God's Glory Revealed (1)
A Sermon on Romans 9:19-24
Originally preached Feb. 22, 1963
Scripture
19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 20Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 21Hath …
Sermon Description
God has every right to immediately and eternally punish sin. Humanity has been warned for centuries to turn from sin and submit to Christ. While God restrains His wrath, He will not allow His voice to be ignored forever. In this sermon on Roman 9:19–24 titled “God’s Glory Revealed (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones lays out a four-fold case to explain God’s patience with sinful people. That case includes (1) the compassion of God that does not take pleasure in punishment; (2) the fact that humanity is utterly inexcusable because of the opportunities God has given; (3) the reality that when God’s wrath is revealed, it will be all the more striking; and (4) the patience and wrath of God reveal His character in ways nothing else can. The wrath of God protects His holiness, but it was His wrath that was poured out on Jesus Christ when He took humanity’s punishment for sin. That gift of salvation makes known the riches of His glory and is the most magnificent thing God does. Even the miracle of creation pales in comparison to the miracle of salvation. The fact that God would even choose to associate with humanity is staggering to Dr. Lloyd-Jones as he explains how the entire Trinity is involved in the salvation plan: it is the Father’s will to save, the Son who was executed and rose from the grave, and the Spirit who seals salvation and continues to apply the work of sanctification to the Christian’s life. This is the work God delights to do, yet it is also the work from which humanity runs. Today is the day of salvation, to stop running from God and turn to Him in humble confession of sin, believing in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is addressing an objection raised in Romans 9:19 to what he had previously taught.
- Paul rebukes anyone who questions God's justice and wisdom in choosing some for salvation and punishing others.
- Paul gives a reason for why God shows wrath and mercy. God endures the vessels of wrath to show his power and wrath, and shows mercy to the vessels of mercy to make known the riches of his glory.
- God's ultimate attribute is his glory. His glory is perfect light and perfect love. Everything God does reveals his glory in some way.
- God's glory is shown in his power and wrath, but is especially shown in his mercy and grace. His glory is most fully displayed in redemption.
- God's glory in redemption causes astonishment in heaven and will be displayed for ages to come. Even the angels long to look into God's redemptive work.
- The phrase "riches of his glory" means God's glory is infinite and unsearchable. God's glory is shown by the fact that any are saved at all.
- God's glory is shown in devising the plan of redemption - the Father planning, the Son executing, the Spirit applying. The persons of the Trinity work together in harmony to save sinners.
- God's glory is shown in the Old Testament preparation for Christ. Despite human sin and failure, God sovereignly worked out his redemptive purpose. God's glory is seen in choosing unlikely individuals like Jacob and David.
- God's glory in redemption should leave us with no objection to his justice or wisdom. If we still object, we likely know little of God's grace.
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.