When the Lord Jesus was describing himself, He used the image of a door – a living doorway into a sheepfold. An oriental sheepfold, or “sheepcote,” was usually a pen with a fence of wood and stone. It was nothing more than an enclosure with a single, small opening for the animals to get in and out. It’s walls were high enough only to discourage the flock from leaving. If the shepherd was irresponsible, he might put something in to block the doorway before leaving. But the more conscientious would stay with his sheep and rest, propping himself up in the doorway. The shepherd who loved his sheep would actually become the door to the sheepfold, and even if he slept, he could be instantly awake if there was any kind of trouble.
Our Lord depicted Himself as that kind of shepherd – a shepherd who was also a door. And in that context He has given to us one of His more precious statements: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” When Christ Jesus referred to “life, and that they might have it more abundantly,” didn’t He suggest that some sheep simply have LIFE – while some others will have ABUNDANT life? Whether that was His intent or not, most of us know some Christians who possessed eternal life, but who don’t seem very happy about it, but then we know others who truly enjoy their spiritual lives – abundantly. Some are like the scrawny little cherry trees in my back yard, while others are the fabulous trees which fill the grocers shelves with rich, luscious fruit.
Paul has been telling the saints in Rome that he has every intention of visiting them. He is planning on making an evangelistic trip into Spain, and he will stop in Rome on his way. But first he wants to take some love offerings from the saints in Macedonia and Achaia to Jerusalem. When he told them, “I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ,” I think that he was referring to ministering to them the blessings of Christ’s abundant life.
There are hundreds of professional Baptist evangelists, who picture themselves wearing the mantle which fell from the Apostle Paul as he was carried to Heaven in his fiery chariot. They point to the hundreds of “converts” that they have every year or every month as proof of this fact. But I have watched the ministries of some of these pros, and they fall far short of the Apostle’s ministry. Yes, at the end of their weeks of meetings, they can report dozens of people who came forward, but then at the end of the year, many of those same people are just as miserable, just as sinful, and just as disgusting as they were prior to their trip up “the old sawdust trail.” Some, and I emphasize “some,” of them undoubtedly have life, but they don’t have it abundantly. But Paul could point to hundreds of men like Timothy and Titus, who became firebrands for the Lord. They were not little candles. They were given spiritual life, and they had it in abundance.
Paul was also speaking confidently by FAITH, even more than from experience. He wasn’t looking to himself, his talents, his oratory and his tearful sermons to be a blessing to people. His eye was upon the Lord, and it was God who gave him this assurance.
This is a lesson needed by every servant of God – confidence in the blessing of the Lord – by faith. Every evangelistic trip should be anticipated with joy. Every gospel message should be expected to produce fruit. Every preacher should look forward to seeing abundant life in his hearers.
This is probably what Paul is saying in verse 29, but this not is my emphasis today.
And following along the same train of illustrations: You can teach your children to eat and drink good things by showing your love for those good things. You can teach your grandchildren to eat broccoli by showing that you enjoy eating broccoli. And you can show your children the importance of the gospel by showing an ongoing love for the gospel. When another sermon on Christ, on the cross, or on the gospel comes up, and you sigh, your eyes glaze over, and your mind obviously begins to wander, you are telling the unsaved that this isn’t really as important as the preacher suggests. It is amazing how quickly even children can begin to read body language – your body language.
It is Paul’s intention to go to Rome to preach the gospel of Christ. It isn’t his gospel, expect in the sense that it is in his heart, on his mind and on his tongue. Paul didn’t create this gospel – despite what the liars and heretics might say. It was the good news of Christ, which every sin-broken reprobate needs to hear. Of course it is not good news to those who are too proud to see their need. It is not good news to the Bible-denying Sadducees, or to the hypocritical Pharisees. But to the publicans and sinners, to the broken-down harlots, and to the honest and child-like soul, it was exceedingly good.
The gospel can be as simple as 1, 2, 3, or as nearly complex as nuclear physics. You are a sinner, and as such you deserve to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. But God sent His Son to receive the punishment that your sins deserve. He literally took your place under God’s wrath for your sin. The Lord has done all that is necessary to deliver your eternal soul – to save your soul. And proof of that can be seen in His resurrection from the grave and His ascension into Heaven. Humble yourself before the Saviour and trust Him. Repent of your sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
The gospel can be as simple as 1, 2, 3, or as complex as nuclear physics. Justification is the act of God whereby He declares us righteous and imputes unto us the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Conversion is God’s changing us sinners and giving us new direction for our lives. Atonement is the act of God whereby He covers our sins under the blood of the perfect Sacrifice. Regeneration is God’s giving spiritual life to those who were dead in trespasses and sins. The New Birth is that aspect of regeneration in which we are brought into the Family of God. Adoption takes the New Birth to a different level and makes us sons of God in a legal sense. Then there is heirship, joint heirship, and the distribution of the Lord’s inheritance. Sanctification is the act of God whereby He separates certain sinners from the rest and denotes them as His special people – saints But then there is the process of sanctification, whereby God makes us more and more like Himself. Election is the act of God whereby He has chosen people in eternity past to be saved. Predestination is the act of God whereby he has determined what should become of those He has chosen to save. Providence is the course of God’s action whereby He brings the sinner and the gospel together. Security is the act of God whereby He guarantees that eternal life really is eternal. The subjects of Paradise and Hades, Heaven and the Lake of Fire, are a part of the gospel. And of course, we could begin with an in-depth study of depravity, sin and nature of spiritual death. The gospel can be as simple as 1, 2, 3, or as complex as nuclear physics.
But is Paul actually referring to any of this at this point? I thought he was writing to a group of Christians – Christians who were organized into one of His churches. Assuming that they were already saints of God, preaching the gospel to them would have been different than preaching the gospel “not where Christ was named.” Isn’t Paul’s reference to preaching the gospel different from the reference which he made at the beginning of this book? “Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith…”
In some ways, far more important are the practical blessings. For example, every saint of God, should have experienced some degree of conviction for sin during the process which the Lord used to bring you to the cross. For some people that conviction is nearly fatal – it is so powerful, so depressing, so crushing. And when in repentance, faith is granted, and we can see that Jesus bore every ounce of the punishment that we deserved, there is a joy which replaces and supercedes that conviction. The new emotion so greatly overcomes the conviction that there is no comparison. I will never forget the joy that I experienced the night that I repented and trusted Christ as my Saviour. There has never been anything in my life before or since which matched that exquisite, spiritual and emotional sensation. I’m not talking about the foolishness of visions, auroras, electrical impulses, and angels dancing over my head. I’m simply speaking of overwhelming joy. For some people that joy extends for weeks, and for others doesn’t even begin until a few weeks pass. Joy is one of the blessings of the gospel, and so are comfort and peace. How wonderful it is to know that no matter come-what-may, eternity is secure in God’s omnipotent hands? And despite having no desire to sin, I know that if I should sin, and when I do sin, even those sins are already under the blood of the perfect sacrifice. Furthermore, this world is a place of toil and trial, sin and sorrow, and yet, through the gospel we are told that these things are nothing more than speed-bumps on the road toward our final destination.
I think that we’d have to say that part of the blessing of the gospel is our knowledge of these things. Again, I’m not thinking doctrinally, but practically. “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” I know that what the Lord Jesus said is true, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” We all should learn and know that the God, who cannot lie, has promised eternal life to those of us who have repented of our sins and trusted Christ. What a blessing there is in knowing: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
It was Paul’s intention to travel to Rome so that he could strengthen those people in these blessings of the gospel of Christ.
And another means of bringing the fulness of the blessings of the gospel was through his prayers. “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
There is a sense in which the Lord has intended that we all be something like cherry trees in His kingdom. He’s not interested in trees which are nothing but leaves and no fruit. And the fruit that He wants is not meant to be sour, shriveled and useless. He wants His trees to be healthy, constantly growing, and producing fruit year round. Certainly such trees attract birds and squirrels, who will want to steal the fruit before the Lord get’s it. That is to be expected. But that is also the Lord’s problem. Our task is to be growing, blooming and producing for the glory of the Lord. And that means enjoying the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ. We should be yearning for the Lord’s “life more abundant.”
Are you indeed a child of God, through the Christ of the gospel? Are you enjoying the “fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ?” Why not? Is it sin? Confess that sin and forsake it. Is it that you are not a genuine child of God? Repent of your sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.