1 Timothy 6:14–16

That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
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 honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Paul suddenly lifts Timothy’s eyes from everyday struggles to something far bigger.

The appearing of Jesus Christ.

Timothy was to live carefully, faithfully, and without stain until that moment when the Lord would be revealed. And when Paul speaks of that day, he cannot help but burst into praise.

Christ is the blessed and only Potentate.

The King of kings.

The Lord of lords.

Every ruler who has ever lived, every kingdom that has ever risen, every government that has ever exercised power stands beneath Him. The One Timothy serves is not merely a teacher or a prophet. He is the sovereign Lord over all authority.

Paul then stretches our understanding even further.

God alone possesses immortality. He dwells in light that no man can approach. No human eye has seen Him in His fullness, nor could it survive the sight.

When a person pauses long enough to think about that reality, something happens to pride.

It collapses.

Standing before a God like that, it becomes almost humorous to take ourselves too seriously. Our achievements, our status, our recognition, even our arguments about who is important begin to shrink into their proper size.

It is a little like a man standing beside the ocean for the first time. From a distance he may feel impressive, but when he walks to the shore and sees the endless horizon of water stretching beyond sight, his own importance suddenly feels very small.

Paul wants Timothy to live with that kind of perspective.

Keep the commandment. Walk faithfully. Stay clean in your conduct.

But do it with the constant awareness of who God is and where history is heading. The King is coming, and when He appears, every crown will be set down before Him.

When that truth fills the heart, humility stops being difficult.

It simply becomes obvious.