love elected,
Through the Son’s redeeming Blood,
To the Spirit’s grace perfected,
Praise we now the Triune God!
8.7.8.7D
Preparatory Reading: Old Testament: Genesis 25; New Testament: Matthew 14 Psalm: 14
1 Timothy 1:17
17Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Amid pressing problems, insidious errors, and anxious concerns for Timothy, the Church at Ephesus, believers at large, and the cause of Gospel truth, Paul pauses to worship. He worships now. His personal, lively thanks for salvation (1:12–13), the total confidence in “the glorious Gospel of the blessed God” which his experience proves and patterns (1:11,14–16) crowd upon his heart and impel him to lift up holy hands and cry Now! Worship is the only proper conclusion for sound doctrine, just as worship will climax and close the whole drama of redemption (Rev. 1:4–6; 5–14; 7:9–17; 11:15–18; 14:1–7; 15; 19:1–10; 21:22–26).
Now unto the King: When Paul bids us worship, he calls us to acclaim God as King, a “great King above all gods;” to “kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Ps 95:6) and abase ourselves before His dread, awesome sovereignty. His “exceeding abundant grace with love and faith” in Christ Jesus manifests His supreme sovereignty and royal prerogatives. His aseity, eternity, invisibility and wisdom adorn His crown as the King (1:17). No ignorant teacher of the Law, for all his “vain jangling” can claim the allegiance which saints owe not to Paul himself, but only to the King, “the blessed God” whose Gospel of grace is committed to Paul’s trust (1:11). All honor and glory in our praises and prayers belong only unto the King.
Unto the King . . . God is my worship due. And all He reveals of Himself to me settles His crown rights as the King. Let me tremble before His presence (Ps 114:7); let me keep silence before Him (Zech 2:13; Hab 2:20); let me be still and know that He is God (Ps 46:10). Know that the LORD, He is God (Ps 100:3), eternal from everlasting to everlasting (Ps 90:2) immortal as the fountain of life (Ps 36:9) “I Am that I Am” (Exod 3:14) invisible in light to which none can approach, filling heaven and earth with His glory (6:16; Isa 6:3). He is the only . . . God for all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. He is in the heavens and has done whatsoever He pleased; so He is our help and our shield (Ps 96:5; 115:3,11). He is the only wise God: with Him is wisdom and strength; the deceived and deceiver are His, in whose hand is the breath of all mankind (Job 12:13, 16, 10). He takes the wise in their own craftiness, and knows their thoughts are vain (Job 5:5–15; Ps 94:11–15; 1 Chr 3:19–20). In praise we “give Him the glory due unto His Name” (Ps 96:8–9); we “honour Him with our substance” and service in obedience to His Word (1 Sam 2:29–39; Prov 3:5–10). His worship must endure as long as His worth, so our souls give unto the King . . . honor and glory forever and ever. As creatures we need to worship; as believers we delight to worship. For “Christ Jesus who came into the world to save sinners” in all His “exceeding abundant grace” constrains us to love and serve “the blessed God” as King. To that we can only say. Amen.
15. We praise Thy Name, O God most High!
1 We praise Thy Name, O God Most High!
Before Thy throne we gather;
We boldly now to Thee draw nigh
And call Thee “Abba, Father!”
Thou hast redeemed us by Thy Son;
In Jesus Christ we now are one:
For by His Blood and merit,
In us now lives Thy Spirit.
2 We now stand fast in liberty,
All bondage hence refusing,
For Christ thy Son has set us free
From sin, its fetters loosing:
Upon the Cross He bore our curse,
Thy wrath against us to disperse,
All righteousness fulfilling,
All condemnation stilling.
3 As once Thy Son in love did give
His life for us and died,
We by Thy Spirit walk and live
In Christ now crucified:
Grant us Thy name to glorify,
Our sinful flesh to mortify,
All fruits of grace displaying,
Thy holy Law obeying!
8.7.8.7.8.7.7.7.
Preparatory Reading: Old Testament: Genesis 26; New Testament: Matthew 15 Psalm: 15
1 Timothy 1:18–20
18This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 19Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Paul puts this charge into Timothy’s hands—this charge to teach “the glorious Gospel of the blessed God”; the charge and “commandment” whose “end is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned”, the work of “godly edifying in faith”. Paul commits this charge to him—it is all in Timothy’s hands, to carry on through all his days, and then “to commit . . . to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (1:11,3–5; 2 Tim.2:2).
Timothy served his generation in the will of God and fulfilled this charge, as have countless other “faithful men” since, so that the Scriptures are now at my hand, the doctrines of the Gospel are known and confessed, the work of the ministry is now in my trust. Hence the apostles’ charge is now committed to me. How well will I at the end fulfill this charge?
Paul can confide in this particular disciple and convert Timothy as son Timothy. Paul cherishes him for he has “served as a son with the father . . . in the Gospel” and he “naturally cares” for the saints (Phil. 2:20, 22). Timothy’s deep affection for Paul brings him to tears (2 Tim.1:5). Shall I fulfill a son’s duty to my fathers in the faith, and the faith of my forefathers?
Paul’s confidence, though, does not rest in Timothy himself, rather according to the prophecies which went before him. God’s Word marked out Timothy’s gifts, and God’s Church confirmed them (4:14). And that Word commissions Timothy to war a good warfare. It is a battle at sea amid storms, for failure means shipwreck; it is defensive, protective action to endure the onslaught and emerge in position holding faith and a good conscience—“ to stand fast in the faith,” “to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all things, to stand” (1 Cor 16:13; Eph 6:13). Sometimes we advance; sometimes, we retrench. (2 John 8).
Jesus my Lord, Captain of my salvation, Prince and Savior, Thou hast overcome the world: grant me good cheer that I too may overcome, endure temptation, fight
