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Sermon #3290

Dependent on God's Mercy

A Sermon on Romans 11:28-32

Originally preached April 2, 1965

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Scripture

Romans 11:28-32 ESV KJV
As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because …

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Sermon Description

In this sermon on Romans 11:28–32 titled “Dependent on God’s Mercy,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches that faith is not merely an intellectual belief; it is an action and an obedience. Even while God frowns, He still loves. Look at the position of a non-believer – blind and disobedient before God. Rejoice in knowing that salvation is entirely a result of God’s mercy looking down upon humanity with pity. It is no result of a person’s doing. These are God's people. Jews and Gentiles alike are found to be disobedient, yet God pours out His mercy to both. God’s object is to show mercy; the concept of “mercy upon all” is not universalism. There is a great distinction between the saved and the lost. He caused the evangelization of the Gentiles to rapidly grow due to the rejection of the Jews to the very same gospel. God used the belief of the Gentiles to stir the Jews and bring them to salvation. God made foolish the things of this world and natural humanity cannot believe the things of God because He has shut them up in unbelief. God shows that nothing matters except for His mercy.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The apostle Paul is explaining and expounding on the prophecy in Romans 11:25-26 about the salvation of Israel.
  2. In Romans 11:28-29, Paul says God views the Jews in two ways: as enemies of the gospel but beloved in terms of election. God's gifts and calling are irrevocable.
  3. In Romans 11:30-31, Paul says the Gentiles were once disobedient but now have received mercy through Jewish disobedience. The Jews are now disobedient so they can receive mercy through God's mercy to the Gentiles.
  4. In Romans 11:32, Paul says God has imprisoned all in disobedience so he can have mercy on all. "All" refers to Jews and Gentiles, not every individual. God shut up the Gentiles and Jews in unbelief to show his mercy.
  5. God deliberately emphasized the hopelessness of Jews and Gentiles to show that salvation comes only through his mercy. The Gentiles' salvation and the Jews' future salvation show this.
  6. No one can save themselves. God chooses the foolish and weak to shame the wise and strong so that no one can boast before him (1 Cor. 1:27-29).
  7. God has hidden the truth from the wise and revealed it to infants because it pleased him (Matt. 11:25-26). No one knows the Father except the Son and those the Son chooses to reveal him to.
  8. We are all born dead in sin and cannot believe or understand spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14). God has imprisoned all in unbelief to show his mercy is what saves. His mercy saved Gentiles and will save Jews.

The Book of Romans

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.