Who Has Known The Mind Of The Lord?

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements 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” (Rom. 11:33–36).

The apostle Paul explained the riches of God’s grace upon the vessels of mercy in the eleven chapters of Romans preceding these verses. He summarized all that he had said thus far when he wrote, “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all” (Rom. 11:32). The glory of God’s grace was so overwhelming to him at this point that he stops and breaks into a doxology! “Oh, the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!” (v. 33). Then Paul goes on in verse 36, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

From Him

We begin with “From Him.” The ultimate origin, or the ultimate cause, or the ultimate decisive reason for everything is God. Everything depends upon him for its existence, both in the beginning and all the way along! Colossians 1:17 says, “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” There is no explanation for what is or what happens that is deeper or more decisive than God. He is absolutely sovereign! “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works ALL THINGS according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11, emphasis added). All things are from him. 1 Corinthians 4:7 says, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” We have nothing to boast about, for we have received everything we have, including our salvation. The apostle Paul said, “But far be it for me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). As it is written in Revelations 7:10, “We know salvation belongs to our God.” The Bible ascribes salvation to God. Our salvation is determined by and dependent on God. The gift of salvation comes down to us from the Father. Scripture tells us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17).

Through Him

This brings us to “Through Him.” God is the effective means through whom everything exists. In John 1:1–3, we read, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” ALL THINGS are through him, including his redemptive purposes in salvation. No one can go over, under, or around God for salvation! They must go through God, that is, through the merits of Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 says, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Paul wrote, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus'' (1Tim. 2:5). And Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except THROUGH ME” (John 14:6, emphasis added).

No one is saved except through the mediation of Jesus. Jesus said so himself in John 6:44—“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” No wonder Romans 11:34 says, “Who has known the mind of the Lord…?” Many years ago, I was perplexed as I studied God’s word and found that he chose me before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). I looked back on my conversion experience and thought, didn’t I choose him? I spent months wrestling with this in my mind. In my study, I saw many verses that taught the sovereign election of those who are saved, yet at the same time, the Bible teaches that man must make a choice and will be held accountable for rejecting Christ. How can both of these be true at the same time? I thought this could not be true unless I could make sense of it. So I tried… and tried… and studied… and wrestled in my mind. And then it dawned on me. It is true, and I do not have to understand it! Who could expect to comprehend the infinite God who is the Lord God Almighty?

Romans 11:33 “How unsearchable are his judgements. How inscrutable his ways.”

Isaiah 55:8–9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to God but the things revealed belong to us.”

Once I settled this in my mind, I fell on my knees, bowed, and worshiped the God of my salvation. And now I join the psalmist when I pray, “O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me” (Ps. 131:1–2).

To Him

Finally, we now look at “to him.” Revelations 4:11 says, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they existed and were created.” Similarly, Paul writes, “For by him all things were created in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and FOR him” (Col. 1:16, emphasis added). God is the source and rightful end of everything that exists! God is the first cause, the effective cause, and the final cause of everything! God is the originator, the sustainer, and the goal of all creation. All things point to him. All things are TO him. Creation shouts GOD! GOD! Look to him! The heavens declare the glory of God (Ps. 19:1–4). We ascribe glory to God not only for creation but for saving us. Please take the time to look up the scriptures below and give glory to God for your salvation. You will be blessed if you do!

Give glory to God as David did. (1 Chron. 29:10–13)

Give glory to God as Nebuchadnezzar did. (Dan. 4:3)

Give glory to God as the apostle Paul did. (Eph. 3:20–21; 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15, 16)

Give glory to God as the writer of Heb did. (Heb. 13:20–21)

Give glory to God as Peter did. (1 Pet. 4:11; 2 Pet. 3:18)

Give glory to God as Jude did. (Jude 24, 25)

“Thanks be TO GOD for his inexpressible gift!" (2 Cor. 9:15, emphasis added)