2 Corinthians 3:4-5

2 Corinthians 3:4-5
Another way to Kill a Revival: The Letter

Introduction:

When people apostasize from the Christian faith they usually go in one of two direction- last week we saw the first direction, theological liberalism- they are people who are Christian in name only. The other option for an apostate is legalism, sometimes referred to as Fundamentalism or more commonly Pharisaism. We are going to look a little bit about what that looks like in today’s text.

Because Paul says so much in this powerful chapter regarding the ministry of the Spirit, I have to break down my messages into tiny sections and today we are going to look at what Paul has to say regarding our sufficiency that is not found in either liberalism or legalism (which are man-centred religions that find their sufficiency in self). This morning we will focus in vv. 4-5:
4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God....

Peter says this about Paul’s letters in 2 Peter 3:16, “Some things Paul writes are difficult to understand” (The Message). I think Peter wrote that after reading 2 Corinthians. But then, Peter is no anti-intellectual either, because some things he wrote also require effort and diligence to. Indeed, understanding the entire Bible is an effort in intellect so that even the most brilliant academics and PhD’s from every discipline in the university (from Algebra to Zoology) are challenged by its truths, while at the same time, its basic concepts can be apprehended by a child.
But the Bible expects us to move from the baby to milk to the meat and my job as a pastor is to introduce you to gourmet eating. The teachings of the faith are difficult to understand and they require that we use our brains to try to decipher them. Our study of the Bible should stretch our apprehensions; it should stretch our imaginations, our linguistics, our literary skills, our growth in Christ likeness; stretch the way we live as Christians, our character…. The true test of truth is not simplicity nor are things that are hard to understand unspiritual- God meets us where we’re at- but he never leaves us there- He expects us… no He demands that we reach higher.

Sometimes people have trouble understanding my sermons and that is a valid complaint (I am guilty as charged of being weighty- but these are weighty matters!); and that does not relieve you of the responsibility to try to understand them because what I am endeavoring to di, under the power of the Holy Spirit, to take these infinite-mind-of-God originated, magnificent, indissolvable, eternal, foolishness to the mind of man truths and making them applicable to the current situation of individuals and of our church. So pray for me that I might succeed and that God will enable you to grasp this and that Satan will not rob you of this Word- it’s for your edification and sanctification.

I pray God make me small this morning and make you’re your big and enlarge our mental capacities so that we can worship you in spirit and in truth!

Beginning with verse 4, let’s look at this text verse by verse:

I. Verse 4: And we have such trust through Christ toward God.
The Message interprets verse 4 this way, “We couldn’t be more sure of ourselves in this—that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation.”

Verse 4 forms a bridge between Paul’s first thought: the sufficiency of his commendation in the hearts of the Corinthians- and his second thought: the sufficiency of his ability for ministry in Christ.

In verses 1-3 Paul was defending his credentials against the accusations of the Super Apostles, who criticized Paul because he had no official letters of commendation whereas, the Super Apostles had all their documents in place.

Paul is going to make the point that their man made documents and rules are actually letters that kill (incidentally, how do you kill a revival? By resorting to man made rules and legalism!) and he is going to contrast the letters that kill with the letter of the Spirit and his analogy is the Law versus the Gospel.

II. Verse 5: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God

i. Sufficient of ourselves
Before Paul shows us how the letter kills but the Spirit gives life, he raises once again, the question that he asked back in 2:16: “Who is sufficient for this?”
Previously, in chapter 2 Paul used the illustration of the aroma of incense in the Triumph parade- it was the aroma of death leading to death to the defeated captives and it is the aroma of life leading to life to the victors.

Paul is asking the same question in 3:5 and he will make the same point about how the gospel condemns some and saves others in verse 6- he just says it a little differently. Paul’s point here in verse 5 is that he would never dream of writing a letter of commendation for himself, only God can do that in Christ.

It’s like that in the church- we don’t seek the recognition or clamor for the approval of others. We don’t do things so that everyone’s attention can be drawn to us and they can applaud us- and we don’t serve in the church for a reference letter- our character and the lives of the people we affect- that’s our resumé!

Glenn Penner is the CEO of The Voice of the Martyrs Canada. In 2002 he was diagnosed with cancer and recently his doctors have given him months to live. When asked what was the message he wanted to leave for his children? Lying in his bed, struggling to breathe, Penner responded, “Live such a life that at the end of it someone will glorify God that you’ve been alive…. I think that is how we glorify God so people will say ‘Thank God this person was.’” That’s our letter of commendation!

Self commending religion is proud, and rude and boastful and loud and jealous of others and slanderous of those who serve according to the spirit. Self condemning religion focuses on self-righteousness and man-made rules over against the Word of God. It was the religion of Paul’s opponents in Corinth and it was the religion of the Pharisees. It is the religion of those who are perishing- of those for whom the gospel is the self condemning soul destroying aroma of death.

But before we point our finger at them, let’s take a long look in the mirror to make sure that our religion is not the religion of the Pharisees. Here are some things that make the religion of the Pharisees so nauseating to God; do you practice these?

1. The Pharisees elevated their man made rules over the Word of God
In Matthew 23:4 Jesus accused the Pharisees of binding “…heavy burdens, hard to bear, and [laying] them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.” Those heavey burdens were their man-made rules. Jesus said this about their rules:
…you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ” (Matt 15:6-9)

If the church’s by-laws or Robert’s rules of order, or the statement of faith of the church, or some practice or procedure contradicts the Bible or is elevated against the Word of God and basic Christian character, then it is a pretense of religion and a letter that kills.

Do you Make rules that are easy for you to live by and then judge everyone else according to them? You are only condemning yourself by doing that!

2. The Pharisees practiced their religion because of the social advantage:
5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi. (Mat 23:5).

When you serve in the church, don’t sound the trumpet and blow horns. Don’t introduce yourself according to your title or position in the church. Have the attitude of John the Baptist- that Jesus would be large and I would be small!
…he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Matt 23:11-12)

Are you in church today because you are seeking social status or because you want to fulfill Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? That will send you to hell!

3. The Pharisees put themselves in the place of God and tried to judge others- they even passed judgment on Jesus Christ… on God

55Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. 56 For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.
57 Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, 58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ” 59 But not even then did their testimony agree.
60And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 61 But He kept silent and answered nothing.
Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
62 Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?”
And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

The Pharisees knew what the Bible said about their messiah and still they murdered him. Likewise, when you disregard the Word of God what it says about mercy and forgiveness and instead you set your own self interests against Christ himself, you mock the cross.

Jesus warned the disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees- that is, do not practice their doctrine or allow them to be practiced in the church because they are leavening- they spread and infect every area of the Body like cancer.

Do you pass judgment on the motives of others while excusing your own? Do you twist the truth a little just to accomplish your own agenda? That’s what nailed Jesus to the Cross!

ii. our sufficiency is from God
So the religion of the Pharisees is the religion of whitewashed tombs that adorns itself on the outside but on the inside is full of dead man’s bones. It is a self sufficient religion that says, “I did it my way!”
But the religion of Jesus Christ is a religion that dies to self and finds its sufficiency in God through Christ Jesus… no matter what the circumstances. Paul suffered as much as any man for the cause of the gospel, he wrote
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake… (2 Cor 4:8-11).

Nevertheless, in spite of (or because of) all that Paul suffered, he is so unwaveringly certain of his sufficiency that he could sill say,
Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God (2 Cor 4:1-2).

The religion of the Spirit is patient, it’s is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. it does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (paraphrase 1 Cor 13:4-7).

The religion of the Spirit means visiting orphans and the homeless and refugees. The religion of the Spirit is being crucified with Christ so that we no longer live. For this kind of religion, there is no condemnation:
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. (Romans 8:9-10)
Conclusion
So Paul asks, who is suffient for these things. The point is, where does you sufficiency come from- is it from your own strength and wisdom and skills and religiousness? Or is it from Christ? As for me, I would rather die like Christ than live in my own sufficiency and man-centred relgion!