“Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.”
(1 Tim 6:15-16)
In his first epistle to young Timothy, Paul declares God as the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, singular in authority, unrivaled in dominion, and eternal in being. He alone possesses inherent immortality. He dwells in light inaccessible, far above the reach of creaturely sight or comprehension. No man has seen Him, nor can see Him, as He is in Himself. And all honor and power belong to Him forever.[1]
Yet this same God has not left His people without knowledge of Himself. Though no man can see Him directly, He has made Himself known through His Son. Christ is the likeness of the Father, the true form and living representation of Him. As the impression of a signet bears the true character of the seal, so the Son exists in the likeness of God.
Christ is called the image of the invisible God because in Him, God the Father is made known to men. The goodness, power, holiness, grace, and all the glorious perfections of God shine forth in Christ such that what is invisible in the Father is manifest in the Son. Though God in Himself remains unseen and inaccessible, He is declared, represented, and made known through Jesus Christ.
Moreover, Christ does not resemble God in some qualities while lacking others. Rather, He is the express image of the Father, a perfect and complete representation of all the divine attributes. The fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Him. Were it otherwise, He could not truly reveal the Father, nor could believers, by contemplating Christ, be led into true knowledge of God.
And nowhere does the wisdom of God shine more brightly than in the work of redemption accomplished by the Son, where justice and mercy meet, sin is punished, and the sinner is pardoned. The holiness, justice, love, power, patience, and faithfulness of God all appear most clearly and most gloriously in Christ.
Contemplations:
- Adoring You as the unseen yet revealed God. Father God, I adore You as the One who dwells in light unapproachable, whom no man has seen nor can see. Yet I am thankful that You have revealed Your glory in Your Son. Teach my heart to worship You with reverence and wonder, knowing that when I behold Christ by faith, I am truly beholding the brightness of Your glory and the expression of Your nature.
- Marveling at Your glory revealed in Christ. Father, I am grateful that all Your attributes are fully and perfectly demonstrated in Christ. Let me never treat this mystery lightly, that You have made Yourself known through the Son. And draw my thoughts upward, that I may grow in the knowledge of Your glory as it is revealed in Christ.
- Rejoicing in Your nearness through the Son. Lord, I praise You that though You dwell in light inaccessible, You have drawn near to sinners through Jesus Christ. Without Him, I would be unable to know You or approach You. My heart is filled with gratitude that the eternal God has made Himself known in a way that strengthens faith rather than overwhelms it.
- Submitting my worship to Your eternal majesty. Blessed Potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords, I bow before You in humble adoration. Fix my heart on Your eternal power and honor, and teach me to adore You as You have revealed Yourself, rejoicing that Your glory is both infinitely high and graciously made known in Christ.
Prayer (Adoration)
Most blessed and only Potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords, I adore You for who You are in Yourself. You alone possess immortality. You dwell in light unapproachable, far above all created sight and understanding. No man has seen You nor can see You as You are in Yourself, and yet You are worthy of all honor and power forever. I bow before Your eternal majesty with reverence and awe.
I adore You that You have revealed Yourself through Your Son, the image of the invisible God. In Him, Your glory shines in a way that faith can behold and rejoice in.
I adore You for the perfection of Your Son, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells. I praise You that when I look to Christ, I am brought into true knowledge of You because Your holiness, justice, love, and power shine forth completely in Him.
I glorify You that Your eternal purpose was to make Yourself known, not merely as Creator and Judge, but as Redeemer and Father to Your people. The wonder that the Son of God should become man, that the Ancient of Days should take our nature, and that sinners should be brought near through Him surpasses all understanding.
Receive my praise, O LORD, because You are worthy of all adoration. Fix my heart upon Your eternal honor and power. Let my worship be shaped by truth, governed by reverence, and filled with joy. May I adore You now by faith, and one day behold Your glory without fear, through Jesus Christ my Lord.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for 1 Tim. 6:15-16:
John 1:18; Rev. 19:16; Psalm 136:3; Dan. 10:17
[1] Thomas De Laune, Tropologia, Or, A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors, (London: John Richardson and John Darby for Enoch Prosser, 1681), 108-110.
