Acts 17:30–31 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
We live in a world filled with confusion. As our country continues its slide of defiance against the God of the Bible, people join in pluralistic displays of false gods and man-centered attempts to find a cause for meaning and identity. The gods of our age (CRT, social justice, LGBTQ+, women’s reproductive rights – read the right to slaughter babies in the womb, climate change, green energy, etc.), promote confusing, combative, and condemning communications.
When people read the previous list, some will argue that other gods of this age don’t find a place on the list because of my bias. Their reactions serve to substantiate my opinion. They believe there should not be a point without a counterpoint, and they feel we must give all varying ideas equal time and equal credence. The result is confusion and chaos from ridiculous attempts to be even-handed and nonjudgmental. What we need is a catch-all category. How about “To the unknown God” – Acts 17:23?
Acts 17:16-34 summarizes Paul’s ministry in Athens. The Athenians, particularly the Athenian philosophers, prided themselves in progressive open-mindedness. In an effort not to be offensive, they erect an idol named “To the unknown God.” The Athenians want to ensure that no deity or worshipers of an unidentified deity are offended.
The Apostle Paul capitalizes on the title and explains the God who is unknown to them. This God is the only true God. Ignorance of Him is no innocent offense. In the name of Jesus, the resurrected Lord of glory, all people are to repent. They are to turn from their false gods, surrendering themselves to His sovereign and righteous authority. Failure to do so will secure their eternal condemnation.
Without the rule and reign of Jesus Christ over the people He saves, the world remains in a malaise of confusion and misdirection. The ultimate consequence is not just stumbling in the darkness. God’s righteous judgment against all self-serving idolatry ends in a sentence of condemnation. The choice is Christ or confusion in life with the ultimate decision of Christ or condemnation for eternity.
What is the message all people need to hear? Turn from the gods of our age to the only hope for life and salvation, Jesus Christ, the resurrected Lord of glory!
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