Acts 17:29-34
New International
Version (NIV)
29 “Therefore since we are
God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or
silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In
the past God overlooked such
ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For
he has set a day when he will judge
the world with justice
by the man he has appointed. He has given proof
of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
32 When they heard about
the resurrection of the dead, some
of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the
Council. 34 Some
of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius,
a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of
others.
Human beings try to
create God using our own brains and intelligent thinking. In the past, in order to see God in human
form they made idols out of gold and silver and dedicated them to God. Even though they were told not to have graven
images it tells us in this passage that God overlooked their ignorance.
Why is it that God can
no longer overlook such foolishness?
Because He sent His One and Only Son to this earth in human form in
order that all could see God. If we look
at Jesus and the life that He lived, we will see God. If we look at the resurrected Christ we will
see God.
I find it difficult to
understand how people can look at this world and all the creation and know
there is a creator yet will not accept that the creator is God. It all goes back to the simple fact that our
minds, as complex as they are, cannot imagine the concept of God. We cannot see Him, we cannot touch Him, so we
make up images in our minds, with our hands, or decide that we are that
god. Yet Jesus is the image that we need
to look to. God took part of Himself and
came to earth so we could have a concrete image of who He was. He then raised Himself from the dead as proof
of who He was. He didn’t just raise and
leave this earth but ministered to many people before ascending into
Heaven. He didn’t just leave quietly but
many witnessed His ascension. What is
even more fascinating is that these men, who had hidden from man after the
arrest and ultimate crucifixion of Christ were bold enough to go out and spread
the Gospel after the resurrection of Christ, even unto their death. If this were not true, why didn’t these men
change their minds about Christ? Why
didn’t they just go back to fishing? Why
did they sacrifice their own lives to spread the Gospel? The only logical explanation is that it was
true. Most humans will bend under
pressure when their lives are at risk but when they truly believe in something
they will stand firm to the end.
If you are looking for
God and are not looking directly at Jesus then your human mind will not be able
to fathom God. Look upon Jesus and
believe upon His name and you will see God.
Don’t make images that you think give the appearance of God because
there is nothing you can make with human hands that can depict our God. Don’t try to imagine how God came into
existence because there is no way your human mind could fathom Him and most
importantly don’t reject Him because you don’t understand Him. God is and was and is to come. I trust that you will be ready at His
return. Someday every knee will bow and
every tongue confess that He is LORD. If
you don’t do so until His return then you will have eternal separation from
Him.
Seek Him and know Him by
looking at the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Seeking Him with all my
heart,
Sheila
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