Our text for today is the Epistle reading from Romans 11:33-36. Let me read it again, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Here ends our text.
Who is the only true God? The only true God is the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—three distinct persons in one divine being (the Holy Trinity).
We see all three person of the Trinity during the baptism of our Lord. God the Father said of Jesus, “This is my beloved Son.” Jesus was standing in the water, and the Holy Spirit anointed Him by means of a dove. Right before Jesus ascended, he instituted baptism. He said, “Baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19).
Again, the only true God is the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—three distinct persons in one divine being (the Holy Trinity). Now this is a mystery. According to our human reason, we don’t understand it, but that’s fine. We are called to simply trust in the one true God and in the salvation which He has provided through His Son.
There are things which we know about God and there are things which we don’t know about God. There are things which are revealed to us in Scripture and there are things which are not revealed to us in Scripture.
First of all, I want to talk with you about the things which we don’t fully know about God and about things which are not revealed to us in Scripture.
St Paul says in our Epistle lesson for today, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” In other words, God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge are very deep. They surpass our human reason and human understanding. Furthermore, God’s judgments are unsearchable. They are unfathomable. We cannot measure them. God’s ways are incomprehensible. We cannot comprehend them. Again, they surpass our human reason and our human understanding.
St Paul goes on to ask three questions, “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” We don’t fully know God’s mind. We are not His counselor telling him what to do. We don’t give God a gift so that he might repay us. We don’t owe God anything. God is God. Again, we don’t fully understand everything about Him.
Sometimes, God’s ways are not our ways, and our ways are not God’s ways. There are times when we do not know why He does what He does. There are some things which we just don’t know, and we are not given to know. For example, why does this thing happen or does that thing happen? Why are some saved and not others? Why do we go through trial and tribulation? Why does it seem like the righteous suffer and the unrighteous do not?
There are times, then, when we are frustrated and angry with God. It is easy for our sinful flesh to question God; to put Him on trial. We want to be God’s boss telling Him the way things must go. We want a perfect life here on earth and when we have problems, we blame God. We want to give God instructions on how to be God.
There are times when we treat God, like a spoiled child treats his parents. Sometimes, a child wants to know why a parent does this or that and the parent responds, “Because I said so.” The parents are in authority, and they know what is best. So, also. God is God and He knows things better than we do. He is smarter than any one of us. God said to Moses, “I am who I am.”
So, there are things which we don’t fully know about God and about things which are not revealed to us in Scripture. But don’t worry about the unknown. We are children of God, and we are called to simply trust in God and in the salvation which He has provided through His Son.
I now want to talk with you about the things which we know about God and about things which are revealed to us in Scripture.
What do we know about God? We know from Scripture that God is our creator. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He brought everything into existence by the power of His Word. But furthermore, God preserves His creation by giving us our food and clothing and all that we need. We attribute creation to God the Father, the first person of the Trinity.
What do we know about sin? We know from Scripture that sin is in us because Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. A sinful nature was passed down to us through our parents and we pass it down to our children. Because of our sinful nature, we cannot save ourselves, nor can we earn favor with God by what we do.
The prophet Isaiah, in our Old Testament reading for today, confessed that he is sinful by nature. He said, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips!” We also confessed this morning to our almighty God, our merciful Father saying, “I am a poor miserable sinner.” We have sinned in in thought, word, and deed. We justly deserve His temporal and eternal punishment.
What do we know about God as our redeemer? We know from Scripture that Jesus is our Savior. He became incarnate and was born of the virgin Mary. Jesus is both God and man. He is both divine and human. He lived a perfect life in our place. He died upon the cross for our sins. He redeemed us from sin, death and the devil. On the third day He rose from the dead. He is the second person of the Holy Trinity in human flesh.
What do we know about the Holy Spirit? We know from Scripture that the Holy Spirit sanctifies us; that is, He makes us holy. The Holy Spirit gave you a spiritual birth, a birth from above, a birth from God. The Holy Spirit has given you salvation by means of water and the Spirit when you were baptized. The Holy Spirit also helps us to love one another. He helps us to do good works for the sake of our neighbor. He works in us the fruit of love, joy, and peace toward one another. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity.
What do we know about the forgiveness of sins? We know from Scripture that in Christ there is the forgiveness of sins. In Christ, God removes our sin as far as the east is from the west and He remembers them no more. The prophet Isaiah was forgiven. A hot coal from the altar touched his mouth and the seraphim said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” So also, for you. Earlier you heard the words, “I forgive you all your sin.” You also hear the Gospel preached from this pulpit. A hot coal from the altar will not touch your mouth, but our Lord’s body and blood will be given to you for the forgiveness of sins.
What do we know about God? We know from Scripture that God is love. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he sent his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” God loves the world. He loves you and me. He loves everyone.
How did God show His love to the world? God the Father loved the world in this way, namely by sending His only begotten Son to die for our sins upon the cross. Christ’s atoning sacrifice upon the cross is true love in action. Romans chapter five says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v 8). 1 John chapter four says, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sin” (v 10). God’s love is not an emotion, but it is an action. His love is a self-giving, sacrificial love on our behalf and for our salvation.
Finally, how are we saved? We know from Scripture that we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ. Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but will have everlasting life.
Reject Jesus and you reject a God who loves. Reject Jesus and you reject the one true God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Reject Jesus and you reject salvation by grace through faith in Christ. Reject Jesus (as do all other world religions) and you view God as an angry god who must be appeased by works.
So, don’t worry about things which we do not know and are not given to know. Rather, hold on to what you know from Scripture, namely, that God is our creator. He forgives our sin on account of His Son. We are saved through faith in Christ. God sustains our life on earth with daily bread, food, and clothing. He blesses us with life, family, and church. He guides us and He loves us. We also love and care for others. We look forward to heaven when we will fully know God and will see Him face to face.
So, who is the only true God? The only true God is the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—three distinct persons in one divine being (the Holy Trinity). This is a mystery. We don’t understand it, but that’s fine. We are called to simply trust in the one true God and in the salvation which He has provided through His Son.
All glory be to God the Father who created us and who gives us our daily bread. All glory be to God the Son who redeemed us with His own blood and through whom we have the forgiveness of sins. All glory be to the Spirit who has given us faith in Christ and who preserves us in this one true faith.
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
