WE PASS ON to another important “in Christ” passage in Romans: “and I know that when I come to you I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of Christ” (15:29). I shall come . . . in . . . Christ. In Christ, there is blessing, and I shall come in the fullness of that blessing.
Here we find an amazing self-confidence: “I shall come”—not with a blessing from Christ, but “in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.” He had an amazing self-confidence because he had an amazing self-surrender to Christ. The reason we have no self-confidence is because we have no Christ-confidence. We have no Christ-confidence because we have no self-surrender to Him. The unsurrendered self is always uncertain and hesitant—it has not made a complete surrender to Him; therefore, it cannot have boldness to take from Him. When there is full surrender to Him there is full confidence that we will come “in the fulness of the blessing of Christ.” Fully given, we can fully take. Paul was confident that he would be adequate for anything the situation in Rome demanded, and Rome was the nerve center of pagan power. In other words, Paul was saying, “I have enough and to spare to meet the worst.” The secret was that full surrender meant full supply of the resources of Christ.
An Indian woman with radiant face emphasized that “we should be power conscious instead of problem conscious.” Paul knew the secret of being power conscious. We can know it too. Then when we go to situations we will not be conscious of our emptiness, but conscious of His fullness. Then we won’t be half-full vessels trying to run over. We will be fully committed, therefore fully communicative. The person who is fully in Christ is fully capable of anything he ought to do. As Moffatt put it: “In him who strengthens me I am able for anything” (Phil. 4:13). I will come “in the fulness.”
Spirit of God, Thou art supply. I can take from Thee, when wholly surrendered to Thee—I can take from Thee with both hands, all I need for myself and others, anywhere and at any time. I am adequate in Thee. I overflow with confidence because I overflow with willingness. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: “In the heart of man a cry, in the heart of God supply.”
