Theology to Doxology

Think of a time when a friend or family member shared some exciting news with you. Maybe they’re expecting a baby, or they aced their biology final after studying endlessly. Maybe their kid won the state championship in basketball or they got an unexpected raise at work. What do you do? I am not generally an easily excitable person, but nothing gets me amped like hearing this kind of stuff from my friends and family. On the other side of the coin, do you know the feeling when someone doesn’t respond the way you expected? You’re excited and proud, and the person you’re talking to stands there looking blankly at you. You wonder if they heard you correctly or if they zoned out. This “revelation and response” that we experience in our relationships with each other is a small reflection of God’s intended way for us to interact and relate with him. 

In the first 11 chapters of Romans, Paul masterfully expressed God’s plan in history for the salvation of his people. He has anticipated objections and expounded in areas of potential confusion, but ultimately, he has demonstrated the unfathomable greatness of God through it all. Paul is about to transition from the gospel explanation of the first 11 chapters to the gospel application in chapters 12-16, but tucked right in between these two main sections is the bridge between the two. 

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. (Romans 11:33-36)

Some translations (CSB, NIV, etc.) have subtitles for these 3 verses such as “a hymn of praise” or “doxology”. This is fascinating. This is right in the middle of a complex and well-organized theological treatise. What does Paul do after he unpacks God’s righteous, sovereign plan for salvation? He sings. He is so moved by the revelation of who God is and what He’s done that the only rightful response is to praise him by singing. In other New Testament letters, this type of hymn or doxology is often placed at the end as a way to close out in response to the truth proclaimed. The content of this song tells us why Paul has placed it here in the middle instead. Before transitioning into the gospel implications in the rest of the letter, his soul is moved primarily by who God is and His character. Not only that, Paul is moved to worship by the fact that even though he has delved deep into understanding God, he still sees how far God is beyond our human understanding. Paul has received the ultimate exciting news, God and His gospel, and his response reflects the magnitude of the Good News. But not only that, singing isn’t the means to an end for Paul. This song transitions directly into Romans 12:1-2:

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Singing to God IS worship, but worship isn’t ONLY singing. Our singing to proclaim the greatness of God is the fuel to ignite our entire life to be transformed into worship for God. This has always been God’s intention for His people. Look at Exodus 15, for example. Right after God parts the red sea and leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, the entire next chapter is a song about how God led his people out of captivity and how majestic, holy, and glorious He is. Why? Because God desires for us to respond to Him when he speaks, to remember what he’s done, and to let that propel us into the delight of obedience.   

We sing as a response to the truth of the revelation of God, but we also sing to remember those truths about God in our day-to-day life. Every time we sing in church, the words of those songs are forming how we view and think about Him. You might walk away from a service remembering what the sermon was about or maybe a specific point or two that the preacher said, but years from now you’ll still know the words to those songs. God has given us the gift of songs as a way to internalize and remember the truth of His Word in a unique way. He’s calling you to respond, like Paul, to who He is, and to let that truth transform all of your life in worshipful obedience to him.  

In Romans 11, Paul shows us that responding to God is the bridge between seeing the greatness of God and being moved to trust and obey him with everything we have. Are you struggling to obey? Sing! Are you withholding parts of your heart from God? Sing! Are you wrestling with doubt? Sing! Look at the greatness of God, feel the weight of the gospel, and respond to the news of Christ crucified, resurrected, and reigning.

Mackenzie Dean is the Director of Worship and Production at Redeemer Church. After graduating from Texas Tech, Mackenzie completed the residency program at Redeemer. She is a multi-talented musician, seminary student, CrossFit athlete, and proud wife to Tanner and mom to Laken.