The King of the Ages
1 Timothy 1:12/17
As I read these six verses I am made aware of how important the simplicity of the Gospel really is, which Paul’s own life was a living declaration, showing us how the grace and mercy of God.
I want to review these verses, starting with verse seventeen, Paul said, NOW UNTO THE KING ETERNAL – His offering of praise shows you and me what God has given to all who will accept His free gift. I believe that Paul made that statement with a grateful heart filled with emotion as he recalls his former life and the mercy that God had shown to him.
Every person that has been touched by the grace of God knows the joy and peace which salvation brings, and that touch demands expression. Knowing what our life was like before we accepted God’s grace, gives us cause to praise the King eternal.
For He is the everlasting King, the King of the ages; He is the maker of the worlds and is in control of all things throughout all generations and ages to come; He only has immortality, and is the incorruptible God, who came with healing in His wings.
Paul knew that he would have perished, if the Lord had not offered his grace and mercy. Listen to what he says, “That the Son of God came into the world, willingly and purposely to save sinners.” No man can refute the love and power of Christ to save sinners.
TO THE KING ETERNAL, IMMORTAL – the word immortal refers to God himself, not to His reign, but to God presences. It says that He is not dead, and immortality was given to Him to be different from other rulers, kings or gods. All other gods and monarchs have died, or will die, but the King immortal lives on.
Jesus Christ came as the manifested incorruptible God and the living Redeemer; and though He died as man, He will die no more, but ever lives to make intercession for his people, and to reign over them, and protect them because of His great eternal love.
TO THE KING ETERNAL, IMMORTAL AND INVISIBLE, He is said to be “invisible” who was so in His divine nature, until He was manifested in the flesh; and now in His deity He is taken out of the sight of men, and is not to be seen with bodily eyes by men on earth. For Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Ancient of Days, He is the Lord God Almighty and our soon coming King.
From the book of John chapter one and verse eighteen “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” Then in 1 Timothy chapter six and verse sixteen, “Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; who no man hath seen, nor can see; to Him be honor and power everlasting, Amen.”
I have no doubt that as the Apostle Paul begin to think about his former life he realizes the abundant of God’s grace and mercy. When he pondered in his heart what God had done, a spirit of gratitude rose within him, for God had placed him in the ministry.
Paul said, “Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious; but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”
On the day that the light shone round about Saul of Tarsus, he said, “I was headed for Damascus with papers in my pockets to persecute the church, and those who claimed the name of Jesus.”
But grace and mercy from the Lord was extended toward me and in faith and love I received Christ Jesus. What a revelation for Paul, that Jesus came into the world to save sinners; whom I am chief. When the light of the gospel shines in our heart, we are made aware just how unclean, undone and sinful we really are.
The law was not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for the sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and mothers, for manslayers, and all that defile themselves.
But mercy, grace and truth walked through the door providing a more excellent way, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. His blood removes the guilt, the shame and wages war against the devil. Paul said, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principality and powers of this present world, against ruler of darkness.”
So we give thanks to God, who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul said, “For this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting.”
What a pattern Paul has been to all who believe on the name of Jesus Christ. When we look at the life of Paul and see all the things that he encountered for the sake of the gospel, it gives us a sense of appreciation toward a man who modeled the gospel with such grace.
He was in labor more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times he received forty stripes save one. Three times was beaten with the rods, once was stoned, and suffered shipwreck, a night and a day in the deep.
Paul said he was in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of his own countrymen, in weariness and painfulness, in watching often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness.
For fear of his life when he was in Damascus where he presented Jesus Christ which confounded the Jews. The disciples took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket, so he could continue speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
Paul closes the first chapter with such a powerful praise of thanks when he said, “To the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever, Amen.
He crowned Christ with honor and glory, because Christ was worthy of his praise; and all men should show honor to the Son, as they do the Father, for He is the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person and the King of the Ages.
The coming of Christ as a babe in Bethlehem’s manger brought a work of salvation to a world that had set in darkness for more than four hundred years. The voice of God had been stilled, then stepping out of the darkness Jesus came as the light setting the captive free and bringing salvation to all who would believe.
Would you be free from your burden of sin? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood. Would you ore evil a victory wins? There’s power in the blood of the Lamb.
Let us crown Him with honor and glory as we praise Him with a hearts of thanks giving.
