Paul at Athens (Part Four)

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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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