8/30/2026 - Romans 11:25-36 - From Him, Through Him, To Him

There’s a grove of olive trees in the hill country that’s been tended, some say, for over a thousand years — and it holds the key to one of the most contested passages in all of Paul’s letters. In this eleventh installment of our Romans series, “Roots & Renewal,” Pastor Schultz brings us to the doxology that closes three long chapters of argument: has God’s word to Israel failed? Paul’s answer isn’t a diagram. It’s a song of praise, and it lands on a promise that reaches straight into anyone who has ever wondered whether they’ve finally used up God’s patience.

Walking through Romans 11:25–36 (ESV), this sermon traces three simple prepositions — from him, through him, to him — that dismantle both spiritual smugness and spiritual despair. You’ll hear why Paul refuses to let his readers feel superior over anyone else’s unbelief, why the church’s long history of “displacement theology” gets confronted head-on by Paul’s own words, and why “God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable” is good news not just for Israel, but for you — for the doubt you can’t climb out of, the promise you’ve broken, the sense that grace might finally run out. It doesn’t.

If you’ve ever caught yourself anxiously checking whether you’ve disqualified yourself from God’s mercy, this message is for you. Take a few minutes to listen in — and be reminded that salvation was never something you had to earn, protect, or hold together on your own. From him, through him, and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.

Listening Guide

Big Idea: Salvation is from God, through God, and to God — not a transaction you started, keep running, or get credit for.

I. From Him — Salvation Did Not Start With You (vv. 25–29)

— What is the “mystery” Paul discloses about Israel’s partial hardening (v. 25)?

— Why does Paul warn the Gentile believers against being “wise in your own sight”?

— How should God’s irrevocable gifts and calling (v. 29) shape the church’s posture toward the Jewish people — and toward anyone we’re tempted to write off?

II. Through Him — Salvation Does Not Run on You (vv. 30–32)

— Count how many times “mercy” appears in verses 30–32. What does that repetition emphasize?

— Where are you tempted to anxiously “check” whether you’ve used up God’s patience?