A Healthy View Of God

1 Timothy 1:17 and 2:3-6

1 Timothy 1:17: "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

1 Timothy 2:3-6: "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time."

The church in Ephesus that Paul sent Timothy to started with some people who really didn’t have a clear view of God.

Acts 19 tells of the birth of this church. Paul arrived in Ephesus and met twelve believers who didn’t know who the Holy Spirit was (Acts 19:2). They had an incomplete view of the Trinitarian God! So Paul leads and teaches them. Church gatherings are not usually gatherings of the mature who know it all, but of many different stages of maturity. The important thing is to make sure you’re still growing in knowledge of God whatever stage you’re at.

Paul himself remembered his wrong view of God in the verses preceding verse 17: "But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life."

Our culture talks a lot about “accepting yourself”. Paul didn’t accept himself - he rejected his old way of life and the old narrative of his life: persecutor, harsh legalist and know-it-all. In his letter to Timothy, his reflection on the life-transformation that has happened prompts him to worship:

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

He packs this sentence with 4 massive truths about God. Theologians talk about “communicable” attributes of God (things as humans we can relate to about God e.g. he’s all-loving, all-knowing, because we experience love and knowledge) and “uncommunicable” attributes (things that leave us in awe of him because he’s NOT like us). Paul focuses on these incommunicable attributes:

1. He’s the King Eternal

God is literally “King of the Ages”, before all things and beyond all things. Queen Elizabeth, our longest reigning monarch has outlasted 13 British Prime Ministers. But God has outlasted every era, every government, every leader both corrupt and good.

2. He's Immortal

He never dies. Humans live in the valley of the shadow of death, but God is the source of all life.

3. He's Invisible

We often wish God would be more visible! But Paul loves God because he is beyond our 5 senses. He is God even when we can’t see Him!

4. He's The Only God

He is unique, no-one comes close to Him, altogether different to us. Singular in beauty, power and love.

Imagine if you attached these qualities to someone evil! Giving immortality and eternal, infinite power to Robert Mugabe would be terrifying!

Chapter 2 tells us that this God isn’t an evil despot, but a loving savior who cares about every human being:

“God our Saviour, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.”

Some things about this good God:

He wants all people to be saved. He’s not small hearted.
He believes in absolute truth! It’s ultimately his opinion of right and wrong that matters.
This God is also the mediator. This eternal, immortal, invisible God became finite, mortal, visible in the person of Jesus in order to identify with our humanity and be the ransom for our sin at the cross

Devote your life to knowing Him better. It’s the best thing you can do!

John 17:3: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Questions

Correcting an unhealthy view of God: The Ephesian Christians began with an incomplete view of God. How has your own view of God changed since you were younger? What has helped you get to know God better?
Worshipping God: Which aspects of God’s character can you relate to most easily? Which aspects of God’s character leave you most in awe of him?
A Bad God: Worldly voices often portray God (“if he exists”) as evil, narrow minded, bigoted and unkind. Do you find yourself being influenced by that narrative? How does a correct view of God as good and loving help us? How can we ensure we keep a correct view?
The Mediator: Why do you think Paul calls Him “The MAN Christ Jesus” in verse 5?
How are you doing on your journey of getting to know God better? What things are helping you most?