Romans 11:33
The service today was arranged around the three pastors, myself, Zak and Tracy each taking a part of the doxology at the end of Romans 11 and then worship after each section. This is just my part that started us off. It was a wonderful experience of worship with the University students playing and singing with me as we led.
I’ve been to Albertville, France three times over the last nine years to take a summer course in French. If you have to go through the pain of learning a new language, then pick a beautiful setting to compensate for the pain and the area around Albertville is beautiful. Albertville is set in the pre-Alps of France and when you ascend the mountains surrounding Albertville, you can see Mt. Blanc which rises in all its glory in the intersection of France, Italy and Switzerland.
Just behind the school where I studied there is a mountain peak called Le Belle Etoile, the beautiful star. Each summer I have been in Albertville I climbed to the top of this peak, which is not a tremendous achievement that put my name in the newspaper but a worthy goal for myself nonetheless.
The trail begins in the forest and there is a lot of steep climbing with the trail switching back and forth and all that can be seen is more trail and more pine trees. But then as you make your way up there is an occasional view of the beauty around this mountain. On the back side there are occasional views through the trees of the Abbaye de Tamié. This is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1132 although the beautiful buildings were built some centuries later. It is set on the side of a mountain in green pastures and is stunningly beautiful.
So I stop, as I climb, to catch my breath and take in the beauty of the view through the leaves of the trees and then it is back into the forest and steep switchback trails and more pine trees. Then another view and then more climbing. Towards the top it begins to be possible to look up the valleys and see Lake Annecy. Another beautiful site.
Then the trail switches to the front of Le Belle Etoile and there are views of Albertville where it is fun to look and find the house where we are living. But that is only interesting and not beautiful, at least not to me.
But then a bit higher and on a clear day you can see the stunning beauty of Mt. Blanc with the blazing white snow against a blue sky.
It gets better and better and then when you finally get to the top with the large cross on the peak there is a 360? view of all that has been seen on the way up the trail. It is an exhilarating moment.
In Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome, there is a similar experience.
In eight chapters of theology and three chapters revealing his heart for his fellow Jews, Paul takes us up a steep trail. And as we go up the trail we are treated to some wonderful views.
At the end of Romans 11, Paul is at the summit with a full view of all God has done, is doing and will do – and he is overcome with joy and bursts out in this doxology.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Let me take you back through Romans to see some of the wonderful views on the way to the summit.
Paul begins his letter with the bad news that we are separated from God, that we deserve the wrath of God.
Romans 3:10
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
And then comes the first wonderful view. Just when we are trapped, stuck with no hope of escape, Paul delivers the absolutely marvelous news that sets us free.
Romans 3:21-24
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
We all, everyone of us, every single one of us, without exception, deserve the wrath of God but God has provided a way for us to get out of the trap we find ourselves in. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God but we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
We were lost and now are found. That is quite an amazing theological view.
As Paul continues to take us up the mountain of Romans he talks about being tired of the struggle to do what is right and he comes to the climax of his frustration when he wrote at the end of chapter 7
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
In this second great doctrine of Paul’s letter we are once again trapped, with no escape and once again it is God who provides for us a way out by doing what we cannot do.
Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
We are helpless to escape our sinful human nature and once again God comes to the rescue. This is another amazing theological view.
Because of what Jesus has done for us, Paul moves us into chapter 8 with the triumphal conclusion:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
No condemnation. Facing life in prison, we are given a pardon. Facing eternal death we are given a reprieve. Facing eternal separation from God we are sent an invitation to come to his banquet.
How amazing it is that God created us and made us so we could be conscious of him. How incredible it is that God wanted us to be in an intimate relationship with him. How awesome it is that God would make a personal sacrifice so that we could know him.
And it is not that God simply did something one time to help us out of a jam but God is continually bending himself toward us to help us when we are not able to help ourselves.
Why does he do this? He loves us. Why does he love us so much? It is a mystery. But what a wonderful mystery it is.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is because of the consistently faithful work of God in our lives that we are able to hold on to God’s hand with confidence and adventurous expectation. This is why we look up and say, “What’s next, Papa?”
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
Father,
You are beautiful beyond description,
Too marvelous for words,
Too wonderful for comprehension,
Like nothing ever seen or heard,
Who can grasp your infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depth of your love?
You are beautiful beyond description,
Majesty, enthroned above.
And I stand, I stand in awe of you,
I stand, I stand in awe of you,
Holy God to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of you.
