Behold The Glory Of God

To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.
–Romans 16:27

Paul closed the book of Romans by encouraging us to behold the glory of God. In verses 25-27, he wrote, “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”

Paul began his letter to the Romans by talking about God, and he closed with praise to God. I want you to notice that he closed by praising God for three specific things.

First of all, Paul praised God for His power. “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel” (16:25). That word “establish” means to steady or to stabilize. Have you ever heard people say, “Christianity is just a crutch for the weak”? The next time somebody says that to you, you say to them, “You are absolutely right. Christianity is a crutch for the weak, and we are all weak.” Sometimes it takes a dramatic event in our lives to remind us of just how weak we are. Paul was saying, “In those times, praise be to God for His ability to stabilize us.”

Second, Paul praised God for His salvation. His ability to steady us is “according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past” (16:25). In other words, the reason we are able to be stabilized when our world crashes around us is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the good news that even though we are distant from God, headed for an eternity in Hell, God has offered salvation through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. There is a way out of our dilemma. That is the gospel.

Finally, Paul praised God for His wisdom. He wrote in verse 27, “To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever.” Earlier in this letter to the Romans, Paul mentioned the wisdom of God: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (11:33). He again praised God for His incomparable wisdom. Because we are trapped in time and space, we can only think about the here and now. The reason we have trouble with adversity is we cannot think beyond today, much less beyond this life.

We cannot see beyond today, but God can; and He is able to take all things and work them together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. It was that realization that caused Paul to say with confidence, “To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.” That is the book of Romans.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Beware And Behold” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2014.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.