The Sufficiency
Of God
And such trust
have we through Christ to God-ward: {5} Not that we are sufficient of ourselves
to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; {6}
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.
(2 Corinthians 3:4-6)
And God is
able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency
in all things, may abound to every good work: (2 Corinthians 9:8)
Many things have happened in the last 165 years here before this home coming
and the rest of the world as well. Many inventions that have changed everyday
life have come along. Some of them have greatly benefited man and
some have further enslaved those without Christ. Many of sitting here today
have been witnesses to the birth of the Atomic Age and have lived
to see that first Atomic Bomb almost a toy compared to modern devices.
There have been many incredible inventions in the last two generations
alone.
During this time, many of man's beliefs, his emphasis of life, and his
center of energies has also changed. The deviation of, the misuse of, and
the suppression of God's word is a glaring example. Through Satan's subtle
attacks, it has become the rule rather than the exception to look to man's
sufficiency, rather than God's. The examples and warnings of Paul to Timothy
are now all around us everywhere we look. Paul warned Timothy and us that
there would be many who would be, " HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS, BUT DENYING
THE POWER THEREOF: FROM SUCH TURN AWAY." Note the last part of that verse
doesn't say join up with, cooperate with, or work with those in that state,
but turn away from them. Not only does II Timothy 3:5 apply to today,
but the examples of II Timothy 4:3-4 are everywhere evident. "FOR
THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THEY WILL NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE, BUT AFTER
THEIR OWN LUSTS SHALL THEY HEAP TO THEMSELVES TEACHERS, HAVING ITCHING
EARS; AND THEY SHALL TURN AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH, AND SHALL BE
TURNED UNTO FABLES."
Man is fast coming to believe in our time that he is sufficient in all
things physical and spiritual. Has he believed so in times past? Yes, but
not to the extent, or depths that he does now. He believes that he is to
find God by looking inside himself, or herself. Unfortunately, today many
pseudo Christian groups such as the Mormons teach the godhood of man and
his future rain as a god. In spite of all of this, man's only sufficiency,
or hope of sufficiency is God. El Shaddai; the One who is all sufficient;
the I AM THAT I AM.
Man says more so than ever today: "Look I am sufficient to all things.
Look at my works and wonders. Look at my knowledge and wisdom."
God says in I Corinthians: "FOR THE WISDOM OF THIS WORLD IS FOOLISHNESS
WITH GOD. FOR IT IS WRITTEN, HE TAKETH THE WISE IN THEIR OWN CRAFTINESS.
AND AGAIN, THE LORD KNOWETH THE THOUGHTS OF THE WISE, THAT THEY ARE VAIN."
(I Corinthians 3:19-20) Beloved note with me the sufficiency of
our God in all things. Fear, trust, and rejoice in Him.
I. God's Sufficiency In The Natural World - "KNOW YE THAT THE LORD HE IS
GOD: IT IS HE THAT HATH MADE US, AND NOT WE OURSELVES; .." (Psalm 100:3)
Would man go against that? He not only would, but he already has. Clones,
test tube babies, and genetic engineering are all examples. These won't
really come to their day dreams and rumors! Do not deceive yourself.
A. Man is willingly ignorant of God's creation of all things and His natural
laws. Man is convinced he can improve on, even create better than God,
but God says: "FOR THIS THEY ARE WILLINGLY IGNORANT OF, THAT BY THE WORD
OF GOD THE HEAVENS WERE OF OLD, AND THE EARTH STANDING OUT OF THE WATER
AND IN THE WATER: WHEREBY THE WORLD THAT THEM WAS, BEING OVERFLOWED WITH
WATER, PERISHED: BUT THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, WHICH ARE NOW, BY THE SAME
WORD ARE KEPT IN STORE, RESERVED UNTO FIRE AGAINST THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
AND PERDITION OF UNGODLY MEN." God is sufficient!
B. That word of power is sufficient to continue all things until He brings
them to a halt. Genesis 8:22 tells us from Noah's time that
God is controlling everything in His time. "WHILE THE EARTH REMAINETH,
SEEDTIME AND HARVEST, AND COLD AND HEAT, AND SUMMER AND WINTER, AND DAY
AND NIGHT SHALL NOT CEASE".
1. Doesn't the Bible say that we won't know the seasons in the last times?
No! Well the earth is hotter where it shouldn't be and everything is "messed
up". Who could have had anything to do with something like that?
2. God, in spite of man's misjudgments, is sufficient to run not only the
earth, but all that exists and continue it as long as He pleases. Psalms
115:3 tells us: "BUT OUR GOD IS IN THE HEAVENS: HE HATH DONE WHATSOEVER
HE HATH PLEASED." He know the end from the beginning and He controls according
to His pleasure and will.
II. God's Sufficiency In Salvation - Man believes that he is his own salvation.
He believes that he is doing fine. He is ushering in a new world and wonderful
accomplishments. Proverbs 14:12 tells us God's truth concerning
those apart from Him. "THERE IS A WAY WHICH SEEMETH RIGHT UNTO A MAN, BUT
THE END THEREOF ARE THE WAYS OF DEATH."
A. God knows man, we don't know ourselves. Well, there is some good in
everyone. Don't count on that in the real world. The words of Genesis
6:5 are just as true today as they were 6000 years ago. "AND GOD SAW
THAT THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN WAS GREAT IN THE EARTH, AND THAT EVERY IMAGINATION
OF THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY."
B. How is God sufficient for man's salvation? God can't do anything for
man unless man permits Him to do so, can He? And if man does "get saved"
somehow, he has to keep himself that way and hold out.
1. Strange! God says: "BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS
CHRIST, WHICH ACCORDING TO HIS ABUNDANT MERCY HATH BEGOTTEN US AGAIN UNTO
A LIVELY HOPE BY THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD, TO AN
INHERITANCE INCORRUPTIBLE, AND UNDEFILED, AND THAT FADETH NOT AWAY, RESERVED
IN HEAVEN FOR YOU, WHO ARE KEPT( guarded, protected) BY THE POWER OF GOD
THROUGH FAITH UNTO SALVATION READY TO BE
REVEALED IN THE LAST
TIME." (I Peter 1:3-5)
2. How can that be? God is sufficient. He is omnipotent (all powerful)
and that is why He tells us in Isaiah 46:9-10: "REMEMBER THE FORMER
THINGS OF OLD: FOR I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NONE LIKE ME, DECLARING THE END
FROM THE BEGINNING, AND FROM ANCIENT TIMES THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT YET
DONE, SAYING MY COUNSEL SHALL STAND, AND I WILL DO ALL MY PLEASURE."
3. God is omniscient - God knows and sees all. His sufficiency in this
attribute makes Him all knowing in everything. He cannot know more and
He cannot know less.
4. God is also omnipresent - Man is not sufficient for this. He cannot
hide from God, nor can he hide his works, his thoughts, or anything else.
"FOR HIS EYES ARE UPON THE WAYS OF MAN, AND HE SEETH ALL HIS GOINGS. THERE
IS NO DARKNESS, NOR SHADOW OF DEATH, WHERE THE WORKERS OF INIQUITY MAY
HIDE THEMSELVES. (Job 34:21-22) Likewise, "THE EYES OF THE LORD
ARE IN EVERY PLACE, BEHOLDING THE EVIL AND THE GOOD." (Proverbs 15:3)
III. God's Sufficiency For The Christian Life - "The Christian life is
too tough." "I can't give up some of the things I like." "I don't know
if I can hold out." "I don't know what to do, or what God expects
of me." "I am not able to live "right" on my own." THAT IS RIGHT!
Only God is sufficient for that and He will enable you to do so.
A. God Gives Us A Guarantee Of Sufficiency For The Christian Life - We
could not possibly do it without His support, intervention, and enablement.
1. God works in us. - Philippians 2:13 says: "FOR IT IS GOD WHICH
WORKETH IN YOU BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO OF HIS GOOD PLEASURE."
2. God is the Initiator and Finisher of our lives. -Hebrews 12:2
says: "LOOKING UNTO JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH, ..."
3. God guarantees true Christians. - Philippians 1:6 "BEING
CONFIDENT OF THIS VERY THING, THAT HE WHICH HATH BEGUN A GOOD WORK IN YOU
WILL PERFORM IT UNTIL THE DAY OF JESUS CHRIST:"
4. No matter may come our way. - Romans 8:28 All things, not
just some. That means the good, the bad, and the ugly. God's grace is always
sufficient.
IV. God's Sufficiency For Eternity - Just ahead is coming a new heaven,
a new earth, a new body, and a new, never ending life of joy and service
and praise to God forever, and ever, and ever; age during, never ending.
How can this be? Only by and through the sufficiency of God All Mighty.
A. A new creation - We see it in Revelation 21:1 and then
we are told in verses 3-5 : "AND I HEARD A GREAT VOICE OUT OF HEAVEN SAYING,
BEHOLD, THE TABERNACLE OF GOD IS WITH MEN, AND HE WILL DWELL WITH THEM,
AND THEY SHALL BE HIS PEOPLE, AND GOD HIMSELF SHALL BE WITH THEM, AND BE
THEIR GOD. AND GOD SHALL WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS FROM THEIR EYES; AND THERE
SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH, NEITHER SORROW, NOR CRYING, NETHER SHALL THERE
BE ANY MORE PAIN: FOR THE FORMER THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY. AND HE THAT
SAT UPON THE THRONE SAID, BEHOLD, I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW. AND HE SAID UNTO
ME, WRITE: FOR THESE WORDS ARE TRUE AND FAITHFUL."
B. A new direct face to face worship in a place that is always the
present; no time. Revelation 21:22-23 says: "AND I SAW NO TEMPLE
THEREIN: FOR THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY AND THE LAMB ARE THE TEMPLE OF IT. AND
THE CITY HAD NO NEED OF THE SUN, NEITHER OF THE MOON, TO SHINE IN IT, FOR
THE GLORY OF GOD DID LIGHTEN IT, AND THE LAMB IS THE LIGHT THEREOF."
Conclusion:
Beloved, the sufficiency of man is a myth. The only sufficiency lies in
the Sovereign, Eternal God. What do we do as His people in the light of
all of this? Continue on by trusting in His sufficiency. I Peter 4:7
says: "BUT THE END OF ALL THINGS IS AT HAND: BE YE THEREFORE SOBER (aware),
AND WATCH UNTO PRAYER."
"Bless the LORD, O
my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name." Psalm 103:1
PASTOR JOHN
R. LENEGAR
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