Divine Debt

From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36)

After carefully laying out eleven chapters that systematically explain all that God has done for the believer, Paul concluded this section of his magnificent epistle to the Christians in Rome with one of the most pregnant passages in all of Scripture, a passage that makes it crystal clear that all of life is to be lived for the glory of God. Romans 11:36 explains that this is because we owe God everything for all that we are and all that we have. There is nothing we have that He has not graciously given to us (1 Corinthians 4:7), and the more we have, the more we are in debt to the One who has given it to us.

Let’s look at this glorious verse more closely.

• From Him

Here Paul is telling us that God is the source of all things. As the Creator, He is the first cause of all things in the universe from the very beginning; all things were created with God’s stamp of approval on them as “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

• Through Him

Paul builds on the fact that God is the source of all things by making it clear that God is also the Sustainer of all things. God is not, as some have suggested, a distant deity who created all things and then departed from the scene, allowing things to unfold as they may. God is personally present and actively involved in every detail of life every day, sustaining all things by His powerful Word (Hebrews 1:3) .

• To Him

Paul’s letter makes it clear that God not only is the source and sustainer of all things in the universe, He is working everything according to His perfect plan and purpose to expand the cause of His kingdom (Ephesians 1:11).

Finally, after telling us that all things are from Him, through Him, and to Him, Paul finished his holy hymn with one of the most remarkable statements of worship contained within the Word of God: “To him be the glory forever!” Every one of us exists in a state of divine debt, which is the greatest debt we can ever owe. As I said earlier, the more we have, the more we are in debt to the One who has given it to us.

I don’t know where this message finds you today. Perhaps you are in a season of plenty or a season of want. Maybe you are in a season of serenity or a season of struggle. But regardless of where this finds you, if you have Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you have everything, and so we echo Paul and exult, “To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!