backyard porch with paul

It’s spring which means I get to meditate more on the porch. Ah yes. The sun is out. Love it. Today I’ve been thinking about this statement:

It is far better to have knowledge of God than to worship without knowing him, for God cannot be worshiped reverently unless he first becomes known.  – Calvin

I’m not sure what others think of this statement but I sincerely believe in it. It really brings to mind what Paul argues in Acts 17. While standing in the marketplace nearing Mars Hill, Paul states to a group of philosophers: “I observe you are very religious in every respect. For while I was walking around and examining your objects of worship, I found an alter with this inscription: To an unknown God. What, therefore, you worship in ignorance, this I am proclaiming to you.”

In other words, you live as if God exists but refuse to believe in him. It’s simply empty religion; you’re a walking contradiction. To really make sense of this, I found myself meditating quite a bit on the prior verse: “All the Athenians and the foreigners living there used to spend their time doing nothing else but telling or listening to the latest ideas” (vs. 21). Basically what led to their spiritual ineptness was an inability to come to  any conclusions about the existence and nature of God. Sort of sounds like our postmodern context.

Here’s what’s really compelling for me as I think about how Paul introduces Christ into this very skeptical environment. He doesn’t start with Jesus. Rather he starts this way: I admire your religious attempt to find God. I’ve been watching the way you seek truth. Let me tell you what I see in your culture. Let me explain to you how the Gospel will make sense in it by first starting with God’s existence.

Paul’s first line of business is to discuss the importance of believing in one God. Now that makes sense to me as I think about a very pluralistic environment; a system where multiple gods and philosophies exists means that you can’t conclude anything until you decide something is absolute. I’m grateful though that Paul doesn’t camp on a transcendent God who is self existent. He focuses not just on where he is nor that he exists as Creator but points to the incarnate God. Why? God is tangible. He’s near. He’s personal. He’s knowable.

With this said, I think the ultimate way a church truly reaches people is not just through the doctrines of God but by living His doctrine; like the one God who pursues relentlessly; as the one who puts on flesh and then ultimately dies for us. And it’s not just that he dies for humanity it’s also that he resurrects which means he’s coming back for us. I mean is that not the true nature of love; that God’s coming back for you and me…

Just now I was thinking about little Lillian… how I always tell her that I’ll be back when I leave the house. Can you imagine just leaving and never coming back for her… what would my daughter conclude? Would she praise me or become bitter that I left her in a world to suffer? Grateful Jesus is coming back… it’s the fullest extent of his love for us.

So yeah as I sit here and finish out my post on Paul’s words I find myself in awe of this pursuing God who Scripture says became like us and so in the flesh proves he is personally knowable. I’m also sitting here and asking myself if I’m condemning idols of people who seem to know nothing about God… if that really is the best way to reach them. Your successful life is horrible! Your dreams of a beautiful family are sinful! Your  money is of the devil! Oh and how much you live for that business you’ve always wanted… that’s not something good because well, God has to be the center of your life (I can almost see the 4 spiritual laws right now coming out). I mean com’on… and then to have the audacity to somehow tell them to come to Jesus because these idols are taking up the space in their lives where Jesus should be?

Mmmm… something tells me stepping into the heart of culture like Paul and simply pointing to Jesus who is the fullest expression of a self-existing God that needs nothing from us (not our money, our performance) yet wants us in every way possible is a better way to present change.

At least that’s how I see it…