WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR GOD TO BE SELF-EXISTENT AND SELF-SUFFICIENT?

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (I Timothy‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

It means God is INFINITE “the King eternal”  Literally, He is King of the ages (so rendered by the ESV)—that is, God stands above all the ages—He was before all time, He transcends all time, and will rule over the eternal ages when time is no more—at least, not as we measure time.
 
It means God is INCORRUPTIBLE “immortal”  The word means incorruptible—a word Paul only uses to describe God—for it could not describe anyone or anything else, except that which pertains to God.  God cannot age, decline, or be defiled.  He is immune to the corruption we face.

It means God is INVISIBLE “invisible.”  Ref. 1 Tim.6:16.  God is a Spirit—and has no body—therefore He cannot be confined to a locality.  His presence fills the universe and transcends it.  The invisible God has only become visible in the person of Jesus Christ.  The glory of God is such our eyes could not behold His fullness.

It means God is INCOMPARABLE “God…alone”  The word “wise” found in some manuscripts isn’t found in the oldest and best—though it is certainly true that God has incomparable wisdom and other texts substantiate that.  He has incomparable wisdom, power, holiness, love, and all His attributes, because He is an incomparable Being—and that is the thought here.

He is God and God alone!

GOD AND GOD ALONE

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
‭‭(1 Timothy 1:17)

We live in a sound-bite culture.  Communication has been reduced to texts and tweets.  Even the very names of social media convey the brevity and immediacy of communication—we have Instagram and Snapchat.  I fear the result is that we are developing the attention span of a gnat and are losing our capacity to think deeply.

Many churches have just decided to go with the flow—and today if you go to one of those you will get a sermonette.  My concern is that sermonettes produce Christianettes!

So, at the church I serve, we have decided to resist the tide, and ask you to think deeply—and specifically to stretch your mind in an attempt to comprehend the incomprehensible.

God is a subject so vast, we will never—not even in eternity—exhaust the end of a Being who is boundless.  The study however is mind-blowing, heart-gripping, and life-changing.  Just look at what is contained in this one verse!  Zero in on this phrase: “God who alone is…” and stop right there!  God IS—He just IS!  He IS self-existent and self-sufficient.  That will be the truth we will meditate on this week.  Let us drink deeply from the fountain of Scripture!