Romans chapter 11. And I have what I think is one of the most comprehensive verses that covers all the bases, that covers all the aspects of salvation. Romans 11 verse 36. For of Him, that is of God Almighty, of Him, He said, I am God, beside Me there is no other. Of Him, And through Him and to Him are all things. Right below that word, all things, writes Psalm 57 verse 2. He performeth all things for us. All things of Him, through Him, and to Him are all things to Him. Glory forever and ever. Amen.

Isn't that the most comprehensive verse? I mean, I've been looking at that verse. I quote it quite often, and I've preached from that verse several times. But it's one of those most comprehensive verses that just covers everything. everything in the aspect of salvation. I'm going to use for a title from Romans 11 verse 36, to Him be glory forever. To Him be glory forever.

As the Apostle Paul said in Galatians 6 verse 14, God forbid, I should glory but in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ is all about His glory. It's all about His glory. The grand design of redemption is the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. We read a moment ago in 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30 and 31, but of Him, Are you in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, that according as it is written, Jeremiah 9, 23, he that glorieth, let him glory only in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we boast and we glory, but only in him. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the rich man glory in his riches, let not the strong man glory in his strength, but let him glory in this, that he knows that I am the Lord. Now that's a quotation, somewhat, from Jeremiah chapter 9.

When Moses asked the Lord to show him his glory in Exodus 33, the Lord answered back and said, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. Show me your glory, Lord. Moses said, Lord, show me your glory. I'll have mercy. I'll cause all my goodness to pass before you, and I'll be merciful to whom I will be merciful.

Turn back to Romans 9, this is quoted in Romans chapter 9 when it talks about the sovereign mercy, the sovereignty of God in salvation. Romans 9 verse 15, he said to Moses, this is the quote from Exodus 33, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, so then, It's not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy.

God's going to show mercy to sinners in such a way that magnifies His justice, that magnifies His love, that magnifies His grace, that magnifies His mercy. The Lord said to Moses in Exodus chapter 34, the Lord descended in a cloud and stood within there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful, gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and will by no mean clear the guilty. God's going to save guilty sinners in such a way that magnifies His own law and justice.

That's the beauty of the Gospel. Now there's something vitally connected between the Lord showing mercy and His glory. Right? Vitally connected between the Lord showing mercy and His glory. Think about this. His greatest glory, showing mercy, is my greatest need. I need his mercy. I need his mercy.

We're told to come to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need. Notice we don't come to the throne of grace that we might work up or earn mercy, we come to the throne of grace to obtain mercy, to receive mercy as a free gift of God.

Now, all spiritual gifts of the gospel are unchanging, as it said in verse 29, Romans 11, the gifts and calling of God are without repentance, without change. They are immutable, the gifts of God, what he gives to his people, he gives them everlasting salvation, he gives them everlasting righteousness, redemption. The gifts of the Lord Jesus Christ are unchanging, sovereign gifts. They're immutable and infinite as His own holy character. And He's blessed us with all spiritual blessing and heavenly in the Lord Jesus Christ. And they're unchanging. He said, I'm the Lord, I change not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Now, let's read down through verse 30, down through verse where I want to get to verse 36.

For in time past ye have not believed God. Isn't that true of all of us? In time past, there was a time when I had never heard the gospel, there was a time when I had not been obedient unto the Lord. And there's a time when all of us were without God, without hope, and without Christ.

Yet have now, now by the grace of God, we have obtained mercy. Mercy is a free gift of God. I need mercy. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy. He saved us. Aren't you glad that His mercies are new every morning? They do not fail.

Yet now have God, yet now have we obtained mercy through Through their unbelief, talking about the rebel Jews, verse 31, even so have these also now not obeyed, not believed, that through your mercy, they also may obtain mercy. Now, how is that? God used these Gentiles to send out gospel preachers, and they preached to some of those Jewish people. Paul went preaching in the synagogues. and others went preaching to the Jews, and through the long-suffering and mercy of God, through the preaching of the gospel we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, it pleased God through the preaching of the gospel to save them that believe.

They also obtained, they didn't earn it, anything but. What have we earned? Really, when you get right down to it, what have we earned? Well, the scripture says the wage of sin is death. That's what all of us have earned. That's what all of us deserve. If God sends me to everlasting condemnation, that's exactly what I deserve. But thank God, it's of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. This is true of all men. All men are sinners, without God, without hope, and without Christ.

But now, by the sovereign will of God, We have obtained mercy. A great moment ago, not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy. I heard a story this week that a preacher friend of mine told in regards to this thing of mercy.

And the story goes, there was a father who had a beloved son. And the son had done something very vile and vicious, and he was caught, and he was convicted, and he was sentenced. And the judge was about ready to pass sentence. And the judge said, does anyone have a word to say?

Well, the father of that young man stood up and said before the judge, would you show mercy to my son? That's a good plea, isn't it? Would you show mercy? Oh, show mercy to my son. The judge said, your son deserves no mercy. The father said, it would not be mercy if he deserved it. He doesn't deserve mercy. But would you show mercy? You see, mercy cannot be something that's deserved, something that's given of God. Mercy, as someone said, grace is God giving us what we don't deserve. Mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve.

All men, for God hath concluded, verse 32. God hath concluded. This is the Lord's conclusion. God hath concluded all men, them all, in unbelief. A man by nature, left to himself the carnal mind, we studied in Romans 8, the carnal minded enmity against God. We read over there in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, their foolishness unto him. So God has included all, all people everywhere in unbelief, were born not believing God, were born dead in sin, trespassers in sin, that he might have mercy upon all.

Now, the all here has to be all the Israel of God, all the elect of God. And there is what we can, I guess, what we can say that God is merciful in this way unto all men, in that He sends the rain upon the just and the unjust. So in that way, we can say that God is, He sends His sunshine, All men everywhere enjoy the goodness of God that way, don't they?

So, but specifically to His people, He shows them the exceeding kindness of His richness of His grace toward us through the Lord Jesus Christ. And then in verse 33, we come to this doxology. This doxology. God delights to show mercy. Unto his people he delights to show sinners, he justifies them freely by his grace. And then verse 33, we come to this doxology of praise. Oh, the depth of the riches, the riches of his grace, the riches of his mercy.

Both of the wisdom, how deep is the wisdom of God? The wisdom of God. How deep and how rich is the knowledge of God? How unsearchable are the judgment and decrees of God. They are past finding out. Can you by searching find out God? No, it's deeper than we'll ever know. Oh, the depth of the riches.

Remember this, we would be most foolish to try to figure or to fit our great God into a mold or a box. He said, I'm the Lord, beside me there is none other. Who can be compared or who can comprehend, understand or explain or describe which is infinite and beyond our understanding? God is infinite in His wisdom, infinite in His knowledge, infinite in His power, infinite in His sovereignty.

I like what the old German preacher Martin Luther said. He said, I don't need a God I can understand. I need a God I can worship. And the only place a sinner will take his place before God and worship is before the absolute throne of God who has power over all things, over all things. Let's turn and read a couple of verses on that.

We could look at many of them, but if you'll find Isaiah 45, Isaiah 45, he says repeatedly in Isaiah, I am the Lord, beside me there is no other. I am the Lord, beside me there is no else. Isaiah 45 verse five, I am the Lord, I am the Lord, there's none else. Verse 5, you got it? Isaiah 45, verse 5. There is no God beside me. I girded thee, I took care of you, though thou hast not known me, that they may know from the rising of the sun from the west that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, there's none else.

Verse 7, I formed the light. God said in the beginning, let there be light. I create darkness. He removes the light. He said, I make peace. He made peace for us with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, I create evil. How does he do that? Withholding goodness. I, the Lord, do all these things. Drop down, ye heavens from above. Let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open. Let them bring forth salvation. And let righteousness spring up together.

I, the Lord, have created it. He says again in Isaiah 45, the last part of verse 21, there's none, there's no God else beside me, a just God and Savior. There is none beside me. Isaiah 45 verse 22, he said, look unto me and be ye saved. All the ends of the earth. I am God, beside me there is none else. Kind of got the idea, don't you? Look at Isaiah 46. Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable. or his judgment, his ways, pass finding out, Isaiah 46, nine. Remember the former things of old.

I am God, there is none else. I am God, there's none beside me, declaring the end from the beginning. From ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand. I'll do all my pleasure. Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that would execute my counsel from a far country, I've spoken it. I'll bring it to pass. I've purposed it. I'll do it. Sounds like somebody is in charge, doesn't it? God is God over all things. Now back to Romans 11.

Oh, the depth of the riches. The richness of His wisdom. The richness of His knowledge. His judgments. How unsearchable. How unsearchable are His judgments. His wisdom. His wisdom. In Him, in the Lord Jesus Christ, are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Him. Known unto God are all His works from the beginning. His wisdom, His knowledge, His judgments, how unsearchable!

Beyond our puny comprehension. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. All things. His ways are past finding out. The secret things belong to the Lord. The revealed things belong to us.

Deuteronomy 29. Paul said, I committed to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. Who hath known the mind of the Lord? Back to our text. Romans 11. Verse 34. Who hath known the mind of the Lord? The mind of the Lord, the will of the Lord is sovereign. The mind and will of the Lord and His purpose is eternal. Before Adam ever sinned or fell in the garden, before sin ever entered into God's creation, the Lord Jesus Christ from all eternity stood as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Before there was a ruined sinner, there was a Redeemer. Who hath known the mind of the Lord? Infinite. Infinite. Or who's his counselor? His name is called Wonderful Counselor of the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. Remember from our study in Isaiah 9. Who hath known the mind of the Lord? Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and earth see at all deep places. Who hath known the mind of the Lord?

None. Who has been his counselor? None. Who has contributed anything to him? Anybody added anything to God? None. Who knows what God is about to do or who has given him advice about what are you doing? What's God up to now? We're not to pry into the secret things of God.

Let me show you interesting scripture. There was a king by the name of Nebuchadnezzar. Turn to the book of Daniel. You've got Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. Daniel chapter four. There's a man by the name of Nebuchadnezzar who came and destroyed Jerusalem. and carried away captive many of those in Jerusalem, kept them in captivity for 70 years.

In Daniel chapter 4, he brags about this great kingdom that he had made, and the Lord said, well, I'm going to put you out in the wild field, and you're going to be like a wild animal. In Daniel chapter 4, verse 34, At the end of days, I never can ever lift up my eyes unto heaven. God put him out in the pasture like a wild animal for seven years.

I lifted up my eyes unto heaven and my understanding returned unto me and I blessed the Most High and praised praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation, and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of this earth, and none can stay his hand or say to him, what doest thou? At the same time, my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and brightness returned unto me, and my counselors and my Lord sought unto me, and I was established in my kingdom, and the excellent majesty was added to me, all given of God." Look at verse 37, "'Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all who whose works are truth, his ways are judgment, and those that walk in pride, he's able to abase. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. He does according to his will in the army of heaven among the inhabitants of this earth, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, Lord God Almighty, what doest thou?

Back to Romans 11. or who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counselor, verse 35, or who first hath given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again. Well, no one, no one has. Who can contribute or add anything to God? No one. Now, that gets us down to verse 36. For of him, For of Him, of God, the Lord God Almighty, of Him, through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Now that's comprehensive, is it not? I must admit, this is one of my favorite verses.

All things are of God. All things are of Him. The efficient cause, He's the first cause and last end of all things. He said, I declared the end from the beginning. All things are of Him. All things are through Him. As the disposing cause or the means, all things are to him as the final cause, the final glory.

They are of him without any other motive, through him without any assistant, to him without any other end. The summary of all truth, is it not? Of him and through him and to him. Not most things, not some things, all things are of God. He performeth all things for us. All things are of God. You cannot run too far with that. You cannot exaggerate that. You cannot give God too much honor, glory, and power. We recognize that. We own that. We believe that. We bow to that. We submit to that. All things are of God. All things are of God in creation. He created all things by the word of His power. All things by Him consist.

You ever notice the exact order of creation? Exact order. Everything happens on order. He orders everything. The seasons, the time the sun comes up, the time the sun goes down. Everything is controlled and ordered by God. What a chaos it would be if there was no order in the universe. God controls all things in creation. Secondly, God controls all things in providence. In Providence, we read that a moment ago in Isaiah 46. He said, I've spoken it. I'll bring it to pass. I've purposed it. I will do it.

You know, not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Lord's decree. One day I was sitting over here in my study, and I heard a big thump. And I thought, what in the world was that? And I got up and walked out here, and I looked out there in the parking lot, and a bird had hit that window. Killed it. And I said, not a sparrow falls without the father. Well, I went back to work and worked a little while. I thought, well, I'll get up and check on that little sparrow. And I came back and looked out that window, and there was nothing but a pile of feathers. The Lord provided a meal for a hawk. The Lord does provide for the bird, doesn't He? The Lord does provide. You see, He's a God of absolute providence in all things. So all things are of God in creation, in providence, and especially, most especially, in salvation. All things are of God in salvation. All things are of God in salvation. Of Him, the source, the spring, and counsel. Through Him, the means ordained of God. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. To Him, to His glorious end and purpose. to the praise of the glory of His grace.

You remember Ephesians chapter one, God choosing a people to the praise of the glory of His grace. The Lord Jesus Christ redeeming those people to the praise of the glory of His grace. God the Holy Spirit calling them, regenerating them all to the praise of the glory of His grace.

The bottom line in all of this is His glory. Of him, through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Now, I've got a few minutes left. In regard to salvation, all things are of God, for salvation is of the Lord, right? In election, of him and through him and to him are all things. He chose a people unto salvation. There's a remnant according to the election of grace. I've heard that before somewhere, haven't I? We've read that before somewhere. Romans 11 verse 5 and 6.

So in election, of him and through him and to him are all things. In justification, The same thing, we're justified freely by His grace through redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. In redemption of Him, through Him, and to Him are all things. He redeemed us with His own blood. He obtained for us eternal redemption. In reconciliation, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. We reconciled unto God through the Lord Jesus Christ. He reconciled us. He is our atonement, our propitiation. In regeneration of him and through him and to him are all things. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth.

In righteousness, we studied that through the book of Romans. Blessed is a man whom the Lord imputes righteousness without works. Romans 4 verse 6. To one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of another shall many be made righteous. You see, in regard to salvation, it's of him, through him, and to him are all things who gets the glory. Him alone, God alone, the Lord Jesus Christ alone. He is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, all to the praise of the glory of His grace.

I'm going to do something I don't normally do, but I'm going to do this to close this message. We published a book last year called Honey out of the Rock. And there's some copies on the table there. They're free if you'd like to have one of those books. But if you open that book and read the first article that's in that book, it's from this verse right here. Romans 11 verse 36. And here's what it says. Here's what I wrote many, many years ago. Here is a glorious, comforting truth to the believer who's resting in the Lord Jesus Christ, all things are of God. This truth echoes throughout the pages of inspired scripture and declares that God is God, beside him there is no other.

The apostle clearly states that all things are of him. God is the first cause and the last end of all things. He also says that all things are through him. God in time executes his wise decrees to his own will and pleasure. Further, he says all things are to him. Our sovereign God is working all things to a glorious end that will bring him all the honor and glory. Now, we can apply this threefold rule to many things, creation, providence, but let us consider salvation for just a moment. This won't take long, a couple minutes. All things are of God in salvation, that is, salvations of the Lord.

None but God could devise such a way of salvation, such as the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, wherein God can be just and justify the ungodly. God ordained the hour when the Savior would come. God ordained the hour when he would die as the believer's substitute. God ordained the hour when the Lord Jesus Christ would be raised from the dead and exalted to glory. All things are of Him, through Him, and to Him. All things in salvation are through Him, to Him, of God, and through Him. Salvation is a work given to the Lord Jesus Christ by the Father to accomplish.

He did not fail to complete the task He was given. He prayed and declared in John 17, I have glorified thee on the earth. I finished the work you gave me to do. In the fulfillment and accomplish of salvation, man has no part in it. When he had by himself purged our sin, he sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.

Every spiritual blessing we enjoy comes to us through the Lord Jesus Christ alone. God apart from Christ is a consuming fire. The third point in the article says this, all things in salvation are to him. What is the grand design of God and the salvation of his people?

His glory. Our eternal God is wisely and rightly working all things to honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The motive of God to save his people from their sin is found in himself. The motive and purpose is his glory. Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive all honor, glory, blessing, and power both now and forever. Remember Revelation 1 verse 6 says, unto him who loved us and washed us from our sin in his own blood, to him be all the honor and glory both now and forever. All things are of God. Isn't that a good text?