Acts 17:24-25
As I was reading this morning, this passage hit me so strongly. Paul comes into this city and finds idols. It's not the presence of idols that stuck with me, it's what Paul's response was. Look at it: Paul tells them that he "perceives that they are very religious" but he also goes on to point out that their statues of gods are attributed to the "unknown god."
"What, therefore, you worship is unknown to you" are his exact words, well as exact as the English language is able to translate it. Thought provoking. Put yourself in their shoes and what would that make you think.
I think I would think: hey, he's right, I don't even know this god that I am worshipping. But, even more than that, I'm entirely smitten by Paul's words in verses 24-25:
"The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind, life and breath and everything."
I see Paul making this statement in such a way that makes me consider how the worshippers of the "unknown god" believed about their god: Maybe they thought that they owed him something.
How entirely liberating is it, knowing and believing that we don't OWE anything to our God? We can't serve him in a way to GIVE Him anything, yet He actually allows us to be involved in all that He does for our simple blessing and by His grace we get to see the fruit of His Spirit through our works. We GET to serve Him, but not in a way that makes Him a better God, but in a way that allows Him to form us more in the image of Christ.
Cool hu? I thought so.
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