November 23

Read: II Corinthians 3:4-6

Our sufficiency is from God, who has qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant,.., written… in the Spirit… the Spirit gives life (II Corinthians 3:5-6, R.S.V.).

Life In The Spirit (Continued)

We saw yesterday how Paul’s thought was captured by the work of God’s Spirit in the hearts of transformed men. Our scripture for today reflects the special function of the Holy Spirit in the work of the Christian minister. The Apostle here refers especially to his own ministry but he does not exclude his fellow workers Timothy, Titus, and Silas. The principles are universal. They are the testimony of every true minister of the gospel.

The trust, or confidence, of verse 4 is simply the profound conviction that God does transform human lives through the operation of His Holy Spirit. No man is sufficient for this, but the man who relies upon the help of the Holy Spirit knows that he has a sufficiency in God. The more completely and continuously he rests back upon the power of the Spirit, the greater is his realization of this sufficiency.

Is Paul here testifying to the same God-given experience that Jesus talked about before the Day of Pentecost? What else could it be? Our Lord said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8, R.S.V.). Paul here declares that God “has qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant… in the Spirit… the Spirit giveth life.” The fullness of the Spirit gives a note of living authority to a man’s ministry.

It is God’s Spirit who convicts, forgives, and sanctifies men. We whom God has called as ministers are called to be channels through whom the Holy Spirit gets next to men. He ministers best who is most filled with the Spirit of God.

Prayer For A Preacher

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Hold o’er my being absolute sway! Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see Christ only, always, living in me.*

— Adelaide A. Pollard

*Copyright By permission Hope Publishing Co.