John 12:34-43: Sovereign Grace and the Hardening of Sinners

Scripture Reading

1 Peter 2:7–10 “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Intro

How gracious is God’s grace?

Do we truly realize… do we truly understand just how good, kind, merciful, and gracious God is towards us who believe?

What’s the difference between us and someone who doesn’t believe?

We are just as sinful… just as hard hearted… we were just as much as an enemy of God as anyone else.

Just as dead in our sins unable and unwilling to come to Christ…

Were it not for God’s sovereign and merciful grace.

We don’t just see God’s kindness in grace in saving us from our sin…

We also see the depth… height, width, and breadth of God’s grace to draw us to Himself in His terrible judgment in hardening sinners in their sin and giving them over the unbelief.

The same unbelief we all had… and the same unbelief we all deserved.

Our big idea from John 12:34-43 is this:

God judges sinners by hardening their hearts in unbelief while sovereignly and graciously saving all His elect.

In this sermon, we are going to deal with one of the most terrifying and difficult doctrines of our faith and my hope is that it will help us to see… magnify… and glorify God’s glorious grace.

We have a lot to get to today so let’s start with point number one and John 12:34-36…

I. Believe in Christ and You Will Be Saved!

John 12:34–36 So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.

These are some of the last words of Jesus’ public ministry, and with these words John is driving us to a decision point and inviting us into an invitation to faith.

Jesus’ last words are a message of salvation and judgment to basically ask everyone there then and everyone here today… What are you going to do with Jesus?

In the context… Jesus had just prophesied His own death.

John 12:32–33 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die… namely His death on the cross.

Christ died in our place for our sins.

He paid for our sins by offering His life as a pure and spotless sacrifice where all our sins were laid on Him and the wrath of God was poured out in full.

He gave His life as our substitute.

But the Jews couldn’t believe it.

In their minds, the Messiah was going to live forever.

Kick out the Romans and establish Jerusalem over all the nations of the earth.

And so when Jesus said He was going to die…

That He was going to be lifted up and crucified on a cross…

They said What do you mean? How?

We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?

How can you say He is going to die?

Who is this Son of Man?

That’s not the Messiah we have!

That’s not the Messiah we were promised?

What kind of Messiah are you?

And Jesus’ answer is… the only kind of Messiah who can save us from our sins.

John 12:35-36 So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

At first glance it might appear that Jesus totally ignores their question.

But that’s not it.

He tells them to believe in Him and all their questions will be answered.

How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up?

Because only if the Son of Man is lifted up can we be saved from all our sin.

Its the same language from John 3:14–15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

The Son of Man must be lifted up to pay for our sins so that we might have eternal life.

And Who is the Son of Man?

Who is this King and Messiah who alone can save us from all our sins?

Jesus.

The Light of the World standing right in front of them (John 8:12).

Grace

Jesus said The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light lest darkness over take you.

Jesus is talking about His death.

In John 7:33 Jesus… said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.”

And when Jesus says Walk while you have the light lest darkness over take you… that corresponds to what He says in verse 36 believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.

Walking in the light is believing in Christ.

Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12).

With some of the last words of His public ministry Jesus is calling them all to believe… the same call He gives each and everyone of us today.

Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).

In Jesus’ words we see the amazing grace of God.

On the verge of His crucifixion… in the midst of His own people and the whole world rejecting Him…

Jesus still offers them grace.

Adoption… the forgiveness of sins… and eternal life.

Judgment

But that’s not all that Jesus does.

Jesus doesn’t just offer them grace… He warns them of condemnation and judgment.

He says Walk while you have the light… believe in the light… believe, trust, cast all your soul on me!… lest darkness overtake you.

Those are the two paths: Grace and Judgment.

And they both hinge on what you do with Jesus.

The one who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.

Philippians 3:19 Their end is destruction…

The one who rejects Christ and lives in sin is ultimately lost… blind… groping in the dark walking toward their own death and condemnation.

To reject Christ is to bring your condemnation on your own head.

The Bible says for the wages of sin is death and all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 6:23, 3:23).

Believe in the light… believe in Christ… lest darkness… sin, death, and condemnation… overtakes you.

While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.

That you may be born again… forgiven of all your sins and adopted as a beloved son or daughter of God with all the privileges and blessings that adoption brings.

Peace. Rest. The cleansing of sin… Reconciliation with God and Eternal Life.

There is no other name under heaven… by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

As Isaiah says in Isaiah 50:10 Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.

Trust in Jesus Christ.

Today

But notice what Jesus was also saying.

He says it two times.

While you have the light

Walk while you have the light.

Believe while you have the light.

The offer of the Gospel will not go on extended forever.

For these very Jews, it was about to be taken away.

Acting out a living breathing parable of judgement and the urgency necessary for the Jews to believe… Jesus departed and hid Himself from them.

What if today’s that day?

I’m speaking to unbelievers.

What if today whether by death or by providence is the last day you ever get to hear and are ever given an opportunity to believe.

There will be a last time for everyone.

What are you going to do with the gospel offered to you today?

In the words of Jesus Believe in the light lest the darkness overtake you.

There will not always be tomorrow.

There will not even always be a next time I’ll believe.

One day I’ll give my life to Christ.

Christ departed and hid Himself from them.

Every time you reject the gospel you make your heart harder in unbelief.

What if today is the last day the light is available to you?

Heed the words of Hebrews 3 Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion (Hebrews 3:7-8).

For Behold… 2 Corinthians 6:2… now is the favorable time; behold, now… today… is the day of salvation.

Trust in Jesus Christ.

As Isaiah says Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon! (Isaiah 55:6-7).

Believe in the Lord and trust in Him with saving faith.

And that takes us to point number 2…

What is saving faith?

II. Saving Faith Follows Christ All or Nothing No Matter the Cost

John 12:41–43 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Now you might have noticed, we skipped verses 37-40.

Don’t worry we are going to come back to those.

But the reason we are going down to verses 41-43 is because these verses give us the outcome or the immediate result of Jesus’ call to faith.

Verses 37-40 are the reason why so many of the Jews did not believe in Christ…

Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him…

Because God had blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts in unbelief as prophesied in the Book of Isaiah.

Faith

But with these verses, we are told that some believed in Him.

Many even…

And so you have some that reject Jesus and some that believe in Him…

But even then there is something lacking in their faith.

But for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it.

And I think John is using this for His original audience who struggled with Apostasy and not confessing Christ because of the cost it would bring…

To draw our eyes to what true saving faith actually looks like.

True saving faith follows Christ all or nothing no matter the cost.

What kept the Pharisees back from confessing Christ was that they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

And they did not confess Christ because the Pharisees had said that anyone who confessed Christ would be put out of the synagogue.

They would be excommunicated… cut off… they would lose everything if they followed Jesus.

But that’s just the kind of discipleship Jesus calls us to.

Jesus said If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24).

An all or nothing faith that trust in Christ alone as our only hope an Savior with all of our heart mind, soul and strength…

And an all or nothing discipleship that follow Christ and submits to Him as King of kings and Lord of lords no matter the cost.

A faith and discipleship that says whatever it takes…

All of my life… all that I am… all that I have… everything is all for Christ.

A faith that:

Hates your own life…

Leaves everything behind…

And is willing to be hated by the world…

As He said So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:33).

And Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Matthew 16:24-26).

Genuine Saving faith trusts in Christ as Savior and follows Him as Lord all or nothing… no matter the cost.

Does that describe your faith?

Does that describe your discipleship to Jesus?

All or nothing no matter the cost or are we still living for the world loving the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God?

Have you died to yourself and the things of this world?… given up everything and left everything behind to be a follower of Christ?

Are you living all of your life for Him and His glory or something else?

Glory

There’s a really interesting word play here that’s easy to miss.

John says Isaiah said these things because he saw His glory and spoke of Him… speaking of Jesus.

And the ones who believed did not confess their faith openly for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Same word.

Well what’s John talking about?

How Isaiah saw the glory of Christ in the two quotations from Isaiah that John gives.

Suffering Servant

In verse 38 Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

That passage comes from Isaiah 53.

The same passage that prophesies Christ death on the cross as a substitute for sinners.

Its the same passage that says he was despised and rejected by men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief… the very thing happening here (Isaiah 53:3).

And he was pierced for our transgressions… crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:5-6).

So the first thing that John wants us to see is that Isaiah saw the glory of Christ as the Suffering Servant who died in our place for our sins.

King

And then verse 40: He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them…

In the immediate context, that verse comes from Isiah’s vision of the Lord exalted on the throne in His heavenly temple.

Isaiah 6:1 I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple with angels calling to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3).

And what’s amazing is that John says in that vision Isaiah saw a preincarnate Christ.

No one has ever seen God or can see God so when Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up sitting on the throne…

He saw the Son who is the radiance of the glory of God and the only way we can see, know and draw near to God the Father (1 Timothy 6:16, Hebrews 1:3).

So what you have is Isaiah saw the glory of Christ as the Suffering Servant in verse 38, and here as the Exalted King of kings and Lord of lords.

And John’s point in using that word play here where they loved the glory that comes form man more than the glory that comes from God was to say...

Are you going to live for that glory or the glory of man and the glory that comes from this world?

Count the cost!

Genuine, Saving faith counts everything as nothing compared to the glory of Christ.

Lay down your life and live all of your life for Him!

Saving faith trusts in Christ as Savior… The Suffering Servant who died in our place for our sins… and follows Him as Lord… the Exalted King of kings and Lord of lords.

Saving faith sees His glory and lives all of our lives for Him!

Saving Faith Follows Christ All or Nothing No Matter the Cost… sacrifices everything for His glory.

And that takes us to point number 3…

Genuine, saving faith is our response to who God is and what God has done in Jesus Christ.

Because Genuine, saving faith…

III. Faith is a Gift of God’s Free, Sovereign, and Merciful Grace

John 12:37–40 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”

In these verses John gives us the reasons for the Jews unbelief and it describes one of the most difficult doctrines the Word of God calls us to believe.

God’s sovereign hardening of sinners to keep them from believing in Jesus Christ in judgment for their sins.

Let’s start by just looking at what it says.

Though He had done so many signs before them, [the Jews] still did not believe.

And then John says: so that.

That’s interesting… that’s a purpose statement.

Meaning the reason that the Jews did not believe was to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah.

And then John gives us two.

Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

This is the same passage that says Jesus would be despised and rejected among men.

And revealed implies that the Jews could not see… and that God’s power and salvation revealed in the signs and miracles of Christ… that’s the arm of the Lord… was not revealed but kept hidden from them.

And that’s why John says Therefore… they could not believe.

Could not believe?

For again Isaiah said He [being God] has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart…

So God blinded and hardened them…

lest… that’s another purpose statement.

Why did God blind and harden?

Lest… so that they would not… see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.

God blinded and hardened them so that they would not see and believe in Jesus Christ.

This is a hard and difficult truth.

God in His sovereign and infinitely wise judgment hardens sinners in unbelief lest they turn and believe in Jesus Christ.

Elsewhere Isaiah 44:18 says They know not, nor do they discern, [Why?] for he has shut their eyes, [for what purpose?] so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand.

In fact in Isaiah 6:9 the verse just before the one John quoted in verse 40 God said Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’”

God in His terrible judgment… and I don’t mean terrible as in bad I mean terrible as in horrifying… hardens sinners.

As I said… this is one of the most difficult doctrines of our faith.

It brings to mind questions How is that fair? How is that right?

How does that fit with man’s responsibility?

How does God judge someone for their sin if He hardens them in the first place?

But I hope as we work through this, you will see the glorious graciousness of God’s grace and that we as a church would give Him praise.

Reprobation

First and foremost… it must be remembered that God’s hardening of sinners in time is the working out of His eternal decree of Reprobation in eternity past.

My guess is most of you have never heard about the doctrine of Reprobation.

Calvin called it a horrible or fearful decree (MacArthur, Biblical Doctrine, 506).

Reprobate comes from the Latin word for rejection and you can think of it as the flip side of election.

If before the foundation of the world in eternity past God chose… or elected… some to salvation… then by necessity He chose not to save others but leave them in their sins.

One theologian says, “Simply put, reprobation is non-election” (Daniel, The History and Theology of Calvinism, 397).

Here’s how MacArthur defines the Doctrine of Reprobation.

The decree of reprobation is the free and sovereign choice of God, made in eternity past, to pass over certain individuals, choosing not to set his saving love on them but instead determining to punish them for their sins unto the magnification of his justice (MacArthur, Biblical Doctrine, 504).

Joel Beeke says it like this: Reprobation is that aspect of God’s eternal decree… in which he sovereignly selects, according to the incomprehensible counsel of his will, which people he will abandon to their sins, not by inducing them to sin but by freely withholding his unmerited grace, and will justly damn forever because of their sins, to the praise of his glory (Beeke, Reformed Systematic Theology: Revelation and God, Vol. 1, 996-997).

And here’s what you need to understand.

The Doctrine of Reprobation does not teach that God looked at a morally neutral mass of humanity and arbitrarily chose who would go to heaven and who would go to hell.

That’s how sometimes people treat the Doctrine of Election.

But that’s not what God does.

In election God considers us as sinners (MacArthur, Biblical Doctrine, 505).

This is logically necessary because if we are going to be elected to salvation there must be something we are saved from (Daniel, The History and Theology of Calvinism, 448).

So in election and reprobation God does not look at us as a morally neutral mass of humanity, He looks at us as sinners all of whom deserve Hell.

None of us was worthy of mercy and grace… if we were then mercy and grace would be something owed, and mercy and grace would be turned upside down on its head.

Asymmetry

It must also be noted that God’s working in election and reprobation is asymmetrical.

All are doomed and destined for Hell, and in the case of the elect God actively intervenes.

He sets His love on them and determines to rescue them from the Fall eventually, in time, actively working faith in their heart to bring them to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Its not so with the reprobate.

God does not actively work sin or unbelief in their heart.

They have enough of that of their own.

James 1:13 God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one with sin.

Rather… God merely passes over them in their sin… leaves them in their sin and to the condemnation their sins justly deserve.

And remember none of us is owed salvation… all of us deserve to die in our sin.

There is no injustice on God’s part.

We all fell into sin by our own mutability and by our own free will.

We all freely and willingly chose it.

So where God sovereignly and actively predestines the elect actively intervening to set His love on them and draw them to Himself… He does not do so in the same way with the nonelect or the reprobate.

He merely leaves them in their sin.

And this choice according to Ephesians 1:5-6 is according to nothing more than the good pleasure of His will to praise of His glorious grace.

Why did God choose to save one and not the other?

Its not because this one was better or that one was any more sinful… we are all equally sinful before God.

Its all of grace.

God chose in His infinite wisdom that it would bring Him the most glory to do so.

And then from that eternal decree before the foundation of the world, God hardens sinners.

Hardens

Again God does not tempt anyone to sin or make them sin.

In hardening sinners God merely withholds His restraining grace… which again He is not obligated to give… and gives them over to the sin they willingly chose.

‌Calvin describes it as God giving them over so that they give over themselves to sin and temptation… further unbelief (Daniel, The History and Theology of Calvinism, 419-420).

This is what the Jews experienced. It is a judicial hardening meaning it is an outworking of God’s judgment.

We see this most clearly in Romans 1 where God gave them up to impurity and the foolishness of their minds (Romans 1:21, 24, 28).

God gives them their sin to harden them in their sin.

What a terrible judgment and one that reminds us to be quick to repent and to not sear or harden our conscience.

Human Responsibility?

Well what about human responsibility?

How can God hold people accountable for not believing when He predestined and hardened them in their sin?

Well remember… God merely left them in their sins and then gave them over the sin to so gladly wanted.

He didn’t make anyone sin, they chose it for themselves.

But we also must recognize that these are deep waters.

God’s ways are higher than our ways… His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

The secret things belong to the Lord (Deuteronomy 29:29).

We can only say what the Bible says and go no further.

Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility might seem to be in tension with us, but not with the Lord.

Who wrote Romans?

Well Paul wrote Romans.

Really? I thought it was God?

You see both are true at the same time, as it is here.

Pharoah

Did Pharoah harden His heart or did God harden his heart?

Yes!

Judas

Was Judas the son of destruction or did He freely and willingly betray Christ?

Yes!

These things might be a mystery for us but not so with God.

We even see Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility right next to each other in our passage.

They still did not believe… verse 37… that’s Human Responsibility.

Therefore they could not believe… verse 39… Divine Sovereignty.

Both there… both in tension… but not contradiction.

Just?

Now you might ask? Well how is that fair? How is that just?

That makes God evil and a tyrant.

Paul faced that same objection.

Look at Romans 9.

In verse 13 defending the doctrine of election Paul said Jacob I have loved Esau I have hated.

Its significant that Paul uses two twins still in the womb.

On a human level… their twins. No difference between them at all just like two sinners.

And before they were born… harking back to before the foundation of the world… meaning Jacob’s election and Esau’s reprobation was not based on works, merit, will, or anything in them but only on the sovereign grace and purposes of God.

Verse 14…

Romans 9:14–18 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part?

That’s the exact question we are asking here!

By no means!

May it never be! Perish the thought!

For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

You can see God’s Sovereignty and glory being exalted.

Verse 19…

Romans 9:19–24 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”

How can God judge sinners who in their sin have no power or ability to turn to Him?

And here’s Paul’s answer…

But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

NEW SLIDE

What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

Its hard to see in the English but notice the passive and active voices.

The vessels of wrath were prepared… passive… for destruction.

They prepared themselves by their own sin.

The vessels of mercy… He has prepared… active… for glory.

The vessels of wrath God leaves and the vessels of mercy God snatches out of the fire and its all for His glory.

Panoply

God in His sovereign and infinite grace and wisdom has ordained sin, evil, salvation, and the eternal punishment of the wicked to make known all the glories of His Name.

To show us His goodness, kindness, mercy and grace and to magnify all of it… all the glories of His salvation by making known His wrath and power and all that He saved us from in Christ in the death of the wicked?

Because remember… we were all vessels of wrath… we were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind (Ephesians 2:3).

And God saved us.

So that now we don’t just know and praise God for His justice… holiness… and righteousness…

But we who were saved out of nothing but the good pleasure of God’s free and sovereign will…

Can now praise God as vessels of mercy.

Worship God for all His grace… love… mercy… and forgiveness and against that black backdrop of wrath, judgment and sin… just how free and marvelous and gracious that grace actually is.

Conclusion

Well what should be our response?

Unbeliever

Maybe you’re here and you’re not saved.

And your terrified… what if I’m one of the reprobate?

The reprobate don’t ask question’s like that.

None of the reprobate will ever believe or love in trust in Jesus.

If you believe you are one of God’s elect.

Romans 10:13… written by the same Paul that wrote Romans 9… Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

And as Jesus said in John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never… no never… not ever… cast out.

Believer

And for the believer…

God judges sinners by hardening their hearts in unbelief while sovereignly and graciously saving all His elect.

This should drive in us two things:

Thankfulness and worship.

Thankfulness and praise to God for His glorious grace.

He elected us… He predestined us… even when all of us… every single one!… deserved to be reprobate and condemned in our sin.

We were all children and vessels of wrath…

There was no good in us.

None of us sought for God or honored Him.

We hated Him!

We all deserved to be given over to our sin!

But God… gave us mercy.

Paul ends Romans 9, 10, and 11… His glorious section on God’s Sovereign Grace and the Doctrine of Election with a high, soaring doxology.

A Doxology of thankfulness and praise.

The same doxology that should be on our lips… and characterize our lives for God’s free, sovereign, and merciful grace…

Romans 11:33–36 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments 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.

Let’s Pray