Brothers, Two verses today. they continu on the verse of yesterday.

Here is the text:

1 Timothy 6:15-16, “[…until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,] which God will bring about in His own time – God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen.”

Interesting points:
1. In these verses Paul concludes this sentence with a doxology or short, poetic praise paralleling the one in 1 Timothy 1:17, underlining God’s sovereignty and perfect timing in appointing the hour of Jesus’ return.

2. The concept that God will bring about the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ in His own time reminds us that God’s perfect plan is not haphazard but unfailingly aligned with His will AND that we must be ready -- for no one but He knows the hour.

3. This concept of God’s perfect timing was also mentioned in 1 Timothy 2:5-6 concerning Jesus’ testimony of giving “Himself as a ransom for all men”. This truth underlines how God’s ways are not our ways – With Christmas Jesus was born as a baby, sacrificed His life to save us and His kingdom was not what many of His followers fully understood in the days of His ministry as a man on earth. Even many of those that studied the Scriptures did not recognize God’s plan unfolding before their eyes until much later (if ever, during their earthly lives). Yet we have every reason to thank God for His amazing plan that reconciled us gentiles to Him through Christ Jesus!

4. Tied in with no one else knowing the hour but God Himself, is the Verse 12 exhortation to “fight the good fight of the faith”. In warfare, for the element of surprise to catch the enemy off guard, the troops to be ready for contact with the enemy whenever the General decides to engage. Such is the case with God’s Army: being ready for battle requires discipline, learning and training. We do not know when God will call us home or to battle, but we best be ready: having confessed Jesus as Lord, humbly submitting to the Holy Spirit’s transformative work in our lives, and striving to faithfully accomplish His purpose for us here on earth. He knows our hearts and by the blood of Christ, overlooks our many failures.

Application.
Brothers, God’s appointed time is closer as every day passes and although we do not know the hour, let us encourage one another with God’s beautiful Word to be ready for battle in service of the Lord of lords and King of kings! Let us run in such a way to get a crown that lasts forever by disciplining ourselves (1 Corinthians 9:24-27), submitting ourselves to God so that we may fight the good fight in pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness for His glory.