Acts 17:24-34 CSB – 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it ​– ​he is Lord of heaven and earth ​– ​does not live in shrines made by hands. 25 “Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. 26 “From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. 27 “He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 “For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ 29 “Since we are God’s offspring then, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination. 30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 “because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” 32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him, but others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.” 33 So Paul left their presence. 34 However, some people joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. (emphasis mine)

God has a plan.

God determines the timing.

. . .so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us . . .God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness . . . (v27,30,31)

God’s plan is not arbitrary.

1 John 4:9-10 CSB – 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Such a great and amazing love!

1 John 4:9-10 CSB – 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

God initiated.

God accomplished.

God revealed his love.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 CSB – 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! 18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

Not just a patch over a hole.

Not just a temporary fix.

New creation. The old dead.

Everything is from God. He reconciled. He gave. He forgave. He commissioned.

Hallelujah!