Sermon Tone Analysis

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.

Amen.” [1]

The Apostle, writing to his son in the ministry, has just expressed gratitude to God, marvelling that he received appointment to divine service, especially in light of his former life.

God had assuredly demonstrated mercy and grace toward the rebel, and that resulted in marvel and wonder at the grace Paul had received.

The Apostle is quite clear on the reason he received such mercy—it was so that he might serve as an example of God’s patience, of His mercy and of His grace.

By his appointment, Paul would draw outsiders to consider life in the Beloved Son and believers would be encouraged in their walk with the Master.

Concluding exclamation of wonder and admiration, the Apostle breaks forth in joyous exultation.

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.

Amen” [1 TIMOTHY 1:17].

This one statement of praise contains a wealth of information begging exploration by those who know the True and Living God.

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY DECLARED — “To the King of the ages…” Paul ascribes this unique title to the Lord God.

The closest I can come to seeing this title applied to the Lord God elsewhere in the Word is when the Tribulation Saints sing The Song of Moses as recorded in the Apocalypse.

“Great and marvelous are your deeds,

Lord God Almighty.

Just and true are your ways,

King of the ages.”

[REVELATION 15:3 NIV (1984)] [2]

There is some dispute over whether the final ascription should be to “King of the ages” or to “King of the nations.”

A few older manuscripts do ascribe the song as being sung to Him who is “King of the ages,” but the preponderance of evidence is that John wrote the ascription to Him who is “King of the nations.”

What is important is to note that on the whole, Paul provides us with a unique means of identifying the True and Living God.

As an aside, it is perhaps of interest to note that the newer editions of the New International Version align with other translations in ascribing the praise of the Tribulation Saints to the “King of the nations.”

[3]

However, though the original reading provided in the Revelation continues in doubt, Paul’s identifier is by no means out of line with what we are taught in the Word concerning the Lord our God.

Throughout the Word, God’s position as King is stated and accepted as settled.

God is eternal; He is also sovereign over all that He has created.

Establish in your mind that when we speak of God’s sovereignty, we have in mind His power.

In theological terms, we are referring to His omnipotence.

It means that God can do as He wills.

Various attributes belong to God because He is God, but when we speak of His sovereignty we are identifying the one characteristic assuring us that God is Ruler of all things.

Whenever we speak of God’s power and might, we are acknowledging that there are no external constraints on His decisions.

Thus, the fact that God is All Mighty, or Omnipotent, means that He possesses power to do whatever He wills.

We witness references to the divine power of God throughout Scripture.

One example is provided in the twenty-fourth Psalm.

There, David writes of the LORD.

“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof,

the world and those who dwell therein,

for he has founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the rivers.”

“Who is this King of glory?

The LORD, strong and mighty,

the LORD, mighty in battle!”

[PSALM 24:1, 8]

The Psalmist affirms that the earth belongs to the LORD, who is qualified to lay claim to this material world because He made it.

So that none can claim confusion as to whom he refers, David clearly identifies that the LORD is the King of Glory—a term reminiscent of Paul’s affirmation in our text.

In another of the Psalms, we read of God’s power.

The Psalmist states of God:

“Why should the nations say,

‘Where is their God?’

Our God is in heaven!

He does whatever he pleases!”

[Psalm 115:2, 3 NET Bible] [4]

The Psalmist makes a powerful statement that declares the absence of constraints on God’s will.

The Psalmist continues by pointing out that unlike the gods of the nations, constrained to do no more than those who make them do for them, the LORD God does as He wills, blessing those who fear Him and opposing those who reject Him.

Jeremiah, praying on one occasion, attests of the Lord GOD, “‘Ah, Lord GOD!

It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm!

Nothing is too hard for you” [JEREMIAH 32:17].

His affirmation in this prayer anticipates an exclamation of praise which the Apostle pens long years after, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” [EPHESIANS 3:20].

Let me suggest just a couple of other instances where we witness God’s omnipotence.

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, announcing that she would bear the Son of God, she questioned how such a birth could be accomplished: “How will this be, since I am a virgin” [LUKE 1:34]?

After speaking of God’s divine power, Gabriel concludes with this affirmation, “Nothing will be impossible with God” [LUKE 1:37].

The words with which Gabriel allayed Mary’s fears would be echoed by her eldest Son during the days of His ministry.

On one occasion, expressing sorrow when a rich young man had rejected life eternal, the Master astonished His disciples when He taught them, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven.

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” [MATTHEW 19:23, 24].

The disciples were incredulous, prompting this response from the Master.

“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” [MATTHEW 19:26].

Jesus was testifying of God’s omnipotence, especially as it applied to making people new.

I should suppose that it is necessary to say there are some things God cannot do.

Long years ago, while ministering among the black churches of Dallas County, I often heard the choirs sing a song that presented the refrain:

“God can do anything, anything, anything,

God can do anything but fail;

He can save, He can keep, He can cleanse, and He will,

God can do anything but fail.

There are some things that God cannot do.

God cannot deny His own will; nor can God do anything that would deny His own character.

For this reason, whenever we speak of God’s omnipotence, we must be careful to define His omnipotence as the ability to do all His holy will.

In this vein, God cannot lie.

Paul opens his letter to Titus by writing, “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began” [TITUS 1:1, 2].

He literally speaks of “the unlying God.”

It is an appropriate title for God, “The God who never lies.”

The author of the Letter to Hebrew Christians writes that in God’s oath and promise “it is impossible for God to lie” [HEBREWS 6:18].

We are also taught that God “cannot deny Himself” [2 TIMOTHY 2:13].

James teaches us of God, “God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one” [JAMES 1:13].

Therefore, God can neither be tempted by evil nor can He tempt others to do evil.

Though God’s power is infinite, His power is qualified by His attributes.

What this means is that no single attribute can be isolated from God’s Person; God is the self-existent One.

He requires no mortal to affirm Him; neither does He require anything that we might offer.

He is not moved by any inducement we could offer.

MICAH 6:6-8 asks and answers this very question.

“With what shall I come before the LORD,

and bow myself before God on high?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,

with ten thousands of rivers of oil?

Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the LORD require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?”

When we speak of God’s exercise of His divine power over creation, we are speaking in particular of His sovereignty.