Romans chapter 11, verse 29 through
verse 36, we'll try to cover these verses this morning. Where
the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Now we
looked at that last week. The gifts of God, notice that's
plural. The calling of God, without repentance
or without change, without change. All the spiritual gifts of the
gospel Paul talks about the unspeakable gift of God. All the spiritual
gifts of the gospel are His unchanging gifts, and He sovereignly gives
those gifts of the gospel, the gift of His grace, His love,
His mercy, to whom He will. They are His love, His mercy,
His grace. They are Immutable and infinite
as his own holy character. Remember, I am the Lord, I change
not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob
are not consumed. The gifts and calling of God
are without change because God does not change. Verse 30 now, for as ye in time
past have not believed God, Now that's every man by nature. By
nature we do not believe God. We love self and hate God. For you in time past have not
believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief. I'm talking about the rejection
of the Jews of the gospel. Even so have these also now not
believed that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. Now, let's find over here in
Ephesians chapter 2, a verse that will help us here. Verse 11, Ephesians 2 verse 11. Wherefore, remember that you
being in time, Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that
at that time you were without Christ, and this is every man
by nature, Jew or Gentile, that at that time you were without
Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers
from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God
in this world, that is our state by nature, but now in Christ
Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ, for he is our peace, and have made both one,
Jew or Gentile, we are one in Christ, and have broken down
the middle wall partition between us. We are one in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Look at verse 32, where God hath
concluded God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he
might have mercy upon whom he will have mercy. Jew or Gentile,
turn back to Romans chapter 3. Jew or Gentile, we're all sinners
before God. God hath concluded we're all
sinful. God hath concluded that we're
all in need of mercy. Romans 3, 9. What then? Are we
better than they? No, and no wise. For we have
before proved, both Jew and Gentile, that they're all under sin as
it is written. There is none righteous, no,
not one. There is none that understandeth.
There is none that seeketh after God. They're all gone out of
the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good,
no, not one. God hath concluded all men are
centered. God has concluded that all men
are in need of mercy. Thank God that He delights to
show mercy, not because we are deserving. Notice in verse 30
and verse 31, He said, these have obtained mercy. These have
obtained mercy. Verse 31, it also says that,
verse 30 and verse 31, that they may obtain mercy. Now, mercy
is never earned. Mercy is never deserved. It's
never deserved. If it's something we deserve,
it's not mercy. Mercy is the sovereign gift of
God alone, alone. Now, notice verse 33. Oh, he says, he breaks out into
a doxology of praise Oh, the depth of the riches, the depths,
who can plumb the depths of God, the deep things of God? Oh, the
depths of the riches, the richness, and the deepness of His wisdom,
of His knowledge, and of His judgment. Who can know the breadth,
the length, the scope, the depth, the eternality, the depths, the
richness of his wisdom, of his knowledge, of his judgment, their
past finding out. We would be most foolish to try
to fit our God into a box, onto a mold, and say that God must
do this, this, and this according to what we think. That would
be ignorant and foolish. The Lord says many times in the
book of Isaiah, I am God, beside me there is no other. He will do what he will, when
he will, with whom he will, as he sees fit. That's right. That's exactly right. Who can
comprehend Understand or explain or describe that which is infinite. Describe eternity for me. Describe
that which is infinite. Can you do it? It's beyond our capability. It's beyond our understanding. Talk about the holiness of God,
the sovereignty of God, the power of God. It's beyond describing
what it is. Martin Luther, the old preacher,
years ago said, I don't need a God I can understand. I need
a God that I can worship, bow down to. The only place you will
worship is before the throne of an absolute, holy, sovereign,
and eternal God. Now hold your place there and
find a couple of scriptures over here in Isaiah 45. Isaiah 45
verse 5. Isaiah 45 verse 5. He said, I am the Lord, there
is none else. There is no God beside me. I
girded thee, though thou hast not known me, that they may know
from the rising of the sun from the west, from the east to the
west. There is none beside me. I am
the Lord. There is none else. I form the
light. I create darkness. I make peace. I create evil. I, the Lord, do
all these things." Now, we don't need to qualify those things.
We don't need to qualify those things. Look over here in Isaiah
45, the last part of verse 21, he said, I'm the only, he said,
there is no God else beside me, a just God and Savior, there
is none beside me. Now look unto me and be ye saved,
all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else.
Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God. Turn one page to Isaiah 46. Isaiah 46 verse 9, remember,
former things of old, I am God, there is none else. I am God,
there is none like me. Declaring the end from beginning.
From ancient times to things that are not yet done, saying,
my counsel shall stand. I'll do all my pleasure. Calling
a ravenous bird from the east, a man that executes my counsel
from a far country. Yea, I have spoken it. I will
also bring it to pass. I've purposed it. I will do it. Oh, the depths of the riches,
both of his wisdom, knowledge, and judgment. Those three things.
the infinite character of our eternal God, His wisdom, just
how infinite is His wisdom. He has perfect wisdom, perfect
wisdom. Matter of fact, in the book of
Colossians, it says, in the Lord Jesus Christ are hid all the
treasures of wisdom. In the book of Proverbs, the
Lord Jesus Christ, His name in Proverbs chapter 8, His name
is called wisdom. Christ is the wisdom of God. He worketh all things after the
counsel of His own will. Oh, the depth of the riches both
of the wisdom Our God is wise in all things and of the knowledge
of God, the knowledge of God. We read in the book of Acts chapter
15 verse 18, known unto God are all his works from the beginning. He has infinite knowledge of
everything, everywhere, of every thought, of every person. This is a God with whom we have
to do. As it says over here in the book
of Hebrews, neither is there any creature that is not manifest
in his sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes
of him with whom we have to do. You see the eternality the infinite depths of God's riches, His power,
His sovereignty, His wisdom, His knowledge. He knows all things. And then how unsearchable, how
unsearchable are His judgments? The judge of all the earth will
do right. Whatever he does, it is right. when the Lord took everything
from Job with the exception of his wife and the exception of
his health at first. Killed all of his children, took
away all of his substance. Remember what Job said? The Lord
gave, the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. The unsearchable judgments of
God, whatever he does is right. When Samuel came to Eli, you
remember the priest of God, Eli who had those two rebel boys
who misused the office of being a priest of God, and God revealed
to Samuel that he was going to kill both those boys. And when
he went and told their dad, Eli the priest, God's going to kill
both of your boys, you remember what he said? He didn't say,
well that's not right. He didn't say, well that's not
fair. Remember what he said? It's the Lord. Let him do what
seemeth good in his sight. How unsearchable are his judgments. His judgments are always right. And his ways are past finding
out. The secret things belong to the
Lord. The reveal things belong to us. Deuteronomy 29, 29. His ways
are past finding out. Beyond our comprehending, beyond
our understanding, these things must be revealed unto us. He's
hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them
unto babes. Oh, the depths of the riches
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are
his judgment and his ways? Who knows the ways of the Lord? They're mysterious, aren't they?
Now, a series of questions in verse 34 and 35. Who hath known
the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counselor? Does the Lord need our help?
Does he need our counsel? He listened to a lot of preachers.
Poor God, he can't do anything without your help. He has no
hands but your hands, no feet but your feet. That's not the
scripture. Scriptures do not teach those
things. God is God and he will use what means he sees fit, even
if he needs to use a jackass to rebuke Balaam. God will do
that. He'll use whom he will. For who
hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counselor,
or who hath first given to him with expected repayment? Have you added anything to the
character of God, to the attributes of God? We cannot add anything
to God. He does not need our help. We
desperately need Him. Who is any sinful man to question
the mighty wisdom, power of Almighty God? Who has totally known the
mind of the Lord? His mind is infinite, infinite
from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Who has totally
known the mind of the Lord? None. Now we know a little bit
of the mind of the Lord as he's revealed himself in his book.
But who has totally known the mind and comprehended the wisdom
of Almighty God? None. And then it asks that question,
who has been his counselor? Now, one of the names of the
Lord Jesus Christ is Wonderful Counselor. He is the counselor. He is the mighty God. He is the
Prince of Peace. He doesn't need our counsel.
The Lord has never asked me for any advice. He doesn't need our
advice. He doesn't need our help. God
is God. Beside Him there is none help. Who has contributed anything
to Him? No. None. Nobody. Who hath known the mind of the
Lord? Who hath been His counselor? Or who hath first given to Him?
And it shall be recompensed again. I like what you read to the book
of Job and you go over to Job chapter 38 and the Lord asked
Job, who are you that darkeneth counsel word without wisdom? And then he asked Job this question,
where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Come
on, Job, where were you? Job didn't exist. You see, God
is God. He works all things after His
own perfect sovereign will. Now, that gets us down to verse
36. And I quote this verse quite
often, and it would be good to commit it to memory. And it's
an all-comprehensive verse. Of Him, through Him, and to Him. Of him, through him, and to him
are most things. Well, the good things anyway.
That's not what it says. All things. All things. All things are of God. Turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter
5. All things are of God. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 18. Well, let's look at verse 17.
2 Corinthians 5, 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things become new. And all things are of God, who
reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. I have given to us the
ministry of reconciliation to wit, That means namely that God
was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them, and has committed unto us the word
of reconciliation, all things are of God. Now then, we are
ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we
pray you in Christ's stead, now be you reconciled. All things
are of God. Who reconciled who? Look at verse
21, for he had made him to be sin for us. All things are of
God, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Christ. All things are of God. All things are of him as the
efficient cause, through him as the disposing cause, to him
as the final cause. They are of Him without any other
motive, through Him without any assistance, and to Him without
any other end. All things are of God in creation. He created all things by the
word of His power. There is not one thing that is
made that He did not make. All things in creation are of
Him, through Him, and to Him. All things in providence, those
things that unfold in time, they do so because God from eternity
has decreed those things. All things in creation, all things
in providence are of Him, through Him, and to Him. And all things
in salvation. are of Him, through Him, and
to Him, of Him as the source, spring, and counsel, through
Him as the means ordained of God, to Him to the glorious end
and purpose of all things that God does. What is the grand design
of redemption? What is the grand design of redemption?
to keep a few maggots out of hell? Is that the grand design
of redemption? No, sir. The grand design of
redemption is that word that's said right there, to whom be
glory forever and ever. Amen. Amen. To him, to his glory,
his purpose, and his end. Now, I'm going to do something
that I don't normally do. And there is on the back of the
bulletin an article that, and I can't remember when I wrote
this article, but it was included in the bulletin from this verse. And I'm going to read it to you.
I'm going to read it to you, or try to. I think I wrote this
probably about 10, 11, 12 years ago, but it's still good. It's still good reading today.
All things are of God. Here is a glorious and comforting
truth to the believer who is resting in the Lord Jesus Christ.
All things are of God. This truth echoes throughout
the pages of inspired scripture, 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 last
end of all things. He also says all things are through
Him. God in time executes His wise
decree to His own will and pleasure. Further He says that all things
are to Him. Our sovereign God is working
all things to an eternal end, that is to glorify Himself. We
can apply this threefold rule to many things, such as creation,
providence, as I just said. But let's consider this last
thing, salvation, that is, of the Lord. Now notice those three
points if you're following along in your bulletin. All things
in salvation are of God. We know that salvation is of
the Lord, right? Jonah 2.9. None but God could None but God could devise such
a way of salvation, such as the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
presents, wherein God can be just and the justifier of the
ungodly, God ordained the hour when the Savior would come, And
I always try to give a reference there, in the fullness of time,
God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law.
God ordained the hour when he would die as the believer's substitute,
him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. God ordained the hour when the Lord Jesus Christ would be
raised from the dead and exalted to glory. When He by Himself
purged our sin, He sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God, delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification. Second point, all things in salvation
are through Him. Through Him. God has ordained
the end, but also the means to arrive at that end. Salvation
is a work given to the Lord Jesus Christ by God the Father to accomplish. He did not fail to complete the
task he was given, Isaiah 42, 4, he shall not fail. He prayed
and declared in John 17, I have glorified thee on the earth,
I finished the work that you gave me to do. In the fulfillment
and accomplishment of salvation, man has no part in it at all. The scripture said, when he had
by himself purged our sin, Hebrews 1-3, 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. He blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ.
God apart from the Lord Jesus Christ is a consuming fire. All
things are of God in salvation. All things in salvation are through
Him. All things in salvation are of
God. Lastly, all things in salvation
are to Him. To Him. What is the grand design
of God in the salvation of His people? His glory. That's what it's all about. His
glory. Our eternal God is wisely and rightly working all
things to the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the verse I've given there,
wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to
the glory of God. We're going to see that in Romans
15, 7. The motive of God to save his people from their sin is
found in himself. That motive and purpose is his
glory. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive all power, riches, wisdom, honor, and glory, both
now and forever." And then he says, what do you say to that?
Amen. So be it. Amen. Well, that's
Romans chapter 11. And next week, Lord willing,
we'll start over here in chapter 12.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service. It's only reasonable
for a believer to serve the Lord who had mercy upon him.