So is "religious" a good thing?

“I see that in every way you are very religious” Acts 17:22b NIV

One of the things I love about God’s Word is….

there can be a verse that I have read 100 times….

and on my 101^st time reading it….

WHAM !!!!

A truth strikes me that I failed to notice before.

God’s Word is an artesian well,

that never fails to produce life changing truth. 

Very often I have people tell me that they are either,

“religious” or “spiritual”. 

However, they have little time for God’s Word or church.

That is distressing because it means they have created a

belief system based on their own opinions, viewpoints,

life experiences ~ all of which change with time.

In these verses, Paul encounters people that considered themselves,   

 “very religious”. 

“You are saying some rather strange things,                               and we want to know what it’s all about.”                                                   

(It should be explained that all the Athenians

as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed

to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)

So Paul, standing before the council,

addressed them as follows:

“Men of Athens, I notice that you are

very religious in every way,

for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines.

And one of your altars had this inscription on it:

‘To an Unknown God.’

This God, whom you worship without knowing,

is the one I’m telling you about.

Acts 17:20-23 NLT

The Greek philosophers they were listening to ~

had a limited understanding of God ~

mostly based on the latest religious fads ~  

and what little they understood ~

contradicted God’s Truth about Himself.

Paul then pointed out that a deeper understanding of God encourages people to abandon their shallow false religious ideas ~

turn to God so He can transform their lives. 

I love Paul’s approach when he talked to the religious folk.

He acknowledges that they are “very religious”.  (17:20)  

Notice Paul doesn’t throw rocks at the confused shallow religious folks.

He doesn’t start nit-picking their confront their false beliefs or judge their sinful life styles, instead he  but acknowledges their interest in “God”.

I am sure that in his heart, Paul was very distressed by the fact that their worship was directed toward idols (17:16).

A working definition of an “idol” is anyone or anything that we go to for strength, comfort, and peace besides God. 

The term “religious” is vague and ambiguous. 

It can mean either “devout” or “superstitious”. 

I suspect Paul carefully chose the word “religious” so as not to offend his hearers while, at the same time, opening the door for him to confront the shortcomings in their beliefs and offer a clear understanding of the Gospel.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION:

Are you moving people closer to God

or pushing them away from God

by your attitude and words?