The beloved physician Luke shared how “Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands. Neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he gives to all life, and breath, and all things. And has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has 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. For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent”, and in chapter seventeen and verse thirty-one of the book of Acts Luke shared how God has, “appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness” where we read:
Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; whereof he has given assurance unto all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
The verse begins, “Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained;” Luke began with the words, “because he has appointed a day” which means “since and on account that he, God the Heavenly Father, fixed, set, placed and made firm and established a particular time”, “in the which he will judge” or “that God will determine, resolve, decree, select and choose” “the world in righteousness” which means “the inhabited earth with a doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God” “by that man whom he has ordained” or “with the male that God has defined, appointed, declared, determined and decreed”. Luke shared how “Paul” told the “philosophers” there was a “day” coming when God would “judge” the world and it's inhabitants by the standard of the “man” He “appointed” which is His Son Jesus.
The verse continues, “whereof he has given assurance unto all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.” Luke added the words, “whereof he has given assurance” or “by whom God has granted, bestowed, supplied and furnished the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things and is the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ” “unto all men” which means “toward each, every, the whole and everyone both male and female”, “in that he has raised him from the dead” or “since, because and on account that God resurrected Jesus from the non-living, inanimate, without breath and destitute of life”. Luke shared how “Paul” told the “philosophers” that God supplied “conviction” of His existence and eternal salvation through His Son Jesus and proved it by raising Jesus from the “dead”.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Paul” shared the main point of the “gospel” of Jesus Christ and God's plan of “salvation” for mankind. God, thru His Son Jesus, proved His existence and His desire to have a personal relationship with everyone who receives Jesus as their “Savior and Lord”. God exists. God loves, and God saves through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus who died upon the cross for the sins of mankind. Everyone who yields to Him will be forgiven of their sins and granted everlasting life with God, and those who are wise not only hear the good news of Jesus Christ, but submit themselves to Him to live with God forever and ever.
Next time Luke shares, “when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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