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To God be the Glory

Romans 11:33-36

We are told repeatedly in the Book of God, “The Lord thy God is a jealous God.” A jealous God he is, and well he should be. He is so infinitely great that it is not proper for any portion of his glory be given to, or even shared with another. But poor, fallen man is so proud and arrogant that he is ready, on all occasions, to make himself appear glorious. Proud man, in his hatred of God, would even prefer giving glory to the earth and the creatures inhabiting it than to God. Therefore, the servants of God must be vigilant in claiming for God the honor due unto his name.

Our Worship

Can we begin to enter into the worshipful adoration of the great God set before us in this doxology? We cannot understand his wisdom or comprehend his ways. But we can adore his wisdom and submit to his ways. It is not ours to question God. He is not to be judged by us. It is ours simply to worship him with an unquestioning faith. He is free. He does what he will, because he will, as he will, and gives account to none! God alone is sovereign. He gives no reason for his purposes and deeds, except the reason of his own good pleasure.

God All in All

Man has no claim upon God. But God has an absolute, sovereign claim upon all his creatures. As Paul puts it in 1^st Corinthians 15, God is all in all. God is all in all history. God is all in all people. God is all in all things. God is all in all events. God is all in all time. God is all in all eternity. God is all in all! God is the Origin, Spring, and Fountain of all things. All things come from God to man through the mediation of Christ, the God-man. And all things are for the purpose of God’s own eternal glory. All things in time and eternity have their origin in the eternal purpose of God, and are accomplished through the eternal power of God, and will ultimately bring honor to the eternal perfections of God.

Unsearchable, Past Finding Out

The more Paul spoke of God’s purpose and providence, grace and mercy, wisdom, and power, the more his heart swelled with thoughts of praise, until finally it burst forth. There were no bounds to the praise of the eternal God in Paul’s heart. And here he freely declares that praise. — “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out.”

How much of the wisdom and knowledge of God is displayed in the things Paul has shown us in this wonderful, instructive epistle! How little of it is known by the best of men! These wonders of wisdom and grace are not to be cavilled at and objected to, but believed, wondered at, and rejoiced in with awe.

The reason for Paul’s praise was just this. — He recognized God’s total sovereignty. This was his subject throughout chapters 9-11. Just as God sovereignly hardened Pharaoh’s heart in Egypt to save typical Israel, even so, he blinded the eyes of the nation of Israel (John 12:37-41; Romans 11:7; 1 Peter 2:6-8), that he might save his elect, his true Israel, “the Israel of God.”

Don Fortner

Pastor Fortner’s