Paul at Athens (Part Four)
Scripture: Acts 17:24-28a (NIV)
24 “The God who made the world and
everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples
built by human hands 25, And he is not served by human hands, as if
he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and
everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that
they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in
history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so
that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he
is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move
and have our being.
Devotion:
Paul’s
message to the Athenians gathered at Mars Hill continues in today’s scripture.
Paul’s primary emphasis is the difference between the God he is preaching and
the gods the people of Athens worshipped. First, Paul declares that the God he
worships created everything. The gods of the people were finite, and most of
them created nothing at all. Paul declares that his God does not live in
temples built by humans. Instead, Paul’s God lives within His people’s hearts.
The
gods of the people of Athens each were responsible for some definite territory
on the earth. Paul’s God ruled all of the earth. We Christians worship a God
who gives life and breath to each person according to His will. We do not serve
God because He needs anything from us. Instead, we serve Him because of everything
he has done for us. Athenians served their gods in fear, hoping their worship
would save them from the anger of the gods. Paul and the Christians served God
in devotion, confident of His love for us.
In
today’s world, many claim to believe in god. The god they believe in is more
similar to the gods of Athens than the God of the Bible. Today’s typical god-fearer
thinks they must do enough good deeds to merit their eternal destiny with god
in heaven. Since they do not believe in a god who would consign anyone to
eternal punishment, they come up with all sorts of plans by which god will save
them in the end, regardless of their works. Even a majority of evangelical
Christians surveyed recently suggested that salvation was by works and that
hell does not exist.
Modern
society endorses many lifestyles and beliefs that are genuinely anti-Christian.
Like the people of Athens that Paul met 2,000 years ago, society refuses to
admit that any people deserve judgment. We are proud of our technological
achievements and declare that we no longer need God around to help us. We are
like two-year-old children who think we can do it all on our own. We even
declare that one day, we will be immortal like gods. Let us ask God to save us
from ourselves.
Prayer:
Lord
of heaven and earth, we come to you gratefully, acknowledging all you have done
for us. Forgive our pride and self-centeredness. Teach us to live as a people
dependent on you alone for our salvation. Grant to us a vision of what we could
become if we became your obedient people. May we live as a people who seek to
bring glory to your name in every situation we face. Amen
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