Glorifying the Sovereign Lord of Salvation

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Romans: Glorifying the Sovereign Lord of Salvation • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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King James Version Chapter 11

33 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! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Beloved this morning we look to Christ as our Sovereign Master, our leader, teacher, servant, advocate and only Saviour. Christ is celebrated in the four verses which are before us this morning.

But the cause behind these words are echoed throughout the Epistle of Romans, and beyond that the message of hope, salvation and instruction to glorify God, are more in number than any one sermon can reflect upon.

Turn with me to 1 Chronicles 16 where David echos some of the same sentiments under the influence of the Holy Spirit:

King James Version Chapter 16

23 Sing unto the LORD, all the earth;

Shew forth from day to day his salvation.

24 Declare his glory among the heathen;

His marvellous works among all nations.

25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised:

He also is to be feared above all gods.

26 For all the gods of the people are idols:

But the LORD made the heavens.

27 Glory and honour are in his presence;

Strength and gladness are in his place.

28 Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people,

Give unto the LORD glory and strength.

29 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name:

Bring an offering, and come before him:

Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

30 Fear before him, all the earth:

The world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice:

And let men say among the nations, The LORD reigneth.

32 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof:

Let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.

33 Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD,

Because he cometh to judge the earth.

34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good;

For his mercy endureth for ever.

35 And say ye,

Save us, O God of our salvation,

And gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen,

That we may give thanks to thy holy name,

And glory in thy praise.

36 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever.

And all the people said, Amen, and praised the LORD.

One of the difficulties in preaching intermittently is the necessity to often reduce the intent of God’s word into a message which not only delivers the truth of the text before us, but which also encompasses any historical significance, national, spiritual, and textual meaning, in one 30-45 min session.

BUT there is no places in Scripture where the context does not stretch beyond the immediate text.

This is true of the passages before us this morning. The weight of Paul’s words delivering the Gospel of God through the power of the Holy Spirit

33 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!

Devotional words indeed. The immediate context reflects upon the Plan of Salvation which God has been working out since the foundation of the world. The Glory of God in Salvation is not random, is not earned, is not a produce of being born to the right parents, the right tribe of Jewish lineage...

Functionally, the final four verses before us this morning reflect the Majestic Wonder of Salvation by the Mercy of God through Faith in Christ.

That FAITH which comes Because of Him, is delivered THROUGH HIM, so that all His people in every generation would clearly understand TO HIM and HIM ALONE all things work for the Good of those who are called to be HIS PEOPLE. That ALL THINGS, in creation buy especially the SALVATION of HIS People is beyond the comprehension of all human thought.

III. Mankind’s Universal Sinfulness (1:18–3:20)

A. Gentile Sinfulness (1:18–32)

B. Jewish Sinfulness (2:1–3:8)

C. Universal Sinfulness (3:9–20)

IV. God’s Righteousness for Justification (3:21–5:21)

A. Provided in Christ by Faith (3:21–31)

B. Proved by the Example of Abraham (ch. 4)

C. Guarantees Blessings for the Righteous (5:1–11)

D. Rooted in the Obedience of Christ—the New Adam (5:12–21)

V. Grace Reigns Through God’s Righteousness (chs. 6–8)

A. Sin’s Dominion Broken and Its Influence Resisted (ch. 6)

B. Believers Dead to the Law’s Condemnation Though Not Yet Made Sinless (ch. 7)

C. Those Living by the Spirit Prove Victors over the Flesh (ch. 8)

VI. God Demonstrates His Righteousness in Jew and Gentile (chs. 9–11)

A. God’s Righteousness Established in History (ch. 9)

B. God’s Righteousness Received Only by Faith (ch. 10)

C. God’s Righteousness Revealed in Jew and Gentile (ch. 11)

Paul consumed by the zeal of the Holy Spirit concerning the Gospel of God breaks into a rhapsody of Praise here at the end of Chapter 11.

Within the Romans we see such wonder language used throughout:

In Chapter 2 after expressing the guilt of hypocrites and the condemnation (judgement of God) against them writes:

King James Version Chapter 2

3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

In Chapter 9 after declaring that God will have Mercy upon whom He will and Compassion upon whom He will Paul declares:

King James Version Chapter 9

22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath xfitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, 24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

The message of Salvation declared in Romans and summarized in chapter 11:33-36 is the conclusion of the preceeding 11 chapters of the Letter.

In the immediate context, we see MERCY as a main theme, that same mercy described as God’s goodness and forbearance and longsuffering in Chapter 2 and more sharply defined in the whole of Chapter 9 where HIS People are called Vessels of MERCY.

Look at Chapter 11 vv30-32

King James Version Chapter 11

30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

The depth of the Wisdom of God comprehends the Salvation of all the Elect as part of HIS Sovereign Plan. The immediate context treats the rejection of the nation of Israel to the blessing of the Gentile nations.

But the MERCY, noted is the very RICHES of GOD, bound up in WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE and UNSEARCHABLE JUDGEMENT which Boggles human understanding.

Not only to the nation of Israel, but to all who are outside of Israel identified throughout the Epistle as Gentiles. Paul is declaring the unsearchable nature of God’s Sovereign will in Salvation.

HIS determination to Save whom He will, is totally and completely within HIS will ALONE in CHRIST.

The Psalmist declared in Psalm 92:5

O LORD, how? great are thy works! And thy thoughts are very deep.

And again in Psalm 139:1-6

King James Version Psalm 139

1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

2 Thou knowest cmy downsitting and dmine uprising,

Thou understandest my thought afar off.

3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down,

And art acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word in my tongue,

But, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before,

And laid thine hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is high, I cannot attain unto it.

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!

Before we move to the next verse I want to you reflect for a moment of how profound these words are. The greatest minds throughout human history fail to scratch the surface of wisdom, knowledge, righteousness, and goodness of God. When we stop to reflect upon HIS WORD, how often does it lead a sense overwhelming, even to much to comprehend.

For instance, the Scriptures declare over and over God is not a respecter of persons, that is He has Mercy upon who He will have Mercy, and whom He will he Hardens. The great and unsearchable wisdom of God, does not alway make sense to human minds. (Rom 2:11; Gal 2:6, Eph 6:9, Col 3:25) Romans 9

The praise of God’s Sovereignty in Salvation is difficult to understand, because GOD knows the hearts of men, all are Guilty, unworthy of HIS MERCY- yet according to the purpose of HIS WILL, and for the GLORY of HIS NAME, He has chosen to save some.

Beloved, If you call upon the name of Christ, if You rest in the Comfort of His Shed Blood, then you are called to Glorify CHRIST with every fiber of your being, with every thought of your heart, with solemn conviction and confession about how little you truely know, and how great the Mystery of His will is toward YOU...

This is just one of the Purposes of the Text before us this morning.

Like the Jews and the Gentiles described throughout Romans, we are all guilty! Romans 3 is clear, none is righteous no not one:

King James Version Chapter 3

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 aTheir feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

That’s me, THAT’S YOU. But it is also every man, woman and child from every tribe and tongue and nations.

Look at the cause of these great praises of our Sovereign LORD concerning our Salvation, From Chapter 11:

King James Version Chapter 11

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

The Mystery of Salvation could not be obtained by any human reason, thought or imagination. But God in the depth of the riches both of HIS wisdom and HIS knowledge has chosen to reveal how great the unsearchable nature of HIS judgments are, and in HIS MERCY reveal his ways, which would otherwise be past finding out!

The MERCY of God is at work in your life … if you are HIS.

When Abraham was called to follow God, He was a Gentile! God CREDITED Abraham with Righteousness. The revelation of the Mystery of Salvation is a gift to every Child of God who receives the CREDIT of CHRIST Righteousness, from the beginning of the world until all the ELECT are gathered into HIS presence for all Eternity.

34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

The way which the Lord revels to us as His Sovereign Salvation is through HIS WORD. Not only in Christ, but through His Servants the Prophets as recorded in the Holy Scriptures.

Also it is certain the Lord wants HIS People to Know HIS Revealed will! He commands us to Love, to Pray, to Worship and Serve one another, to not only Love God with all that we are, but to Love our neighbors as ourselves.

But that is different than Knowing the MIND of the Lord.

With so great a body of revelation as we find in the Epistle to the Romans with the Mystery of Salvation revealed, the use of one man, to build up one nation, so that God might come through that one man and nation to SAVE many people is designed not only for the edification of all God’s People in every age-

But to humble HIS People, and cause them and us to reflect upon the utter inability they find in themselves, in wealth, in heritage, in nature, in the flesh, and any other thing humans might put their hope in.

With these two questions Paul puts both the Jewish and the Roman audience on notice! Because the ANSWER IS NO ONE!

You see the Jews had the Oracles of God (Rom 3:1-4). The Roman Gentiles were applauded for the amassing of Wisdom (Acts 17) but neither knew the perfect will of God. Paul says it this way in 1 Cor 1:20-25

The New King James Version Chapter 1

20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

When Christ came, demonstrating He not only knew the Mind of God, but Was God, the Jew’s sought to kill HIM.

The Greeks and Gentiles saw the Jews as superstitious mono theist, worshiping one god, over the pantheon of so many.

But the one thing they both had in common was their ignorance of the Mystery of God found in CHRIST and the Salvation which was attainable through FAITH ALONE.

If we look at verses 34 & 35 from the Holy Scriptures we see Paul is making the very valuable point

NONE ARE WORTHY, NO NOT ONE-

V34 is a quote from Isaiah 40:13, where the distinction is clear-

King James Version Chapter 40

13 Who? hath directed the Spirit of the LORD,

Or being his counseller hath taught him?

God does according to HIS will for HIS GLORY AND NAME SAKE ALONE.

Where God makes clear HIS Mercy and Grace is found in Ezekiel 36:22-23

King James Version Chapter 36

22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but xfor mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before ytheir eyes.

In recent weeks we have been edified by Pastor Walkers messages out of Job.

These quotes reflect upon the same theme found there concerning the Will of God in Salvation and Judgement.

Job like every human being before and after him was guilt of sin, unworthy of the blessings and gifts of God, and was unable to answer before God. The same is true today...

In the first century the Sovereign plan of Salvation was as it had been from the beginning, the evidence of God’s longsuffering over the wickedness and sinfulness of those He chose to elect.

The Holy Spirit humbles each of us today when we read these words and begin to comprehend our only blessings are provided by God through Christ for the Glory of His Holy Name’s Sake alone.

What does Paul say on 1 Cor 4:7

King James Version Chapter 4

7 For who rmaketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

And Luke in Chapter 17

King James Version Chapter 17

10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

Beloved, YOUR Sovereign Salvation is meant to lead you daily to the ultimate source of the beauty of holiness. To see CHRIST as the Root which bears you through the darkest times. To cause you to rejoice in the sure promises of God which cannot be broken.

We who are the REDEEMED of CHRIST are meant to be challenged by our inabilities, our lack of understanding- lest we become vain in our own eyes.

If anyone can answer I KNOW THE MIND OF THE LORD, I CAN OFFER COUNSEL TO THE LORD, the very same announce by their arrogance and pride, they DO NOT KNOW GOD, who declares:

“Let the last be first and the first last!” and “Let he who would be greatest among you be the servant of all”.

As the Jew’s vainly clung to national heritage even following the coming the the MESSIAH CHRIST, and as the Greek’s vainly held to wisdom and knowledge as the ultimate source of truth, there are those who call themselves CHRISTIANS today who teach of GOD’s obligation to every person to deliver prosperity, health, healing and SALVATION on the terms dictated to GOD by them.

We need these profound words to challenge us. “Who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been GODs counseller?”

To Humble us - “who hath first given to GOD, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?”

The Church needs to be shown time and again how to focus our Praise to the Glory of the Sovereign Lord of Salvation, CHRIST JESUS our KING!

36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Because of CHRIST, Through CHRIST, and to CHRIST are all things, for the very sake of the GLORY which is HIS forever...

All glory belongs to CHRIST! For ever and ever.

The reason we covered this passage this morning is because we are are Glorifying Christ. Over the past year through struggles and death, through sickness and darkness, we recognize HIS PLAN is coming to pass.

We gather in Song, Praise and Pray to the Glory of CHRIST who Saved us and delivers us daily from the vileness of our own hearts.

When we remember the GOD of Peace which passes all understanding, and know He is the One keeping our Hearts and Minds stayed upon CHRIST, we declare it is OF HIM, THROUGH HIM AND TO HIM TO HIS GLORY!

When we are enable to present our bodies as a LIVING SACRIFICE, we declare and demonstrate it is OF HIM, THROUGH HIM AND TO HIM TO HIS GLORY!

When your hearts are troubled

When you are tempted

When all hope within you seems dead

We declare it is OF HIM, THROUGH HIM AND TO HIM TO HIS GLORY!

Beloved of CHRIST,

Be encouraged, and when you remember and reflect upon those things which are true, things which are honest, those things which are just, and pure; whatsoever things are lovely, and of good report; if there be any virtue, any praise, be focused on such things.

For when we live and practice the Love of God and our neighbor, we declare it is OF CHRIST, THROUGH CHRIST AND TO CHRIST GLORIFYING THE SOVEREIGN LORD OF SALVATION!

For JESUS is your portion, your constant friend, and He watches over you…for you are worth more than many sparrows.