2 Corinthians 3:4-6 - He has made us competent

3:4,5

Paul is continuing to answer the question of 2:16, “who is equal to such a task?”, and building on what he has just said. The answer is that they are equal to the task, but not because of any merit of their own, but because of their confidence in Christ. There are two ways of looking for assurance. One is to base it on ourselves, this will ultimately end in failure. The other is to base it in Christ, who will never disappoint. As Christians we are to be God confident, but not self-confident. 

3:6

God makes us competent. Coming to Christ means admitting our sinfulness, and our utter inability to save ourselves. But it does not mean that we consider ourselves useless forevermore. For when we believe in Christ we become a new creation, we are born again, Becoming a Christian is not just something that we do, but also something that God does in us. Here Paul is also moving to considering the difference between the Law and the Gospel. The ten commandments were written on stone, but with the gospel the law is written on our hearts. The Law tells us what to do, the gospel changes us. So the covenant is new, this also means the way of ministering the covenant is new, and the difference between the gospel and all human based philosophies and religions is like the difference between the gospel and the law. All man-made religions ultimately lead to death, the gospel gives life. The gospel is God-focused, everything else is man focused.