Living with Confidence: 2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Living with Confidence

Our confidence in Christ does not make us lazy, negligent, or careless, but on the contrary it awakens us, urges us on, and makes us active in living righteous lives and doing good. There is no self-confidence to compare with this. 

Huldrych Zwingli

Living with confidence means living in such a way that shows “my strength and my value come from God”[1]. Our confidence and trust in God leads to a Spirit-led confidence, not in what I can do or be, but what I can do or be because of Christ’s strength at work in me and for me. But is this the confidence I live with day in and day out? Or do the pressures from others, the number of tasks that fill my day, or others’ approval lead me to dwell too much on my inadequacies? Paul had an opportunity to be discouraged and give too much attention to the opinions of others. Some men had come into the church at Corinth, they had talked poorly about Paul and led some of the Corinthians against him. They had called into question Paul’s authentic apostleship, perhaps even accusing him of pocketing the gifts others had entrusted to him for the suffering believers. On top of these hard accusations, Paul was being afflicted greatly, as well as being burdened for the spiritual welfare of those he had led to Christ. It would be easy to become discouraged and begin to doubt. And yet, Paul says, “And such confidence we have through Christ toward God” (2 Cor. 3:4). And this confidence in God enabled Paul to know that whatever he faced, whatever God called him to, he would be able to faithfully carry it out because, as he said, “Our adequacy is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5). So what is true about a Spirit-led confidence flowing from a trust in God?

This confidence is not based on the approval of others.

It seems that some within the Corinthian church were doubting Paul’s authenticity because he brought no letter of commendation with him from others. Yet Paul pointed out that the Corinthians themselves were his letter of Christ known and read by all men (1 Cor. 3:2). The Corinthians’ salvation was a result of Paul’s ministry. Paul, however, did not let their words of censure shake his confidence of his call by God to the ministry. “It is a sad thing when a person measures his worth by what people say about him instead of by what God knows about him” (Wiersbe). Throughout Paul’s ministry, he faced opposition that could’ve caused him to alter the gospel message or question the call God had placed on his life. Yet time and again he held firmly to the truth and did not concern himself with the approval of others. To the Galatians he even went as far as to say, “For am I now seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ” (Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭10‬‬‬). Do I fear what others will say or how others will respond? If so, I must respond with the same courageous confidence that Peter and John displayed, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). I must hold the approval of my Lord as more important than the approval of men. If I am seeking to please Him in all respects and do what He has called me to do (Col.1:10), then I can speak the truth to myself when I am doubting and worried. 

This confidence is through Christ.

Paul continues by saying that this confidence is through Christ toward God (2 Cor. 3:4). Being found in Christ is the only place where we can actually live with confidence; confidence toward God and confidently living for Him in the world. It’s in Him that we have been reconciled to God. In Him we have forgiveness of sins. In Him we can be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might (Col.1:11). It’s through His strength that we can do all things that honor Him (Phil. 4:13). This confidence includes a boldness to come to God with our requests because we know He will hear us because of the righteousness of His Son. It is our union with Christ that makes it possible for us to live with a joy and hope that makes us a living light, shining confidently in a world infiltrated with darkness. Christ is the source. He is the enabler. He is our sufficiency. “And God is able to make all grace about to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed” (2 Cor. 9:8). And that sufficiency and abundance come to us through Christ.

This confidence is in God not in our ability or effort.

As Paul faced opposition, he could have become deeply discouraged, if he thought that the work he had accomplished among the Corinthians was his work, his effort, and dependent on him. But Paul tells the Corinthians that they themselves are being manifested to be a letter of Christ written with the Sprit of the living God. It was God’s work in them that was shown forth in their lives. Moses displayed a lack of confidence when he looked to his own inability and doubted he could do what God told him to do. In Exodus 4, the Lord tells Moses to go back to Egypt to speak to the Israelites and Moses considers his own inability to speak eloquently and the Lord responds, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is is not I, the LORD?” (Exodus 4:11) Likewise, we can look at ourselves and have a misplaced confidence, whether overconfidence or a lack of confidence. But Paul makes it clear, “we are not adequate in ourselves, to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5). As Paul did, we need to rely on the Spirit and His work in us and on our behalf in whatever circumstance He is calling us to follow His direction. We must be confident in His work in our lives. He will complete what He began in us. He will supply what we need. So we need to place our confidence not in our own ability or doubt because of our inability, but be confident in God’s ability to carry out His plans in our lives. God is in the business of showing Himself strong in our weakness. “Our adequacy is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5). This must be our motto. This is where our true confidence lies. 

Is confidence a feeling?

While confidence certainly can be felt, I also believe confidence is a belief or trust. And for the believer, that belief and trust must be in God. This confidence then is not a confidence to accomplish whatever we set out minds to, but rather, it’s a confidence that God will enable us to do what He has called us to do. What sin do we need to put away? What truth of Scripture do we need to embrace? What command to we need to obey? What character quality do we need to develop? Where do we need to display gospel boldness? These are the kinds of things that we can confidently pursue knowing that God will make us adequate and supply us with His resources. So, today, when doubt, discouragement, or feelings of inadequacy or pride creep in, ask for the Spirit’s help to have a rightly placed confidence in the Lord.

Lord, I ask for confidence today to live boldly doing what you have called me to do. In my vocation, using my gifts, striving to please You in all things, I look to You for the strength and grace to live for You and for Your glory. You see the areas I doubt myself or struggle with the opinions of others. Help me to trust You to supply all I need, to be my sufficiency, that I might have an abundance for every good deed that You have prepared for me. Help me to not find confidence in myself knowing that all I have is from You. Give me a godly confidence, both humble and bold, that I might be a light and spread Your joy wherever I go. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 [1] September & Co.