Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– David Dickson
How can a finite mind describe the infinite God, much less describe His mercy toward His own children?
The Indescribable
How can a finite human being with a finite mind describe the infinite God? It simply can’t be done so how could we ever describe God’s superabundant mercy that is given to His own children? How can we unscrew the inscrutable? How can we fathom the unfathomable? How can we plumb the bottomless? We will never be able to find words to compare God’s infinitely indescribable mercy with something we can comprehend with our minds? Paul didn’t know how to express it either so he simply wrote “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift” (2 Cor 9:15)!
The Inscrutable
Paul tried and failed again, as we all would, to describe what cannot be described in Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” Paul is not asking how it is unsearchable but just how unsearchable He is and how inscrutable are His ways! They are beyond finding out, they are beyond discovering and here’s why. God gives us what we don’t deserve (eternal life) and that’s grace. Then God doesn’t give us what we really do deserve (His wrath) and that’s called mercy. Why we receive His grace and then are given mercy is beyond me. Why could anyone ever say they deserve it? Rightfully, no one can answer why God saved them and not their neighbor.
The Unknowable
God’s ways are so unknowable but that doesn’t mean that we cannot know God at least partially nor does it mean we can’t have an intimate relationship with Him. It simply means that God is infinite and He is inexhaustible. No human mind will ever comprehend God completely. We can spend all eternity once we are in His presence and for all time thereafter, never, ever completely know Him. That’s why He is God and we are not “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor” (Rom 11:33) so “To him be glory forever” (Rom 11:36b).
Conclusion
Forget even trying to express what is inexpressible. Don’t even try to define the indefinable. Can you even find adequate words to do it? It is true; the human mind cannot find a comparison too large for expressing the superabundant mercy of the Lord toward his people so why even try? Just worship Him, give Him thanks, and give Him the glory that He is due for that is all we can do.
