Image from http://jim-brewer.blogspot.com
The "Unknown God" is Our God
From Acts 17: 22-31: Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, "To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For "In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "For we too are his offspring.' Since we are God's offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."
What a discovery for the Athenians and for those like them, to find there is one God, the living God, Who made all things and of which Paul shares, "In him we live and move and have our being." The people of Athenians covered all their bases by having shrines and altars for all gods and even "an unknown god," just to be safe. Paul, in this address at a place where this type of debate and sharing was allowed, said, "The God who made the world and everything in it, He who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself give to all mortals life and breath and all things." God is the author of life; from one ancestor God has made us all; and God knows our dates and times and all events, where we live, and even knows who don't yet know Him. God is not far from anyone. Then, quoting one of their own poets shares, "For we too are His offspring." Paul then argues that if we are related to the living God, we should not look to manmade images as our gods. We cannot limit God to human renderings; God is beyond that. Paul says we have reached the day when we should put aside all of those things, repent of our sins, and look to Him who was raised from the dead as the source of our righteousness.
God is the source of life, direction, and purpose; in God we find true meaning for our lives and from there we seek to share that truth with others. Whatever cares, worries, or anxieties you carry, in God we have answers and comfort. Whatever decisions we have to make, in God we have direction. Whatever self doubts and personal challenges you may have, in God we find meaning and purpose. Surrender them all to God and God will show you and me the way we should go.
PRAYER: Loving and amazing God, we surrender all to You and we await You to fill us with that which You know we need. Help us then become a blessing to others as we pray in Christ Jesus, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
