The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in 1 Timothy 6:12-16,
"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen."
In his final instructions to Timothy, Paul provides him with this direction. Timothy is to fight for the faith and cling to his eternal life given him when he confessed his faith "in the presence of many witnesses." His charge actually begins a verse earlier where Paul tells Timothy, "But you, man of God, flee from all this [false teaching and its consequences], and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." 1 Timothy 6:11.
Paul ends these instructions with the wonderful doxology: "To him be honor and might forever. Amen." However, it is the intervening observations about God that captures my eye this morning. Paul tells Timothy to keep the charge he gives him till "the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" - something that will happen in God's own good timing, "God will bring about in his own time." Verse 15. From this, it is my perspective that this instruction is to be followed by us all, not just Timothy, till Jesus Christ comes back for us believers. As we continue to wait, I am reminded these things are still important for us. I am also reminded that we are still awaiting the Lord's return for God's good timing. What are those things that impact God's timing? While it be far from me to know what it all is that drives God's timing, I can't help but think that at some point enough babies will be born, and of those, enough believers are brought into his kingdom. There will be, after all, a finite number of believers that will eventually populate the Kingdom of Heaven and when that number is reached, God will bring the age to a close and the Lord will return for those who are his.
The observation Paul makes about God is truly striking, "...God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see." Jesus is given the title "King of kings and Lord of lords" in Revelation 19:16, and so this is further attestation to the deity of Jesus Christ: the only person to ever be fully God and fully man at the same time. What fascinates me about what Paul has to say about God here is, "who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see."
We can't see God. He exists as the only immortal, without a beginning and without an end, and lives in unapproachable light. It seems to me that light is the magnificent glory that emanates from his person, reflecting the many-splendored qualities that make up his character and nature, his very being. The pristine immaculacy (yep, its a real word) of God's nature, a nature having no stain or blemish, no flaw or error, spotlessly perfect is reflected in this glory of unapproachable light. Imagine! And one day, following our own resurrection, we believers will one day see him just as he is!
I can't wait for the day! How about you?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen."
In his final instructions to Timothy, Paul provides him with this direction. Timothy is to fight for the faith and cling to his eternal life given him when he confessed his faith "in the presence of many witnesses." His charge actually begins a verse earlier where Paul tells Timothy, "But you, man of God, flee from all this [false teaching and its consequences], and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." 1 Timothy 6:11.
Paul ends these instructions with the wonderful doxology: "To him be honor and might forever. Amen." However, it is the intervening observations about God that captures my eye this morning. Paul tells Timothy to keep the charge he gives him till "the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" - something that will happen in God's own good timing, "God will bring about in his own time." Verse 15. From this, it is my perspective that this instruction is to be followed by us all, not just Timothy, till Jesus Christ comes back for us believers. As we continue to wait, I am reminded these things are still important for us. I am also reminded that we are still awaiting the Lord's return for God's good timing. What are those things that impact God's timing? While it be far from me to know what it all is that drives God's timing, I can't help but think that at some point enough babies will be born, and of those, enough believers are brought into his kingdom. There will be, after all, a finite number of believers that will eventually populate the Kingdom of Heaven and when that number is reached, God will bring the age to a close and the Lord will return for those who are his.
The observation Paul makes about God is truly striking, "...God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see." Jesus is given the title "King of kings and Lord of lords" in Revelation 19:16, and so this is further attestation to the deity of Jesus Christ: the only person to ever be fully God and fully man at the same time. What fascinates me about what Paul has to say about God here is, "who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see."
We can't see God. He exists as the only immortal, without a beginning and without an end, and lives in unapproachable light. It seems to me that light is the magnificent glory that emanates from his person, reflecting the many-splendored qualities that make up his character and nature, his very being. The pristine immaculacy (yep, its a real word) of God's nature, a nature having no stain or blemish, no flaw or error, spotlessly perfect is reflected in this glory of unapproachable light. Imagine! And one day, following our own resurrection, we believers will one day see him just as he is!
I can't wait for the day! How about you?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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