Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals.
Acts 17:2-9
It is easier for me to think about the gold, silver, or stone nowadays. That happened when we began payments on our first house in 2003 where we still live. And it is occuring as I see what is happening to our investments. In our economic environment it is easier to focus upon the image formed by the art and the imagination of mortals. It was this easier issue to focus upon that Paul was addressing here.
God is not like these things. God values not things, but the value of love, forgiveness, healthy relationships, his living creation including the human race. Being an expression of love is at the top of God's list. This is the foundation of the work of Jesus Christ, God's everlasting Son, that Paul moves his tought toward in Acts 17. God's love was, and is, expressed in the life of His Son. Paul points to this love of God in Jesus' death and resurrection when he says: "he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead’ (vv. 30-31).
What is God like? Not gold or silver or stone. Not at all. He is like a perfect love that gives of God's own self. So I am called to give of my own self.
No comments:
Post a Comment