In all honesty I've never not known about God. However, I have not always known God. I'm not making much sense, am I?
There is a difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing someone. You can know about that cute girl that sits on the other side of the class in college. You can know her name. You might even have a conversation with her here and there. That does not mean you know her. Such is like how I knew a girl in a college class. Now years later I can say I actually do know her. I know why she does what she does and why she reacts the way she reacts. Not all the time! Trust me! There are times she is still a mystery to me. And the mystery is part of the fun of knowing her.
Knowing God is a little like that. I grew up always hearing and knowing about God. I even talked to him. But I didn't really know him. It wasn't until I committed to him (like I committed to that girl in my college class) that I really got to know him. There are still times when he is a mystery to me. But that's part of the fun of knowing him.
In Acts 17:23 Paul was in Athens, the center of Greece and also of Greek religious belief. It is said that there were more statues of gods in Athens than there were in all of Greece put together! In his visit he came across something odd.
Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an alter with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD."
I have always marveled that the vast majority of people who are not followers of Christ are actually not atheists. They are agnostic. Just like these people in Athens so many years ago, the vast majority of people believe there is a "god". They just don't know who that god is. He is unknown to them. So deep down they don't want to offend this "god" so they metaphorically put up a stone alter in their life to this "unknown god".
What I marvel at more is that they settle for not knowing. They settle for this alter. Consider... if there actually is a "god" and he's responsible for all of creation, and your very life, wouldn't you think his importance to you should pale in comparison to anything else you've got going on? Wouldn't you take the time to figure out who that was?
Paul pointed out who this unknown God was. The God who made the world and everything in it. The God who sent his own son to die for all of us. That's the God I know. And I actually know him. Not know "about" him. I know him. And what does knowing him cause me to do? Worship him. Give worth to him. Drop what I'm doing for him. To give attention to him. Because everything else pales in comparison.
worship Him 24/7...
scott
Check out this video below from Arundel Christian Church if you do not follow Chirst. It might make you think about this "unknown god."
There is a difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing someone. You can know about that cute girl that sits on the other side of the class in college. You can know her name. You might even have a conversation with her here and there. That does not mean you know her. Such is like how I knew a girl in a college class. Now years later I can say I actually do know her. I know why she does what she does and why she reacts the way she reacts. Not all the time! Trust me! There are times she is still a mystery to me. And the mystery is part of the fun of knowing her.
Knowing God is a little like that. I grew up always hearing and knowing about God. I even talked to him. But I didn't really know him. It wasn't until I committed to him (like I committed to that girl in my college class) that I really got to know him. There are still times when he is a mystery to me. But that's part of the fun of knowing him.
In Acts 17:23 Paul was in Athens, the center of Greece and also of Greek religious belief. It is said that there were more statues of gods in Athens than there were in all of Greece put together! In his visit he came across something odd.
Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an alter with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD."
I have always marveled that the vast majority of people who are not followers of Christ are actually not atheists. They are agnostic. Just like these people in Athens so many years ago, the vast majority of people believe there is a "god". They just don't know who that god is. He is unknown to them. So deep down they don't want to offend this "god" so they metaphorically put up a stone alter in their life to this "unknown god".
What I marvel at more is that they settle for not knowing. They settle for this alter. Consider... if there actually is a "god" and he's responsible for all of creation, and your very life, wouldn't you think his importance to you should pale in comparison to anything else you've got going on? Wouldn't you take the time to figure out who that was?
Paul pointed out who this unknown God was. The God who made the world and everything in it. The God who sent his own son to die for all of us. That's the God I know. And I actually know him. Not know "about" him. I know him. And what does knowing him cause me to do? Worship him. Give worth to him. Drop what I'm doing for him. To give attention to him. Because everything else pales in comparison.
worship Him 24/7...
scott
Check out this video below from Arundel Christian Church if you do not follow Chirst. It might make you think about this "unknown god."