From Him and Through Him and To Him

A Summary of Pastor Dale's Sermon on Romans 11:11-36

In this section of Romans we think of the place of ethnic Israel in God’s redemptive plan. In it we read of their stumbling, and their being pictured as branches broken off an olive tree while the unnatural, Gentile branches are grafted in. A partial hardening has come upon Israel (v.25), and so we ask; why did God harden the Jews?

In Genesis 50:20 we hear Joseph say to his hardened brothers, “What you meant for evil, God meant for good.” And even the sinful, hard-hearted actions of those who crucified Jesus are said (in Acts 4:27-28) to be the predestined plan of God. So it is not new or unusual that God would harden some for His ultimately good purposes.

Jesus said, “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you [the Jews] and given to a people producing its fruits” (Mt 21:43), and in Matthew 8:11-12 He says, “I tell you, many will come from east and west … while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. So the purpose of this hardening has brought about God’s mercy being shown to you (Acts 13:46, 48; Rom 11:30-32), and yet there is no room for either boasting or anti-Semitism because God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. Faith is the only thing by which we are grafted in (Rom 3:20, 27-28). The severity of God not only sends us fleeing to Him for mercy, but it also keeps us from taking God’s kindness for granted.

These are hard truths, and yet Paul’s response to God’s sovereign plan ends in praise:

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”

“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

In this we hear:

1. All things are from him and through him (Eph 1:11); so remember,

2. No one can give a gift to God so as to make him need anything from us (Acts 17:25); likewise

3. No one can give any counsel to God about how he should do things (Job 40:2-3); because (of course)

4. His ways and judgments are unsearchable and inscrutable to our finite minds (1 Cor 13:12); so that, finally, it only makes sense that

5. We should give all glory to God, and be content with an utterly dependent Christ-exalting happiness in God.

Concerning this, Charles Spurgeon said,

This should be the single desire of the Christian. All other wishes must be subservient and tributary to this one. The Christian may wish for prosperity in his business, but only so far as it may help him to promote this – “To him be glory forever.” He may desire to attain more gifts and more graces, but it should only be that “To him may be glory forever.” You are not acting as you ought to do when you are moved by any other motive than a single eye to your Lord’s glory. As a Christian, you are “of God and through God,” then live “to God.”

Let nothing ever set your heart beating so mightily as love to him. Let this ambition fire your soul; be this the foundation of every enterprise upon which you enter, and this your sustaining motive whenever your zeal would grow chill; make God your only object. Depend upon it, where self begins sorrow begins; but if God be my supreme delight and only object,

To me ‘tis equal whether love ordain

My life or death – appoint me ease or pain

This Sunday we also celebrated communion by watching a special Advent meditation given by Pastor John Piper. You can watch it here. I hope you are blessed as you remember the purpose for Christ’s birth, and God’s mercy shown to you, who have been grafted into this great salvation by faith.