2017-12-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
As we look at some more take-home truths, we need to mine AC 17: 16-34 for God’s precious jewels in it. Paul’s experience with the Greek philosophers in Athens pointed out why he was so concerned at the degree of idolatry going on there. In addition to discussing Christian beliefs in the synagogues, he also gave public discourses on the Areopagus, a rocky outcropping NW of the Acropolis in Athens. Judging from the competing beliefs to Christianity, Paul had good reason to worry. Epicurean and Stoic teachers debated with him.
Paul would preach about Jesus and the resurrection. He acknowledged how religious the Athenians seemed to be and raised the subject of the many signs saying, “to the unknown god.” Then, he said, in (24-28), “God, Who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. Nor does He need anything we can supply by working for Him, since it is He Himself Who gave life and breath and everything else to everyone. From one human being, He created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He Himself fixed beforehand the limits of the places where they would live. He did this so they would look for Him and perhaps find Him as they felt around for Him. Yet God is not far from any one of us…” To the Greeks, these notions were entirely foreign. To those of us who believe in the one and only God, they had their origins in the OT. We can recall IS 42: 5, “I alone am the Lord your God. No other god may share My glory. I will not let idols share My praise.” Yet another place is PS 145: 18-19, “He is near to those who call on Him, who call to him with sincerity. He supplies the needs of those who honor Him; He hears their cries and saves them.”
“Since we are His children, we should not suppose that his nature is anything like an image of gold, silver, or stone shaped by the human mind or skill” (AC 17: 29). God has overlooked during the times before people knew Him human sinfulness, but now He commands us all to turn from our sinful ways. For He has fixed a Day when He will judge the whole world with justice for the people He has chosen. He has given proof to everyone that He raises them from spiritual death to everlasting life. Yes, the road is hard to eternity with Him, but, with faithful obedience to Him, it can be traveled. Once these words were heard, Dionysus, a member of the city council, and a woman named Damaris among some others joined Paul in becoming believers. Others rejected Paul’s ideas, and still others wanted to hear more (32).
Perhaps the most important message encased in this passage is the one that still applies to all of us. It is the command of God that we should look carefully into our lives and find any sins, even subtle ones, to genuinely confess to Him and to stop the sinning. It is to know the Gospel message, confess our sins, and to live out our profession of faith in Jesus Christ. These things will forward us on that “hard path that leads from the narrow gate to eternal life” [MT 7: 13-14]. This process of seeking to find our sins and to stop them after confessing them to God is sanctification. It should be on-going through our earthly lives, so that our heavenly lives can be possible. God wants us to approach Him in humility and with honesty, for the truth about our heart attitudes cannot be kept hidden from Him [HE 4: 12-13]. This is nothing to frighten us or intimidate us, as our God is patient, loving, kind, and just.
PRAYER: O Lord, just as the pathway to belief in Jesus is long for Jewish people who have been taught to reject Him, so it is for non-believing Gentiles who have been raised to believe in many gods. While long and hard, fraught with opposition and other challenges along the way, You make it possible for those willing to learn the truths of Your word and who will listen to believers whose faith is genuine. It is through Your patience and generosity that we can find the way out of misery, self-doubts and feelings of worthlessness. Dearest Father, there is no keener misery than that of not knowing You and feelings of hopelessness. We are so grateful for the grace You have shown us and the tasks You prepared for us even before we came to faith in Your Son [EPH 2: 8-10]. We can take no responsibility for these magnificent gifts; the glory belongs to You [PS 115: 1]. No human, except for Jesus Christ, can bring us salvation, eternal forgiveness, and justification. Your kindness, goodness, and generosity in allowing the sacrifice of His life on the cross blesses us every day of our lives. We offer You praise and thanks for Your unconditional love and presence in our lives. We believe You will always be here for us, as we work through the challenges and losses of our lives. We seek Your continuing help and pledge to turn to You first in our times of trial. This prayer we say in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: Human-crafted philosophies are seen by God and the faithful of the church as empty deceptions. Recently, I was asked by a student, “How do you know for sure you have genuine faith, and when did you know it?” These are important questions all of us should ask. My answer was to say that the when part is not always known. People raised in Christian faith and who are happy in it, may not be able to tell you an exact time when their faith became real to them. People, who come to Christianity from other belief systems, are more likely to be able to tell you at what time in their lives they knew their faith was real. I would say the best way is to experience God in one’s own life. For me, it was when I realized God really had “transformed me inwardly by the complete renewal of my mind” [RO 12: 2]. I found myself being less judgmental and more positive. My ways of looking at things changed to asking questions like, “what is God trying to teach me in this?” “How can I best serve God in this situation?” When I do serve God, I experience an inner peace I never had before coming to faith. The direction of my goals changed too. Now I can take joy in serving others, while I am serving Him. I’ve answered here in very general terms, because I know the experience with God is different for every person. God is so powerful that He can tailor make the circumstances of each person’s life to maximize what he can learn from them. We can take great comfort in knowing our God wants what is best for each person to lead him to a sweet and eternal fellowship with Him. Praise and thanks be to God!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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