IT'S A QUESTION OF OWNERSHIP -- Devotional for September 17, from "Good Seeds"

The God who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything. For He Himself gives life and breath to all living things. (Acts 17:24-25)

The Athenians had a veritable “theme park” of idols. They were as proud of their many gods as they were confused by the position this put them in. Maybe that’s why they came up with their catch-all “Altar to the Unknown God.” In every territory Paul visited on his missionary journeys he met up with new definitions of deity and different ways to worship. This said to him that people somehow have gotten the idea that religion is something they can be creative with, and their gods can be of their own choosing and according to their own design. This, then, became the first point in Paul’s sermon – that is, after catching their attention with his bold statement: “I know something you don’t know!” He still was not talking about Jesus. Not yet. The Son of God would be the focal point of His message – indeed the Cross of Christ is at the crossroads of all human history, as His resurrection is the greatest contradiction of Satan’s counterfeits – but first the people needed some basic understanding about the Creator God. They needed to be corrected on their false notion that a man can own God, that he can fashion a figurine, give it attributes and personality, and then ascribe to it deity. Men like to bow down to gods of their own making, for by this they can worship themselves – the works of their own hands and minds (what they naturally long to do) – with impunity. So Paul starts his sermon where every preacher must start: “Let me tell you about God. First, we must define our terms: anyone claiming to be God has to be the Creator of the universe and everything in it – and if He made it, He rules it! How could any man think he could contain a God like that, that he could bottle Him up, put a label on Him, and sell Him as a product to credulous customers? And how dare he try to slake the very real thirst and satisfy the legitimate hunger of men for their Maker by offering up fare as simplistic as it is ridiculous, that God could be defined, refined, controlled and contained, whether in their lavish Main Street Temple, or in their Backlot Idol Yard! When I go with the gospel to Japan this is what I say: “I don’t come to you with American religion (for we all know our two countries worship the same god: money!). And I don’t ask you to trade in your boring local gods for an exciting new foreign one. God is not Someone we can barter for or dispute over. God is the King of the whole world, and the Giver of our very breath – and He can take it away! It is this God we must get to know – and the sooner the better!