Division
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshiped with men’s hands as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us. Acts 17:24-27
Read Romans 1:18-23
Paul engaged the Athenians in conversation by speaking about their beliefs. However, in the verses before us, he made it abundantly clear that there was a great difference between their religious activities and the gospel of Jesus Christ. He told them that the God he served did not dwell in temples made with hands, nor was He served by man’s hands. We might think that this was rather strange. Was the Lord not served in the temple during Old Testament times? Yes, but the Lord Jesus fulfilled all the sacrifices of the temple when He gave His life as a sacrifice upon the cross. While it is true that we worship the Lord in a building dedicated to His service, the Lord dwells in the hearts of His people through the Holy Spirit. When we love the Lord, we also desire to honour Him in thanksgiving for His mercies. But He is not dependent on our interest and care for Him as the Greeks of that day thought. He is independent of us, while we are dependent on Him. Many people today say it makes no difference what you believe because it all amounts to the same thing. They assert that there are many ways to God, but the Bible tells us differently. Faith in Jesus Christ is unique and cannot be compared to any other belief system. Other religions require that mankind placate the gods, while the Christian faith speaks of what God has done for us. How blessed we are when we embrace this truth personally. How wonderful to believe in such a glorious Saviour!
Thought: Can anyone who does not believe in the Lord Jesus as the Son of God, but considers Him to be merely a prophet, be saved?
Psalter 4:1,3 (based on Psalm 2) O wherefore do the nations rage, And kings and rulers strive in vain, Against the Lord of earth and heaven, To overthrow Messiah’s reign? By God’s decree His Son receives The nations for His heritage; The conquering Christ supreme shall reign As King of kings, from age to age.