4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God.
Verses 4-6 show the all-sufficiency of God. It is God who changes hearts, not ministers. The Law cannot do it; it is the work of the Spirit.
4 And we have such trust [confidence] through Christ toward God.
Paul’s team had confidence in Christ, not themselves. Our Lord was the content of their trust, and it came “through” him. The basis of the apostle Paul’s and the team’s confidence was Christ.
PRINCIPLE:
Ministry does not depend on human but divine resources.
APPLICATION:
There is no place for a pontifical attitude in service for the Lord. People who work for their place in the hierarchy of the herd deceive themselves when it comes to how God thinks about it (Ro 12:3; Ga 6:3). So many of us have an exaggerated opinion of ourselves. If our colleagues knew about this, they would pop our bubble quickly. When others do not appreciate us like we think they should, our feelings are hurt. All this is unadulterated pride.