God is not hiding—He wants to be known. Discover Paul’s message on Mars Hill and what it means for those searching for hope and truth today.
Hide and Seek
Have you ever played hide and seek as a kid? One person closes their eyes while everyone else runs to find the best hiding spot. The last one found wins—or at least, that’s how I thought it worked.
Believe it or not, I wasn’t always tall. I was usually so well-hidden that by the time I came out, the other kids had moved on to another game while I was still waiting to be found.
Sometimes, we may feel like God is playing that game—hiding from us and not wanting to be found. But that’s not the case. He wants to be known by His creation. He desires a relationship with us.
Yet, with all the noise and distractions of life, it’s understandable that we sometimes feel distant from Him. For those seeking God, the book of Acts gives us an encouraging example.
Paul on Mars Hill
In Acts 17:16–34, we see Paul outside his usual setting. He’s not in a synagogue but among philosophers and intellectuals—people with little or no knowledge of Scripture. In many ways, it’s like talking to someone today who’s never been to church or opened a Bible.
The Areopagus (Mars Hill) was a gathering place for sharing the latest ideas. Some present were Stoics, who valued reason and logic. Others were Epicureans, who avoided politics and civic responsibility in pursuit of comfort and pleasure. These influences are still alive today.
Paul stood there, overlooking Athens, and gave them a simple yet profound message about the God they didn’t know.
1. Everyone Is Searching for Answers
No matter your background, you’re looking for answers—about where we came from, whether there’s a Creator, and who’s in charge of all this.
Religion isn’t a survival mechanism, as some claim—it’s humanity’s attempt to find God. We’re designed with that longing, but since humanity rejected the Creator, we’ve filled the void with countless world religions.
Romans 1:21–23 (ESV)
For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Athens was full of idols—even an altar “To the unknown god,” just in case they missed one.
2. God Wants to Be Pursued
Paul declared:
Acts 17:27 (ESV)
That they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.
Have you ever been in pitch-black darkness where you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face? Out in the woods with no city lights, you have to feel your way around—completely unaware someone might be standing right next to you.
That’s the picture Paul gives. In our sinful state, we try religion, self-help, or other paths, stumbling in darkness—while God is right there beside us.
John 1:4–5 (ESV)
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
3. God Is Not Formed by Our Imagination
Paul pointed out that idols were manmade, but today we still create our own “versions” of God—versions that don’t match Scripture:
- The Gnostic Jesus – based on late, pseudo-gospels like the Gospel of Thomas, promoting a “lost Christianity” myth unsupported by history.
- The Non-Crucified Jesus – presented by some Muslims and Hindus, denying the historical crucifixion and resurrection.
- The Culturally Acceptable Jesus – shaped to fit modern values, never challenging sin or calling for repentance.
When we make God in our image, we lose the real Jesus of the Bible.
4. A Call to Repentance
Acts 17:30 (ESV)
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
Finding God is only the beginning. He calls us to repentance—to change our thinking and living in alignment with His will.
We can:
- Accept God as He is and be transformed by His Spirit.
- Reject Him and cling to a god of our imagination.
- Ignore Him altogether, as the atheist or agnostic does.
5. Three Responses
When Paul preached, there were three reactions:
- Some mocked – rejecting the message outright.
- Some were curious – wanting to hear more.
- Some believed – becoming followers of Christ.
We see the same responses today when we share the Gospel. The question is: Are we ready to share it?
Conclusion – Be Ready
Even in a world that seems hostile to Christianity, people are still searching for hope and answers. Just as Paul did on Mars Hill, we are called to step into conversations—at work, in our neighborhoods, or even in our own families—and share the good news of Jesus Christ.
God is not hiding. He wants to be known. The question is, will we help others find Him?