"I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ."
Romans 15: 29
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THIS verse which comes at the end of the verses which we have just been considering is very remarkable, and because of this I have felt it needs its own separate consideration. I have entitled this sermon as 'Future Assurance' because Paul expresses his assurance about the future. It is a very great blessing which Paul experienced here. He was given assurance concerning future ministry, and this must have been a source of wonderful strength.

FUTURE ASSURANCE.

At this point in our meditation on this verse we need to be clear as to exactly what this assurance was. When we look at the verse it was an assurance of two things.

The first assurance Paul expresses here is the assurance that he will come to Rome. He does not say 'if I come to you' but 'when I come to you.' Paul has no doubt that he has a ministry in Rome which involved his getting to Rome and being able to preach and minister the Gospel in Rome.

Having said this we need to be clear that Paul says nothing about how he will reach Rome, or how and what his ministry will be like in Rome. From the previous verses it would appear that Paul had visions of himself reaching Rome in total personal freedom, and being welcomed by the believers there, and being able in peace to minister to them. It would appear that he expected a warm welcome.

When we come and read in the Acts of the Apostles we find that Paul did indeed reach Rome, but his coming was in a totally different way than perhaps what he expected. He came to Rome as a prisoner and under the guard of soldiers. He spent his time in Rome in prison under guard, and for some time chained to the soldier guarding him.

Paul was given assurance that he would reach Rome and minister there, but he was not given an insight as to how he would reach Rome or how he would be received there. When we read the Acts we find that he was greeted warmly by members of the fellowship of believers in Rome, and that he stayed with them for a week. We also told that other brothers travelled to meet him as he came into Rome, and this caused Paul to give sincere thanks to God. When he came to Rome he was allowed to live on his own, and not in a communal prison, but he was still a prisoner and under guard. Three days later Paul called together the leaders of the Jews and spoke to them, explaining that he had been unjustly put into prison. These Jews, some of whom were Christians, listened to Paul and wanted to hear more. Paul then, for a whole day, explained and declared the kingdom of God, and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. The response to this preaching was mixed. Some were convinced, but others would not believe. From this response Paul took his preaching and ministry to the Gentiles. Acts also tells us that Paul stayed in Rome for two years in his own rented house, and preached boldly the kingdom of God, and taught about the Lord Jesus.

From this brief history we can see that Paul's arrival at Rome, and his ministry there was not all easy or without opposition. Though Paul was assured that he would reach Rome, he was not told of his experience there. From this we learn that God only tells his servants what they need to know, and so we must not be surprised concerning things that may not turn out quite as we had thought or hoped. What we may be sure of is that God will be with us leading and keeping us in the way we should go, and in all things working out his purposes of salvation.

This leads us to the other part of the assurance that Paul was given. This was that he would come to Rome in the full measure of the blessing of God.

This assurance is gloriously full. Paul talks of 'full measure'. The full measure was the full measure of God's blessing upon him and his ministry. This full measure must mean that in all Paul was led to do in ministry would be under the leading of God, and would receive the blessing that God purposed for that ministry. It also included the assurance to Paul that, however different his experience would be to perhaps what he taught or hoped, yet still, in it all, he would be under the blessing of God, which means that he would be kept in the will of God and the way of God.

This brings great assurance to all believers who seek to follow Jesus Christ and live to his glory. We have this assurance that God will be ordering our lives and keeping us walking in the pathway of his will.

LESSONS TO BE LEARNT.

The first lesson that we can take to heart is that God from time to time gives great assurance to believers concerning the future. This is not always true, and may be rare, but when it happens it is a great blessing.

The subject of guidance in the Christian life is a big and difficult one. For much of our lives as believers, we will be called each day to live for the Lord, and from God's word learn how our lives should be conducted in the calling to which we are called. In other words we get on with serving the Lord in the situation we find ourselves. Then perhaps we are given assurance about the future, which will be great joy and strength for our living. What we are taught for Paul's experience is that we are only assured of what we need to know, and we must leave the details for the future as God leads us and his way unfolds before us. This is living the life of faith.

Abraham was told that his future was in a country which God prepared for him, and he had assurance of the fact that God was leading him forward to this goal. But here the assurance ended. Abraham was required to go forward in faith, leaving the life and world he knew to be obedient to the direction of God. This is always what it means to live the life of faith. However we always have the assurance that God is with us and each step of the way forward he will be leading and guiding us.

The next lesson we learn from this text is that when we walk with the Lord in obedience, then we will find the full measure of the blessing of God.

The blessing of God is God making us a blessing to others, and even over-ruling our lives, that even our mistakes and failings will be taken into account, so that we do not fail to fulfil all that God has purposed for us.

If God sends us forth we are sure from Paul's experience that he purposed to grant his blessing upon our lives and what we do in his Name.

There will be many and various ways that the devil will seek to cause us to deviate from the pathway of God's will. The devil's cunning will make the seduction away from the will of God both plausible and desirable. When we face such temptation it is good to remember the consequences of such deviation.

If at any time Paul had deviated from the pathway of the will of God for him, he would not have been able to say that he came in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. This will be true even if the work being done is spiritual work and full preaching of the gospel of Christ. There may be blessing but it will not be the full measure of the blessing we shall know if there is no deviation from the will of God.

It is plain from the verses that follow verse 29 that Paul anticipated that the way forward in the will of God could be difficult and not without danger and difficulty for himself. He may have been tempted to apply human reason and say that it would be wiser if he did not accompany the party going to Jerusalem to bring the gift of money to the poor in Jerusalem. He could have argued reasonably that the party did not really need him, and that he should not endanger his usefulness by placing himself in danger. All such argument can be seen to be most acceptable and wise. Such is the cleverness of the devil in his temptation. This raises the problem as to how hard it is sometimes to know the will of God.

Paul evidently kept in the will of God, so how did he achieve this. There can be no other way than be much in prayer, and meditating on the word of God that we have received. This would have been more difficult for the apostle because he would only have the Old Testament, and such apostolic writings that were circulating, but he had received the word of God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and this he meditated on day and night, and so could reason under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and be able to both discern the will of God and be obedient to it.

We must be so living in the Bible and in communion with the Lord in prayer, that we are not deceived by Satan's devises.

What will keep us diligent in seek the way and will of the Lord is the testimony of Paul here that he would be coming to Rome in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. Such an experience of blessing in life and ministry far surpasses anything else in life, and to know and receive this blessing is worth all difficulty in decision and obedience.