: ministers not of the letter, but of the Spirit which gives life. However, we cannot reach the point of operating this way until have brought our lives into line with the first truth presented here. The truth of our sufficiency being in Christ alone.

Unfortunately, the modern Christian has often been so diluted with the philosophy of this world, that what is being presented seems a ‘deep’ issue for the ‘mature’ Christian. In reality this is merely the beginning. As Christians we are those who have willing laid down our own lives. Jesus makes this rather plain. He said, “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels, will save it.”(Mark 8:35) He also said that unless we deny ourselves and take up our cross daily we cannot be his disciples(Luke 9:22-23). We must not try to be self-sufficient. We must not seek to save or hold on to our lives, and we must not raise our children this way. How often I have heard parents making it their goal to raise their children to be self-sufficient; so they can “make it in the world”. We must take on, and be transformed to, the mind of Christ. He, though he was in the form of God did not consider this glory of his as something to hold on to, and he condescended to this dust-laden earth. It’s a desire of the flesh which seeks to be sufficient in one’s own self to

trek through life, and not need the help of others. Not only is it a desire of the flesh, it’s of the devil.

Look at what James says as he speaks about the tongue in his letter. “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:13-18 NIV)

We want nothing to do with this wisdom that is earthly. Notice that it is unspiritual, and ‘of the devil’. Literally, the word is ‘demonic’(daimoniodeis).

The wisdom of this world says you should do all that you must to pursue what your heart desires. In other words, the wisdom of this world promotes selfish ambition. And the result? Bitter envy. The majority of people whose lives are wrapped up in selfish ambition are walking around with loads of bitterness; envious of what others seem to have achieved which they have not.

The Bible has a solution to such a mess: Recognize you are insufficient on your own to accomplish anything meaningful, and in the process surrender to God. In him you will be made competent. David made this declaration of himself in his prayer to the Lord, he said, “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’” David understood the situation perfectly by the Holy Spirit. The Bible does not say you are totally incompetent. It says your only competence comes from God. When you allow

God to create your competence, rather than trying to be sufficient in yourself, then your competence will be greater than you can ever imagine.

Was Abraham sufficient in himself to be the father of a nation? Was Moses sufficient in himself to lead Israel? Was Gideon sufficient in himself to lead Israel’s army and defeat the Midianites? Was David sufficient in himself to defeat Goliath? The answer in each case is ‘no'. Abraham believed God and this was accounted to him as righteousness. Moses wouldn’t have gone back to Egypt without God provoking him. Gideon was the least of his father’s house which was the least house in the smallest tribe – he was the least of the nobodies. David came with a sling and staff against a seasoned giant warrior. Truly, David’s declaration fits for each of these men in their situations, “You come against me with sword and spear, but I come against you in the name of the LORD

Almighty.” (1 Samuel 17:45 - NIV) From Abraham to David, and beyond, all have accomplished great feats through the strength given to them by the LORD Almighty.

We are not sufficient in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our sufficiency is from the LORD Almighty.

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