God’s Glorious Plan for the World

Introduction

Israel’s history is a surety. God loves man with an infinite love, and God’s love is unchangeable. Therefore, any person can be restored to God if the person will call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Christ to save him. This is clearly seen in the history of Israel. Israel’s restoration is a surety and, as such, stands as a prime example of the unchangeable love of God toward man.

I.   Surety 1: God’s great revelation about the Jews (vv. 25-26).

II.   Surety 2: the promise of Scripture — God’s Deliverer, Jesus Christ, shall turn Israel and take away their sins (vv. 26-27).

III.   Surety 3: God’s pleasure with Israel’s forefathers (vv. 28-29).

IV.   Surety 4: the believer’s mercy and witness to the Jews (vv. 30-31).

V.   Surety 5: God’s holiness and mercy (v. 32).

VI.   Surety 6: God’s glorious plan for the world (vv. 33-36).

Romans 11: 33–36   God’s Glorious Plan for the World

The sixth surety is God’s glorious plan for the world. Note four points.

1.   God’s glorious plan for the world involves four great acts of God.

a.   His infinite wisdom and knowledge: knowing how to do everything perfectly; knowing how to create and arrange, order and govern everything so that all things work out perfectly. Note how God’s wisdom and knowledge are said to be deep and rich: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.” God’s wisdom and knowledge are so deep and rich...

•   That angels desire to look into them (1 Pet. 1:13).

•   That they are infinite (Eph. 3:18).

•   That they are too wonderful for man (Psa. 139:6. This one verse alone shows just how great God’s mercy is toward us.)

•   that they include thoughts more numerous than the grains of sand in the world (Psa. 139:17-18).

b.   His infinite judgments and ways: His judgment in planning and deciding everything, and His ways in executing His purposes and decisions. Note that His judgment and ways are said to be unsearchable and past finding out.

=>  Secret things belong to God (Dut. 29:29).

=>  God is glorified by His infinite judgments and ways (Pr. 25:2).

=>  The great things of God are unsearchable and without number (Job 5:9; 9:10).

=>  Man cannot discover God by searching (Job 11:7).

=>  There is no searching of God’s understanding (Isa. 40:28).

2.   No man can grasp God’s plan. No man can know the mind of the Lord; no man can be a counsellor to God. Note two significant points.

a.   No man can grasp God’s plan. Scripture makes this abundantly clear.

1 Tim 6:16 [Jesus Christ] who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might forever. Amen.

Job 11:7 “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?”

Eccl 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

b.   Believers do, however, have the mind of Christ. This does not mean that believers understand God and His ways perfectly, but it does mean that God reveals Himself and the truth to believers — enough of Himself and His ways to save them from sin, death, judgment and hell.

1 Cor 2:16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Cor 2:12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

John 7:16-17 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”

John 8:31-32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Col 1:9-10 We have not stopped praying for you...that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.

Hosea 6:3 “Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

3.   No man can earn God’s gift. Note two facts about this verse.

a.   No man can put God in debt to him. No man can give anything to God and claim that God owes him something in return. God owes man nothing. Man has rejected and rebelled against following God, choosing to go his own way. Man is committing high treason against God. Man does not deserve nor can he earn any favour from God. If man is to receive a favour from God, God has to freely give the favour.

Mat 7:22-23 “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

Gal 2:16 Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.

Titus 3:4-5 But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

b.   Man’s depravity should silence his boasting. It does not, but it should (see Rom. 3:19-20.)

4.   God alone is the source, the mean, and the end of all things. Therefore, God is to be glorified forever and ever.

=>  All things are from God: all things were created by and find their source in God.

=>  All things are through God: all things come through His wisdom and knowledge, His judgments and ways.

=>  All things are to God: all things exist for God, for His goodness and pleasure.

Rev 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Psa 22:23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honour him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

Psa 145:10 All you have made will praise you, O Lord; your saints will extol you.

1 Cor 6:20 You were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your body.

John 15:8 “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” ♣

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