What does "not that we are competent" teach about human limitations? Our Starting Point: The Plain Text “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.” — 2 Corinthians 3:5 What the Phrase Reveals About Us • “Not that we are competent in ourselves” is an unqualified statement: – No spiritual accomplishment is self-generated. – No ministry gift, insight, or lasting fruit originates in personal ability. • Human sufficiency is denied right at the outset; we bring nothing to the table that can earn or sustain God’s work. • The form of the Greek verb (heautōn) stresses “in ourselves,” underscoring total absence of innate adequacy. Human Limitations Unpacked 1. Intellectual limits • 1 Corinthians 2:14 — “The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God… he cannot understand them.” 2. Moral limits • Jeremiah 17:9 — “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.” 3. Volitional limits • Jeremiah 10:23 — “A man’s way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps.” 4. Productivity limits • John 15:5 — “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” 5. Dependability limits • Psalm 127:1 — “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” The Divine Answer to Our Limits • “but our competence comes from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5) shifts focus from lack to supply. • God does not patch our weakness; He replaces it with His own strength (2 Corinthians 4:7). • Philippians 4:13 — “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” • Ephesians 3:20 — God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.” Why Acknowledge These Limits? • Cultivates humility: boasting is excluded (1 Corinthians 1:29-31). • Fuels dependence: prayer becomes necessity, not formality. • Guards against burnout: results rest on God’s enabling, not personal drive. • Elevates worship: God receives full credit for every victory and insight. Living This Truth Daily • Start tasks by confessing inability and asking for God’s adequacy. • Measure success by obedience, not by visible outcomes. • Redirect praise to the Lord whenever achievements are noticed. • Stay grounded in Scripture, the primary channel of God’s empowering truth. |
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