God's Glory Revealed (2)
A Sermon on Romans 9:19-24
Originally preached March 1, 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
Romans 9:19–24 can sometimes be troubling to Christians. Paul’s talk of predestination, election, and God’s wrath against sinners can plunge them into discussions that challenge their intellect and instincts of the justice of God. Perhaps lost in the rigors of grappling with such important matters is the doxology which deep theology elicits in the apostle Paul –– “the riches of His glory.” In this sermon on Romans 9:19–24 titled “God’s Glory Revealed (2),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches that the glory of God is on display and shares how the Bible reveals its many aspects. While God’s glory is primarily revealed in the person of Christ and the sending of the Holy Spirit, it is often forgotten how according to Paul, the riches of God’s glory is also seen in His children. The Christian should ask themselves if they are captivated by the wonder of God’s preparing beforehand vessels of His mercy and if they find satisfaction that results in praise when reflecting upon God’s sovereign choosing and calling of sinners. They also can challenge themselves to the adoration of the riches of God’s glory like the apostle Paul. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones helps focus the listener’s attention on the awesome majesty of salvation that is revealed in Scripture.
Sermon Breakdown
- God reveals aspects of His character through all His actions. Everything God does manifests some part of who He is.
- God revealed His eternal power and Godhead through creation, as evidenced in Romans 1.
- God's wrath against sin reveals His holiness and hatred of sin. There is no injustice in God punishing sin. All deserve punishment.
- God's mercy in saving some reveals the riches of His glory. No one deserves salvation, so God is free to save whoever He chooses.
- The riches of God's glory are seen supremely in Jesus Christ - His incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and promised return. All of this was for us, the vessels of mercy.
- The riches of God's glory are seen in the work of the Holy Spirit, especially in the New Testament. The Spirit incorporates us into Christ, conforms us to Christ's image, and builds us into the Church.
- The riches of God's glory are seen in what God does in us, the vessels of mercy. He foreknew us, predestined us, called us, justified us, and is sanctifying us unto future glory.
- God's chastisement also reveals His glory, as He disciplines us unto holiness out of love as our Father.
- No one deserves glory, yet God has prepared us beforehand for glory according to His mercy. This is astounding.
- We should not question why God has only saved some. We should be amazed that any are saved at all, and praise God for the riches of His glory in showing us mercy.
- Salvation is not based on heredity or human distinction. God saves individuals from all nations according to His sovereign will.
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.