“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To Him be glory forever, Amen” (ESV).
I have had this verse of scripture on my mind for the past few weeks. In God’s amazing providence, this passage of scripture has turned up in several books that I have been reading, in blog posts that I have “happened” across, and in my own reading of the Bible. After the 3rd or 4th time coming across this passage, the thought hit me that ‘maybe this is important’ so I started thinking about it and then searching out commentary on it. While I realize the the Apostle Paul wrote much of the New Testament, but, I’m inclined to think that this verse, this one sentence, these 18 words, or 66 letters, is the most important thing Paul ever wrote! It puts the entire focus of what Paul had written in the book of Romans to this point on God, and God alone. What grander focus could there ever be?
I want to share two sermons based on Romans 11:36 that have blessed me tremendously. One is from our own time and one is from 150 years ago. One is in video format and one is written, but both should cause our minds to soar to new heights and depths of thoughts of the grandeur of God.
All Things Are from God, Through God, and to God. The Glory Is All His
John Piper concludes this video message with the following 5 questions:
Do you love the thought that you exist to make God look glorious?
Do you love the thought that all creation exists to display the glory of God?
Do you love the truth that all of history is designed by God to one day be a completed canvas that displays in the best way possible the greatness and beauty of God?
Do you love the fact that Jesus Christ came into the world to vindicate the righteousness of God and repair the injury that we had done to the reputation of the glory of God?
Do you love the truth you personally exist to make God look like what he really is—glorious?
My heart and mind want to cry out with Paul, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33).
Laus Deo
DELIVERED ON SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 29, 1864,
BY THE REV. C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
MY text consists almost entirely of monosyllables, but it contains the loftiest of sublimities. Such a tremendous weight of meaning is concentrated here, that an archangel’s eloquence would fail to convey its teaching in all its Glory to any finite minds, even if seraphs were his hearers! I will affirm that there is no man living who can preach from my text a sermon worthy of it; no, that among all the sacred orators, and the eloquent pleaders for God, there never did live and never will live, a man capable of reaching the height of the great argument contained in these few simple words. I utterly despair of success and will not, therefore, make an attempt to work out the Infinite Glory of this sentence. Our great God alone can expound this verse, for He only knows Himself, and He only can worthily set forth His own perfections. Yet I am comforted by this reflection, that maybe, in answer to our prayers, God Himself may preach from this text this morning in our hearts! If not through the words of the speaker, yet by that still small voice to which the Believer’s ear is so well accustomed. If thus He shall condescend to favor us, our hearts shall be lifted up in His ways!
Read the rest of this sermon here.
My prayer is that these two sermons would cause you to think of God differently. Why did God create the world? To shine forth His Glory. He did not create this world to make much of mankind, which, for the most part, is a foreign thought to many Christians, not to mention those who are not Christians. God created this world to make much of His glory, splendor and majesty. Those of us who are truly His should live in in the light of this fact and constantly ask ourselves, “Do you love the thought that you exist to make God look glorious?”
To Him be glory forever, Amen!
Rated R For Reformed 