No one is competent to carry out the responsibilities of God's calling in his or her own strength. Without the Holy Spirit's enabling, our natural talent can carry us only so far. As Christ's witnesses, we need the character and special strength that only God gives. There are certain characteristics that God wants to develop in our lives by His grace: namely, virtue, knowledge of Christ, temperance, patience, godly sincerity, brotherly love, and genuine devotion to Christ. How do these appear in our lives in an ever-increasing manner? As Peter wrote on these wonderful characteristics of godly living, his heart was stirred to declare, "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2Peter 1:8)

These godly traits grow in us as we live by the terms of the new covenant (humbly trusting in God, not in ourselves). "And we have such trust through Christ toward God." Paul's confidence in exhibiting these spiritual qualities of life was directed toward God, based upon the relationship that is available in Jesus Christ. God must produce these characteristics. There is no room for believers to trust in themselves. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves." We are not the source of any of these wonderful traits of godly living. They must all come from God at work in us. "Our sufficiency is from God." When we live in humble dependency, the Lord's supply becomes our needed sufficiency. "Our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant."

Yes, the ministers of the new covenant must live by the grace of God. Their sufficiency is what the Lord Himself supplies! This is precisely what God promised of old through His prophets. "I will make a new covenant ...I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts" (Jeremiah 31:31, 33). God inscribes these spiritual traits upon the inner man (the heart and the mind) by His grace. The results are that these characteristics of godliness develop in our lives. Therefore it is by faith, that it might be by grace. "God... gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). Also, faith accesses grace: "through whom [the Lord Jesus Christ] also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand" (Romans 5:2).  

Join me as I pray:  

O my God, I long to develop these godly traits in my life. I am not sufficient to produce them by myself. My only hope is to be changed by your gift of righteousness. With full assurance of faith in Christ Jesus, I ask that You pour Your grace upon my heart and mind, as I seek You in Your word.  Amen.