Agnostic

Acts 17:21 (NIV)

All the Athenians and foreigners who lived there spent their time doing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas

An agnostic is uncertain about the existence of God. While atheists like Nietzsche are convinced that either God is dead or never existed, agnostics are not sure whether the existence of God can be verified. Such people are constantly seeking out new theories, philosophies, and ideas. Such were the people that the Apostle encountered at Athens. Stoics, Epicureans, or pleasure seekers, atheists, and rich people who just wanted to kill time, constantly gathered there for debate and discussion, without ever reaching any conclusion. The world is full of people who believe that Jesus of Nazareth is a historical figure and taught us how to live a genuinely human life. They believe that His teachings will make us better people. But they stop short of acknowledging Him as God. Why? Because they think there are conflicting narratives about Christ, or that it was thousands of years ago, or because they've actually witnessed any of the miracles, and so on. The problem these people face is that they have never had an encounter with Jesus of Nazareth, nor have they received His Holy Spirit. A life-changing encounter with Christ is the only way to know God. Further, God does not merely want to make us better people. He wants to use us as His servants to do His good and perfect will in this life and eternally. Amen.