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Wednesday, November 1, 2017

How The Attributes Of God And Inspired Scriptures Are Cause For Praise In Romans 11:33-36

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Romans 11:33-35 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?

Introduction:

In our last post we considered why God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e. God, after all, is the Greatest Conceivable Being. He is Maximally Great, possessing great-making properties such as omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence. Just as people who conclude the Grand Canyon to be a good enough destination to travel thousands of miles because of its "worthiness" of being a vacation spot, God far exceeds the Grand Canyon! 

Sadly, sin and the fall have rendered our spiritual eyes blind and our spiritual senses dead. What "ought" to be obvious ends up being ignored by the unbeliever. Authors such as the late Christopher Hitchens wrote books like "God is not Great" to express the epitome of unbelieving man's attitude toward God. The Holy Spirit of God is necessary to open eyes and resurrect the spiritual senses for people to see God as worthy of praise.

A couple of days ago we observed that God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e due to His power and the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Today we carry on to contemplate more reasons why God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e.

Attributes of God

Whenever one reads the Bible, keeping in mind God's attributes aid greatly in understanding the remainder of Biblical doctrine. The attributes of God stand as a backdrop to the Biblical text. As we journey with God's people through the deserts of Sinai in Numbers or to the cool refreshing waters of Colossae (Paul's letter to the Colossians), we see God's attributes. Such attributes are found in Romans 11:33-35 - namely, God's knowledge, wisdom, judgments and ways are described as "unsearchable" and "unfathomable". 

In verse 35 we find reference to God's mind, as well as indirect reference to the Trinity by mention of the Person of the Holy Spirit. God's qualities act as rays of the sun directing our spiritual eyes and senses back to the source. We experience God's energies, which are the sum of His essence, which no man has seen nor can see (1 Timothy 6:16). God's revelation in Jesus enables us to truly know God in the Person of the Son and His power demonstrates His worthiness to be praised. Hence, God's attributes are cause for praise. But now let's notice another reason for praising God in these verses.

Inspired Scriptures

The Apostle Paul's doxology in Romans 11:33-35 is a quotation of verses from Isaiah 40:13 and Job. God has seen fit to disclose Himself in three primary ways: general revelation in creation; fullness of revelation in Jesus and special revelation in the scriptures. God's wisdom and voice are conveyed by them (Psalm 19:7-14). It is by the scriptures that God conveys His will (2 Peter 1:20-21); gives His instructions (2 Timothy 3:16); exercises His authority (1 Timothy 4:13-16) and reveals His redemptive purposes. Paul's doxology expresses all that Paul has concluded from his own inspired letter to the Romans as well as the other texts quoted in his writings. 

So God is worthy of praise due to...

Power of God
Revelation of Jesus Christ
Attributes of God
Inspired Scriptures

Next time we will consider two final reasons from Romans 11:33-36 as to why God is worthy of p.r.a.i.s.e.