A Very Old, A Very New Story

Acts 17:19-21 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
 
THE apostle heard the philosophers he had met in the marketplace ask, “May we know?” Even though they thought Paul a babbler (v 18) they invited him to the Areopagus, Athens’ center of religion and education. This was a good place to discuss and debate Paul’s words they heard as strange ideas. Strange means the philosophers were receptive to learn more, willing to consider what Paul said. They had heard some interesting words in Paul’s preaching and wanted “to know what they mean.” Luke tells us these men spent their time listening to the latest ideas. The gospel was definitely the latest idea they had heard!
   In truth, the gospel is not the latest idea – concept, proposal or thing. The gospel is the eternal revelation of God’s goodness. Are you a Christian? Then you can know and be glad that in eternity past God wrote your name in his Book of Life. Jesus tells this truth: Revelation 13:8 “and all who dwell on earth will worship the Beast, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.” (ESV) This tells us of God’s just condemnation and ordained salvation. Each name of those saved into eternal life has been known and written before God laid the earth’s foundations.
   Paul also taught God’s eternal gospel in Ephesians 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
   The Spirit very plainly tells us the good news is older than the earth. We sing of God’s Amazing Grace, and we extol his majesty to consider How Great Thou Art. Yet God’s grace and majesty grows eternally brighter in your heart when you stop to think: “Almighty God chose me in eternity past and wrote my name in Jesus’ eternal Book of Life! Before time began he declared my eternal home is with him!
   The gospel is old and it is new. It is God’s eternal news that passionately breaks through sin’s thick, deep restraining dam to flood God’s church with Jesus’ lifeblood. Satan’s worshipers believe they are safe, free of God’s commands. But they are bound into eternal fire because their names are not written in the book of Life.
   We might ask, “Why does God not save everyone?” Perhaps the more relevant question is, “Why does God save anyone?” He certainly doesn’t need us in heaven. He doesn’t even need us in the world.
   But he planned this world. He put you here to glorify his name. And he planned your redemption. Go and tell ‘the old, old story of Jesus and his love” (from hymn I Love to Tell the Story) to those who have ears to hear.