Only Wise God

John Piper in preaching on Romans 16:25-27 talks about the infinite wisdom of God and the great goal of God in our salvation.

"The great goal of God’s work in salvation is that all the elect from every people and tribe and language and nation would boast with white hot allegiance only in the Lord, and not in themselves."

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John Piper, "The Great Work of the Only Wise God"

Romans 16:25-27
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

When Paul comes to the final phrases of his doxology—the final phrases of the entire book of Romans—he emphasizes one attribute of God, namely, his wisdom. Verse 27: “To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”

My aim in this message is to open a window in your mind to the infinite expanses of the wisdom of God, so that you see it more clearly and admire him more intensely and trust him more firmly and thus obey him more consistently and joyfully—to the end that your life would display the glory of his wisdom more compellingly. You don’t have to remember all that. Just pray that it happen.

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So Paul continues like this:

(Verses 30-31)
He [God the Father] is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

This is the greatest goal of salvation. This is what infinite wisdom was aiming at. “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” God has chosen us, purchased us, called us, and done everything else involved in our salvation, from eternity to eternity, with perfect wisdom—that is, in such a way as to strip us of all boasting before God in ourselves, and replace it with boasting only in the Lord.

The great goal of God’s work in salvation is that all the elect from every people and tribe and language and nation would boast with white hot allegiance only in the Lord, and not in themselves. Beware of saying you could have found a better way to do it. “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” You do not know enough to counsel God about the way he saves. Rather, let us bow our heads with broken-hearted humility and learn what infinite wisdom does. And then, let your whole life be one consistent boasting in the Lord alone.

-- see link for the entire sermon --