Let's open the Scriptures to
the book of Romans chapter 11. The book of Romans chapter 11. That last song that we sang. I wish that we had the additional
words, which we don't. But I would ask you to indulge
me As I correct some words that need to be corrected, it says
he bled for Adam's helpless race. No, he did not. He bled and died for his own
elect race, not Adam's race. He didn't redeem everybody of
Adam's race. He did redeem somebody. He redeemed
His people. And so I just refuse to sing
that He bled and died for Adam's helpless race. I say He bled
and died for His chosen race. Or you can sing His own helpless
race. But just don't sing it the way
it's written. That's wrong. That's wrong. He didn't take
on Him Adam's seed. He took on Him the seed of Abraham. That's sermon number one. Sermon
number two coming up. It'll be a little longer. Romans chapter 11. Let me get
a drink of water before I get going. You know, God inspired the Apostle
to write these words, the Apostle Paul. It wasn't his first letter
that he wrote, but it is of such significance that in the wisdom
that God gave to men many years ago, it was put first among the
letters of the Apostle Paul. He was the one who was inspired
of the words, but actually he didn't write the words. You might
hold your place there in Romans 11. Look at the last chapter,
the 22nd verse. Chapter 16 of Romans verse 22. I, Tertius, I, Tertius, who wrote
this epistle, salute you in the Lord. I, Tertius. And I can just imagine As the
Apostle spoke the words, the Spirit of God whispered them
in the ear into the very soul of Paul. Then the Apostle Paul
using this man Tertius as his secretary. We don't know why
he used him. Maybe it was because, you know,
tradition says he was having trouble with his eyesight. But
whatever the reason, it's the apostle who was inspired with
the letter, and he gave it to this man, Tertius, to write,
and he took out his quill and dipped it in the ink, and he's
writing on the parchment or whatever. And I just wonder if when the
apostle gets to chapter 11 and verse 33, And just before he says, oh,
the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of
God, I wonder if he didn't just say to this man, Tertius, brother,
put on your quill for just a minute. Let's think about what God has
said through this letter. Oh, brother Tertius, You remember
how the letter began? As God identified and God defined
His gospel. This gospel that He says was
concerning His Son. That's how the book begins. And
I can just hear the Apostle saying, Oh, Tertius, isn't this a wonderful
gospel? It's the gospel concerning God's
Son. Brother Tertius, this isn't the
gospel of you and me. This is not the message of what
we've done. It's not the message of what
God has done and then we add it to what He did. Oh no, Brother
Tertius, think back. It's the gospel of God concerning
His Son. That One who is the seed of David. whose own divinity, his sonship
was evidenced by his resurrection from the dead. And you know,
Tertius, God gave me this gospel. God instructed me in this message
of redemption and reconciliation. And God has put a burden on my
heart so that you remember how we wrote there in chapter 1,
the very first part of the letter, that I told you I'm a debtor
to both Jew and Gentile. And I'm not ashamed of this gospel,
Tertius. And don't you be ashamed of it
either. Because this gospel of good news, this gospel of glad
tidings, this gospel of grace for the sinful, this gospel of
blood redemption, this gospel of imputed righteousness, why,
Tertius, it's the very power of God unto salvation. To everybody
who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. For
you know, brother Tertius, in this gospel is the righteousness
of God set forth and declared. From faith to faith. As it is
written, the just shall live by faith. You remember, Brother
Tertius, how we went on to say, nextly, that God has worked in
our hearts. He has circumcised us deep within. And that's what the second chapter,
he goes into that in the second chapter. He says, do you remember? God did a work of grace in us. Oh, the Lord Jesus did the work
of grace for us, but the Spirit of God has done the work of grace
in us. He has revealed the Son to us. And I'll tell you, Tertius, He
is a Jew who has not won outwardly according to the flesh, but He
is a Jew who has won inwardly. whose very soul and heart has
been wounded by the sword of God's Spirit. Because you know,
Tertius, remember how we wrote there in the third chapter, for
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And there
is none good, no, not one. There is none that seek after
God. There is none who understands.
And you know, as we wrote, brother Tertius, remember by the deeds
of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in God's sight,
but we're justified by grace freely through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus. Oh, brother Tertius, isn't this
a gospel worth rejoicing about? Be glad in the Lord, Tertius.
Remember how we wrote, The righteousness of God is imputed to us. We said
that in the fourth chapter. And received by faith. Abraham
wasn't justified by works. He was justified by the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ, which He received by faith, which also
we receive by faith. And oh, how blessed is the man,
that man to whom the Lord will not impute iniquity. And remember, Brother Tertius,
how we went on to say in chapter 5, that by one man's disobedience,
we were all made sinners. But by the obedience of the God-man,
the many that he represented were made righteous, so that,
Brother Tertius, where sin did abound, grace did much more abound. And remember, Brother Tertius,
how we went on to say in chapter 6 that we're dead with Jesus
Christ. We're justified from every effect
of sin. And therefore, don't let sin
reign in your mortal bodies because you're not under law, you're
under grace. And remember this always, Brother
Tertius, and I pray that all who read this will remember that
the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God. Oh, the
gift of God. That is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord. And you know it's got to be that
way, brother Tertius, because you know what a struggle we have
within. We brought that out in the seventh
chapter. The new man and the old man struggling
within. And brother Tertius, it brings
us to say, oh wretched man that I am. Oh, she'll deliver me from
the body of this death. And remember, oh Tertius, how
in the same breath I went on to say, I thank God through Jesus
Christ, my Lord. I have the victory in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And oh, brother Tertius, remember
how we wrote chapter 8, which will become one of the
favorite chapters of all of God's people down through the ages.
And do you remember how it began, brother? Let me refresh your
memory, the Apostle Paul said, just in case you forgot, Tertius.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. because
what the law could not do and it was weak through the flesh,
God sending His own Son condemned sin in the flesh. Oh, Tertius,
isn't that good news? What we couldn't do because we
can't obey God's law, God found the way to do. He condemned sin
in the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ who died that we would
live forever. Oh, brother Tertius, isn't this
a glorious gospel? And you know, Tertius, we talked
about, we wrote about the Spirit of Grace. God's given us the
Spirit. We're born of the Spirit. The
Spirit teaches us. The Spirit dwells within us.
We walk in the Spirit. We're led by the Spirit. We're
instructed by the Spirit. And even when we pray, it's the
Spirit who helps our infirmities. Oh, thank God for His Spirit,
Tertius. The Spirit who, when we don't
know how to pray or what to pray, we can't even put the desires
and the petitions of our hearts into words. Oh, Tertius, thank
God, the Spirit of the Lord knows what the burdens of our hearts
are. He puts them in words to the
throne of grace. Because we groan in this body,
just like all of creation does. All of creation groans beneath
the burden and the very presence of sin. And it longs for that day, that
day when everything will be made new. And we do too, don't we,
Tertius? And I can hear Brother Tertius
saying, that's right, Paul, I agree with you. I groan within me. But the Apostle Paul says, but
remember this, Tertius, even though we have lots of hardships
that we have to go through with, oh, let's us always remember,
Tertius, that all things are working together for our good.
To them that love God, to them who are called according to His
purpose, because you know, Tertius, whom He foreknew. He also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
And whom He foreknew, He predestinated. Whom He predestinated, Him He
called. Whom He called, Him He justified.
Whom He justified, Him He also glorified. Oh, tertius, what
shall we say to these things? Well, I'll tell you, brother,
we'll say, if God be for us, who can be against us? Because
He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all,
how shall He not in Him freely give us all things? Who is He
that condemneth? Tertius. It's Christ Jesus who
died for us. Yea, rather He's risen again,
who's even at the right hand of God and makes intercession
for us. And oh, Tertius, can anybody
separate us from the love of God? Oh, no, brother. Not life,
nor death, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus, which love is given to
us sovereignly. Because remember, Tertius, he
says, the Lord said to Moses, I'll have mercy on whom I'll
have mercy. I'll have compassion upon whom
I'll have compassion. You know, Tertius, he's the great
potter. and wear the clay. He molds some
vessels into honor and some vessels into dishonor, all to fulfill
his purpose. And thank God, Tertius, that
the Lord uses the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. After all, Tertius, How can we
know anything about God unless somebody preaches to us? How
can we know the way unless somebody preaches to us? And how can anybody
preach to us unless God is pleased to send them? And you know, Tertius, behold
the wisdom and the unusual, unfathomable ways of God. The gospel is going forth to
the Gentiles, Tertius, even through my lips. And I want you to think, Brother
Tertius, of the mysterious way that God works. He blinds the
Jews. He's blinded the Jewish nation. And in so doing, the gospel is
then sent to the Gentiles. And God's doing this, Tertius. All of this is of the Lord. Oh,
Tertius! Now he gets up to chapter 11
and verse 33. He says, our brother Tertius,
write this. Get that quill ready again. Dip
that quill down in that inkwell. Are you ready? Yes, brother Paul,
I'm ready. Write this. Oh, the depths. both of the wisdom and the knowledge
of God. Did you get that? Yes, sir. All right, wait, I'm
not finished yet. How unsearchable are His judgments
and His ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind of
the Lord? Or who hath been His counselor?
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto
him again. You got that? Yes, sir. Before we stop for the day, Tertius,
you've got to write this down. Because this brings everything
to a crescendo. Here's the very high point of
it all. You ready? Yes, sir. For of Him,
and through Him, and to Him are all things, to whom be glory
forever. Amen. Put a period and put your
pen down. We are through for this session. What a statement. What a statement. Verse 36, For of him, and through him,
and to him are all things, to whom be glory for ever and ever.
Here's the title of the message. The origin and the purpose of
all things. Here's the origin of all things.
They're of God. They are of Him. They are through
Him. Here is the purpose of all things. They are to Him. It is
for His glory. For His glory. I can hear the apostles saying,
oh my brother, isn't your heart thrilled with God's purpose to
save? God's purpose to justify? God's purpose to declare righteous,
to give everlasting life? to such unworthy, sinful creatures
as we are? Oh, what wisdom! What wisdom
is manifested in the gospel answering this great question that has
baffled men for ages and ages, that question being, how can
God be just and justify the ungodly? Oh, the depths of the riches
of the wisdom of God! God's wisdom. God's knowledge, God's judgments,
God's ways. I mentioned recently in a message
I was reading on the internet about very famous people, well-known
people, wealthy people, actors, owners of large corporations. that are openly avowed atheists. Men who deny the very presence
and the existence of God. Well, the Apostle Paul, he says
of this God that they deny exists, he says that all things are of
God, through God, and to God. Our Lord has made all things,
all things exist for His glory and that includes you and that
includes me for His glory. This is a statement which is
mind-boggling. I very much believe in God You say, well, can you sort of
explain your God to me? No, I can't. He's one in three
and three in one. Figure that out. You can't figure
it out. These things are past finding out. Listen, if His ways
are past finding out, what about His person? He's past finding
out. Well, I want a God I can wrap
my mind around. Well, there are lots of gods
like that around here being preached. But the God of glory, the God
of grace, the God of creation, the God of providence, the God
of salvation, His ways, their paths finding out. You'll never
wrap your mind around this God. You see, faith will go out and
swim in deep waters when reason can only wade in the shallow
parts. That's right, reason, mental,
our own intelligence can just wade in shallow waters. Because
if you're only going to believe what you can comprehend and understand,
you can't go out in the deep waters. But faith will venture
out into the deepest of waters and say, I can't understand God,
I can't comprehend His ways, but bless the name of God, I
believe Him. I rest in His Word. I believe
Him. I can't touch Him. I can't feel
Him. I can't embrace Him. I can't
see Him with these eyes, but whom have they not seen? I love Him. Don't you? I love
Him. This is faith. Faith that believes
the Word of God. Faith that believes God is who
He says He is. Faith to believe that I am who
He says I am. And faith to believe the Lord
Jesus Christ that He is and He did exactly who God says He is
and what God says He did. That's what faith does. And you
don't have faith. unless God is pleased to give
it to you. And He doesn't have to give it
to you. He gives it to whom He wills. Oh God, give us faith.
Oh God, open up my whole proud, hard heart and give me faith
to believe You, to believe Your Word, and then to enter into
what the Apostle Paul said to Tertius, and what he wrote on
parchment, This record and this testimony of God that shall stand
when this earth shall stand no longer, this will still be standing. That of Him and through Him and
to Him are all things. To this God be glory forever. To this God. What things? What things? All things. It's just such a
comprehensive statement. All things. Not most things. Not just the good things. Well,
I don't think God has anything to do with the bad things that
happen. Well, you're wrong again. You're wrong again. Job said,
shall we receive good things at the hand of God and not evil
things as well? Things that are so displeasing
to the flesh? Isn't God behind those just like
He's behind what we call the blessings? Oh yes He is. When the servant came and told
Job, you've lost everything you've got. And Job, the worst thing
of all is a wind came. God sent His wind. Your children,
all seven of them, seven boys, three girls, their families,
is all having a big feast and they were underneath some kind
of, some kind of tent or dwelling or something or other and a big
wind came by and blew it all down. They all died. Job and
Job said, the Lord gave. The Lord's taken away. For of
Him and through Him and to Him are all things, even the winds
of life. Even the storm that takes away
my loved ones, Job said, it's the Lord! It's the Lord. He's the origin of all things
and His glory is the purpose of all things. He's the origin
of creation and He's the purpose of creation. God then made the
world. Well, preacher, I've heard scientists
say, I've got a teacher in biology or earth science or whatever,
they say that creation, that's just believed by fools. Just
call me a fool then. Yeah, because I'm one of those
that believes the Word of God. In six days, God made the heaven
and the earth and all that's in the midst. I believe what
God says. I'm not going to believe what
your textbook says. I'm not going to believe what
the scientist says, because he demands facts that he can see
and interpret. He demands something he can touch
and lay hold of before he'll believe it. I just believe the
Word of God. That God called everything into
being out of nothing! Out of nothing! He spake. It stood fast. That's what I
believe. Well, I wish you'd explain that.
Brother Scott Richardson said, I'm not in the explaining business.
I'm in the proclaiming business. I'm in the preaching bit. I'm
proclaiming things I can't comprehend. I'm proclaiming a God I can't
comprehend. But I believe and I proclaim
a gospel I can't fully comprehend. But I know this, Christ in due
time died for the ungodly. I know that. And I know this
by the Spirit of God's leadership and teaching, I'm one of the
ungodly ones. And I believe He died for me.
He is all my hope, He is all my plea, this Jesus Christ who
gave His life for me. I venture on out into the deep
water. I tell you, just go out there
and swim and swim and swim. The origin of creation, the purpose
of creation is for God's glory. Revelation 4.11 says, Thou art
worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou
hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and
were created. For Thy pleasure. I was walking not too long ago
in an area where not too many people walk and go, and I saw
a deer. And he run over the bank, and
I kind of stepped over the bank just to see if I could see where
he went, and there was some wildflowers growing. I thought, if that rascal
hadn't jumped over there and kind of tweaked my interest and
my curiosity, I'd have never ventured up there and over the
hill to see those wildflowers. Somebody says, well, I wonder
why those wildflowers exist. Number one, for God's glory.
That's right, for God's glory. You know, there are galaxies,
I find the study of the heavens, the stars to be of great interest. There are galaxies that no human
eye will ever see. Way out there, way past where
any telescope will ever spot them. And you say, why, oh, why
did God make those things? Why did He make those things?
I can tell you, for His pleasure. That's why. For His pleasure. You see, we're so self-centered,
we think everything is about man. Everything's about us. No, everything is not about us. Everything's about God. and His
glory. I wish He'd get a hold of our
hearts. I wish that's a truth that'd
just grab hold of us. He's the origin of creation.
Everything's made for His glory. The purpose of everything is
to fulfill God's purpose and bring Him glory. Bring Him glory. All things in providence are
of God. Ephesians 1.11, in whom also
we've obtained an inheritance being predestinated according
to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel
of His own will. Everything that comes to pass
in what we call this matter time was predestinated by God in eternity. It's brought to pass by God's
own good providence. Providence is God bringing to
pass that which He eternally purposed. For His own glory,
for the good of His elect, and bringing redemption to pass.
God said to Pharaoh, for this same purpose I raised you up.
I raised you up. I might make my power known in
thee, that my name might be declared Amongst all the earth, I raised
you up for my glory. For my glory. Everything that
happens fulfills the purpose of God. I wrote that song, All
Things Work Together for Good. We know the verse, Romans chapter
8, verse 28. Any study of divine providence
ought to reprove our hearts because of our horrible, inexcusable
unbelief. And it ought to encourage us
to trust our gracious, all-wise God. And we know, who knows these
things? People who are taught of God.
We know. We know, I know we're ignorant by nature, but we've
been taught some things by grace. We're taught that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
called according to His purpose. We know, we know that all things,
not some things, a few things, but all things work together
for good, for good. Temporal good, maybe, but mostly
spiritual good, everlasting good to them that love God. Who loves
God? We love Him because He first
loved us. Who loves God? Those that are
brought by effectual grace to love Him. Them who are called
according to His purpose, called irresistibly, called effectually
to life and faith in Jesus Christ according to His purpose, His
everlasting purpose, everything in providence. Owes its origin
to God and God's glory is the purpose, the end of all things. And all things in salvation are
of God. Who chose us unto salvation? God did. I'm not ashamed of that doctrine,
are you? I tell everybody. If I could, I'd just tell everybody.
The Lord chose me unto salvation. How do you know that, Jim? Because
I've been brought to believe Him. See, faith is the evidence
of election. That's what the Apostle Paul
said to the Thessalonians. He wrote in 1 Thessalonians chapter
1, he said, knowing brethren beloved of God, beloved your
election of God. Oh, Paul, how do you know that
they are elect of God? He said, because when the Gospel
came to you, it didn't just come in word only. It came in power
and in much assurance. Assurance that this is the Word
of God. And you became followers of me. You became followers of
me as I preached the gospel of God's grace. The Word was effectually
working in you, He said at the end of that chapter. All things
in salvation are of God. He chose us unto salvation. And He redeemed us by the blood
of His Son. He redeemed us. You didn't redeem
yourself. You don't reconcile yourself
to God. You don't make your peace with
God. You don't have the credentials to stand eye to eye with God
Almighty to make peace on your behalf. You had to have a mediator,
an advocate, a representative. Or as Job says, a daysman to
stand between us and a holy God and satisfy all of God's demands
and at the same time meet all of our needs. Enter Christ Jesus
the Lord, who loved us and gave Himself for us and thereby He
satisfied God's justice and He met our every need. For by His
death we live unto righteousness. I tell you, all things in salvation
are of God. Election, redemption, effectual
calling. He sent you somebody to preach
the gospel. Somebody to tell you the truth.
Somebody to be honest with you. I heard, brother, Brother Henry
say this, and those of you who've been here for a while, you've
heard him say this, we're not playing games. We're serious
about the things of God. We're telling the truth. The
truth is God in Jesus Christ has reconciled us unto Himself. And then He sends the Spirit
who effectually, irresistibly works in us and brings us to
Himself. And then He keeps us by His grace
and by His power. He keeps us. Kept by the power
of God. This is not of you. It's not
of me. This is of the Lord. Our deliverance
from the curse of the law, that's of the Lord. Our deliverance
from perishing in hell, that's of the Lord. Our being stripped
of our old self-righteous rags and robed in the beautiful righteousness
of the Lord Jesus, that's of the Lord. Our being kept through
this life, kept looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher
of our faith, that's of the Lord. And someday we're going to wind
up in glory. And we will say, it's of the
Lord. I'm here by the grace of God.
There's no other reason for me being here in this glorious,
glorious city of God, except that the Lord did it all. He
loved me in Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for me, sent His
Spirit to draw me unto Himself, gave me faith to believe in repentance,
to turn from my false gods. He kept me by His power, and
now He's brought me into the celestial city where I shall
evermore abide with my Savior. And why did He do that? It's
all to the praise of the glory of His grace. That's what it
says in the book of Ephesians chapter 1. For of Him and through
Him and to Him are all things to God be the glory. Great things
He had done. Well, let's sing.