AUDIO PODCAST

SUMMARY

Instead of letting Satan weaponise our ignorance against us, we must pick up the weapon of knowledge to enforce his defeat and our victory. It is time to search. It is time to understand. It is time to reign.

ROMANS 11:33–36

In our Bible Study this morning we continue our deepdive of Romans.

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable [endless, vast not inscrutable] are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

THE MIND OF THE LORD: BEYOND MYSTERY, TOWARD PARTICIPATION

Many—even in church circles—love to proclaim how “unsearchable” God’s ways are, often with a tone of passive awe or resigned mystery. The phrase is usually anchored in reverence for God’s sovereignty, a truth Scripture firmly affirms. But this awe, if not handled rightly, can subtly morph into spiritual fatalism—an attitude that assumes God is too incomprehensible to engage with, too transcendent to partner with. But this is not the message of Romans 11, nor the broader message of Scripture.

The key truth we overlook is this: God has made His sovereign will known. That is what the Bible is—a record of God’s mind, desires, judgments, plans, and promises. It is not a divine riddle meant to be revered at arm’s length, but a living document of covenant, wisdom, and cooperation. The mystery of God is not a wall to keep man out—it is an invitation to pursue, to ask, seek, and knock (Matt. 7:7). “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6), not for lack of sovereignty. The problem is not God’s hiddenness; the problem is often our indifference.

• Romans 1–11 = DOCTRINE.FRAMEWORK
• Romans 12–16 = DUTY.ACTION.COOPERATION
• ROMANS 1-16 = TRANSFORMATION.EXPERIENCE

Since God has revealed His sovereign will through the record we call the Bible, any ignorance is voluntary.

The same Paul who stood in reverent awe at the depth and mystery of God’s wisdom in Romans 11:33–36 also spoke with bold clarity in 2 Corinthians 1:19–20, declaring that God’s promises are not vague, fluctuating, or elusive.

“For the promises of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you… was not Yes and No, but in Him it is always Yes.

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him.” In other words, God’s will is not “yes for some, no for others,” or “yes today, no tomorrow.” It is not a divine maybe because of some impenetrable divine logic. Through Christ, the ambiguous becomes emphatic. The unsearchable becomes available. The hidden riches of God’s intent are revealed and ratified in the person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, to treat God’s sovereignty as unknowable while ignoring His revealed promises is to miss the entire heartbeat of the gospel. Christ is God’s yes—the divine confirmation—of every word God has ever spoken. In Him, the mystery and majesty of Romans 11 meets the practical certainty of 2 Corinthians 1.

However, despite the extraordinary lengths God has gone to in making His promises clear and accessible, they remain ineffective without our confirmation—our agreement, our Amen. Transformation in our lives and situations remains elusive, not because God is silent, but because we fail to respond. This is not innocent ignorance—it is, at best, voluntary blindness and, at worst, spiritual complacency. And such neglect carries a heavy cost.

GOD’S WISDOM: NOT HIDDEN FROM US, BUT FOR US

John Calvin wrote of Romans 11:

“Here Paul shuts the mouths of all, when he shows that all things are of God, and therefore nothing is left to man to glory in.”

This humility is essential. But humility is not the same as ignorance. We are called not to glory in ourselves but to glory in the Lord (Jer. 9:24)—and part of that glory is the astonishing fact that He shares His thoughts with His people.

“we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,” (1 Corinthians 1:23)

Humanity stands face to face with the devastating aftermath of sin—the chaos, dysfunction, and suffering it has unleashed. All of history, from the building of cities and the rise of civilisations to the formation of governments and the development of technology, reflects mankind’s tireless attempt to impose order on a world unravelled by disorder

Matthew Henry emphasises that humans cannot surpass God’s wisdom regarding salvation; it isn’t something we can earn, as the Jews attempted, or deduce on our own, as the Gentiles tried (1 Corinthians 1:23). Instead, our proper response is one of awe and surrender to God’s salvific plan, which calls for both understanding and cooperation. Henry did not advocate for a lifestyle based intellectual apathy but that we must seek wisdom—divine intelligence—from its source:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach” (James 1:5).

Man’s so-called wisdom only leads to more problems down the road, whereas God’s wisdom always leads to restoration and preservation.

TOZER: THE DANGER OF A MANAGEABLE GOD

A. W. Tozer warns:

“We tend immediately to reduce God to manageable terms… But a God who can be fully understood is no God at all.”

This is true. God is not a machine we control. But neither is His will a fog we must forever fumble through. The Holy Spirit—the very Spirit of God—has been given to teach us all things (John 14:26), to guide us into all truth (John 16:13), and to help us discern spiritual things (1 Cor. 2:14–16).

We are not left with blank stares and empty hands. Scripture clearly teaches us:

• “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16).
• “By faith we understand…” (Heb. 11:3).

The Bible is not a mystical relic, it is divine intelligence—God’s wisdom—in written form. The same Paul who wrote the doxology in Romans 11:33-36 also wrote in 2 Timothy 3:15-17:

You, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation [preservation, restoration, deliverance, help, rescue etc.] through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

IGNORANCE IS NOT A VIRTUE

It is vital to see that Romans 11:33–36 does not end Paul’s argument with a shrug—it ends with worship—thus setting the stage for Romans 12. The “depth” of God’s wisdom is not an abyss to fear, but a treasure to mine. The unsearchable riches of Christ are not inaccessible; they are unending (Eph. 3:8). You may not know everything, but you can know everything you need to fulfill your role in God’s redemptive plan. Peter affirms that our knowledge of the word/will of God is vital to our experience of God’s all encompassing salvation not only for the life hereafter but, importantly, for this life:

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises [recorded for our convenience in Scripture], so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world” (2 Peter 1:3-4)

The prophet Hosea places ignorance in stark contrast to this. Hosea 4:6 thunders:

“My people are destroyed because of lack of knowledge.”

Destroyed! Not because they lacked power. Not because God was silent. Because they did not know.They were ignorant.

Romans chapters 1–11 set the doctrinal framework: man’s sin, God’s mercy, justification by faith, and the plan for restoration. Chapters 12–16 call us to duty and action. Romans 11:33–36 is the hinge between these two—praise breaks forth from Paul’s lips, not because the knowledge of God is unreachable, but because it is so rich, so deep, so trustworthy that it calls us to respond. When we embrace God’s revealed will,engage with it and internalise it, we begin to experience the promise of transformation.

COOPERATING WITH SOVEREIGNTY

From Genesis to Revelation, God is not just declaring sovereignty; He is inviting cooperation.

• In Genesis 3, humanity forfeits dominion.
• From Abraham to Moses, God seeks covenant partners to restore what was lost.
• Abraham reasons with God (Gen. 18).
• Moses negotiates with God for mercy (Ex. 32).
• Isaiah 45:11 says: “Concerning the work of my hands, command ye me.”
  

This demonstrates to us that God invites us into covenantal participation to rectify the corruption of His divine will caused by sin.

God has always looked for those who will stand in the gap (Ezek. 22:30), those who understand the times and know what to do (1 Chron. 12:32), those who—like Job—experience restoration when they begin to intercede for others (Job 42:10).

DO NOT CHOOSE IGNORANCE

The sovereignty of God is not an excuse for spiritual laziness. It is not a reason to avoid study, intercession, or obedience. John 8:31–32 says:

“If you continue in my word, then you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The truth you don’t know cannot set you free.

The gospel [good news] does not save us by osmosis—it saves us by revelation, faith, and cooperation. It must be internalised and applied.

OUTRO: ENFORCING WRITTEN JUDGMENT

Psalm 149:6–9 declares:

“Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword [Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 6:17] in their hand, To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron [Mark 3:27];
To execute upon them the written judgment : this honour [duty] have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.”

This is not poetic flair—it is spiritual assignment. The saints are not passive observers of God’s will, but participants in its enforcement. That enforcement begins with Scripture, deepened by understanding, and weaponised through faith and praise. You can’t enforce what you do not know!

CALL TO ACTION

Do not settle for vague reverence when God is offering you divine intelligence. Don’t let sovereignty become your excuse—let it be your motivation. The Bible is your briefing document. The Spirit is your teacher. Dig deep. Study the Word. Ask for wisdom. Seek the mind of Christ. Cooperate with heaven and enforce His written judgments on the earth. Don’t choose ignorance when you can choose revelation. Ignorance may seem comfortable, but is it fatal. It definitely is not bliss! Choose knowledge. Choose alignment. Choose experience over theory. Choose the gospel—not just in word, but in power.

“I know the plans I have for you….you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you… You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:11–13)

Instead of letting Satan weaponise our ignorance against us, we must pick up the weapon of knowledge to enforce his defeat and our victory. It is time to search. It is time to understand. It is time to reign.

MEMORY VERSE:

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
— Hosea 4:6

Not because God is silent. But because we stopped listening. We chose inaction and voluntary ignorance with the erroneous excuse that God’s will is sovereign and unknowable. Fortunately, this is easy to remedy.

DEVOTIONAL PRAYER:

Father of Wisdom,
You are high above all, yet You invite me to come close.
Forgive me for treating Your Word like a mystery instead of a map.
Awaken in me a hunger to understand,
a courage to ask,
and a willingness to obey.
Let me never hide my inaction behind Your sovereignty
to excuse my ignorance.
Instead, clothe me with revelation,
teach me by Your Spirit,
and shape my thoughts with the mind of Christ.
I want to walk in step with You—
not just admiring Your will,
but enforcing it with faith, praise, and holy action.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. In what areas of my life have I passively accepted confusion or delay as “God’s will” instead of actively seeking His mind through Scripture?
   • Romans 11 calls us to awe, but also to engagement. Have I mistaken mystery for distance?
2. Do I see the Bible as divine intelligence—God’s revealed strategy for my victory—or merely as a religious text?
   • How would my choices change if I truly believed that God’s will is knowable and available?
3. Have I ever allowed the doctrine of God’s sovereignty to become an excuse for spiritual apathy?
   • Consider whether I’ve delayed obedience, withheld praise, or avoided study because “God will do what He wants anyway.”
4. What written judgments (promises, prophecies, commands) do I need to start enforcing in faith rather than simply admiring?
   • According to Psalm 149, execution of God’s Word is not optional—it’s the honour and duty of the saints.
5. Where am I currently being destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)?
   • Am I blaming the enemy, society, or my circumstances, when the real issue may be that I have not yet searched for God with all my heart?