1 00:00:04,580 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: For more resources to help you in your walk with Christ, 2 00:00:08,060 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening to Daily Devotions 3 00:00:14,740 --> 00:00:19,180 Speaker 1: with Pastor John. I'm John Stonge, and today's devotion is 4 00:00:19,250 --> 00:00:25,250 Speaker 1: inspired by 2 Corinthians 3, verse 6, which says, Who 5 00:00:25,310 --> 00:00:28,790 Speaker 1: has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, 6 00:00:29,410 --> 00:00:32,589 Speaker 1: not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the 7 00:00:32,650 --> 00:00:39,550 Speaker 1: letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Jesus is doing 8 00:00:39,610 --> 00:00:43,620 Speaker 1: a work within us that far surpasses what many people realize. 9 00:00:44,460 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: At one point, our hearts were set against Him as 10 00:00:47,460 --> 00:00:52,620 Speaker 1: His enemies. Now He's called us unto Himself, forgiven our sin, 11 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: granted His righteousness to us as a gift, and He 12 00:00:56,860 --> 00:01:01,210 Speaker 1: makes us sufficient to serve as ministers of His new covenant. 13 00:01:02,610 --> 00:01:05,410 Speaker 1: Some people think of ministers as being a small group 14 00:01:05,650 --> 00:01:10,119 Speaker 1: of select super saints with years of formalized training and 15 00:01:10,180 --> 00:01:13,899 Speaker 1: multiple initials after their names. But that's not how the 16 00:01:13,940 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: scriptures describe those whom Christ has called to be ministers. 17 00:01:18,580 --> 00:01:23,199 Speaker 1: By his grace, he has equipped every genuine believer to 18 00:01:23,300 --> 00:01:26,860 Speaker 1: minister to others in his name. He enables us to 19 00:01:26,900 --> 00:01:29,860 Speaker 1: communicate the truth of his gospel. He makes us able 20 00:01:29,900 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: to model what it looks like to genuinely follow him. 21 00:01:33,380 --> 00:01:37,340 Speaker 1: He's making his appeal to this world through simple, regular 22 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: people like us. Have you ever told yourself that you're 23 00:01:41,890 --> 00:01:45,850 Speaker 1: not good enough or you're inadequate? That's something we all 24 00:01:45,890 --> 00:01:49,590 Speaker 1: probably wrestle with to one degree or another. But Christ's 25 00:01:49,670 --> 00:01:54,130 Speaker 1: gospel tells us something vastly different. He tells us that 26 00:01:54,330 --> 00:01:58,060 Speaker 1: in him and through him, we have been made sufficient people. 27 00:01:58,290 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: for every task or mission He has called us to complete. 28 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:06,260 Speaker 1: That's a truth we should intentionally remind our hearts to 29 00:02:06,340 --> 00:02:13,300 Speaker 1: embrace today. Let's pray. Lord, we thank You for Your Word. 30 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:15,460 Speaker 1: And we thank You for the privilege that it is 31 00:02:15,500 --> 00:02:17,660 Speaker 1: to be able to read this portion of Scripture together 32 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,490 Speaker 1: today from the book of 2 Corinthians. And Lord, it's 33 00:02:21,530 --> 00:02:23,590 Speaker 1: interesting when we look at this portion of Your Word 34 00:02:23,669 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: because it's In it, you're debunking some of the misconceptions 35 00:02:27,220 --> 00:02:30,630 Speaker 1: we've had about ourselves. You tell us here that you 36 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,540 Speaker 1: have made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant. 37 00:02:35,060 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: But so often we preach the false message to our 38 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: hearts that we are insufficient for this task. Sometimes we 39 00:02:41,780 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 1: mistakenly believe that maybe other people are qualified, but we aren't. 40 00:02:47,380 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: But again, when we look at this portion of your word, 41 00:02:49,660 --> 00:02:52,609 Speaker 1: you reveal to us that you've done something different with 42 00:02:52,710 --> 00:02:55,950 Speaker 1: our lives than we would have naturally expected you to do. 43 00:02:57,010 --> 00:03:00,820 Speaker 1: You've called us unto yourself, you've gifted us and equipped us, 44 00:03:01,860 --> 00:03:04,799 Speaker 1: and you enable us to do things that glorify your 45 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:09,060 Speaker 1: name and teach others about you. You've given us the 46 00:03:09,100 --> 00:03:13,090 Speaker 1: ability to communicate the truth of your Gospels. You empower 47 00:03:13,210 --> 00:03:16,309 Speaker 1: us to model what it looks like to genuinely follow you. 48 00:03:16,850 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: And you're making your appeal to this world through simple, 49 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:24,179 Speaker 1: regular people like us. And Lord, this is so amazing 50 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: to think about. We're so grateful for the fact that 51 00:03:27,300 --> 00:03:30,180 Speaker 1: you have made us sufficient for this task. You've made 52 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,610 Speaker 1: us ministers of your new covenant. And we're blessed to 53 00:03:33,630 --> 00:03:37,090 Speaker 1: have this calling on our lives. So thank you, Lord, 54 00:03:37,130 --> 00:03:39,990 Speaker 1: for doing this. Thank you for the privilege that it 55 00:03:40,070 --> 00:03:42,810 Speaker 1: is to know you and to walk with you. We 56 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:45,660 Speaker 1: pray that by your grace, our lives would be used 57 00:03:45,700 --> 00:03:48,860 Speaker 1: to the fullest and that eternal benefit would come to 58 00:03:48,900 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: the lives of others through the work that you're doing 59 00:03:51,540 --> 00:03:56,420 Speaker 1: through us to draw people unto yourself. We're grateful for 60 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: the privilege to be able to think about these things today. 61 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.