In Acts 23, Paul had been taken into custody in Jerusalem. After a plot to kill him was uncovered, the Romans whisked him away to Caesarea by night for safe keeping until a hearing before the Roman Governor Felix.
Felix was Marcus Antonius Felix, a Roman procurator (governor) of Judea from approximately AD 52 to 59. In human history, he is known for his corruption, cruelty, and ambition, which led to constant unrest in Judea and earned him the criticism of historians like Tacitus and Josephus. He is famously known for detaining the Apostle Paul and for his marriage to Drusilla, daughter of Herod Agrippa I
After Paul’s initial defense before Felix, which countered charges from Jews from Jerusalem, Felix declares a continuance of the hearing: Acts 24:22-23 But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the Way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, "When Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case." 23 So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty, and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him.
Then in Acts 24:24-26 (ESV) After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” 26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him.
Felix heard Paul speak about faith in Christ Jesus. The word “heard” indicates to hear with understanding (a????´? with the Genitive). Why was he alarmed? Because he understood! Paul reasoned about…
I) Righteousness
A) The reality of righteousness is that there are moral absolutes that we are accountable to live by.
B) Righteousness is defined and expressed by God's law
1) 1 John 3:4 " Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.".
2) Psalm 119:142 "Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is truth."
3) Romans 7:12 (ESV) "So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good."
C) To be right we must do right – conform to God’s law as opposed to committing lawlessness.
1) 1 John 3:7 "Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous."
2) Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
3) Matthew 7:24-27 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
D) While God graciously offers forgiveness when we do not do right, the obligation to do right is undimmed. Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
II) Self-control
A) Moral progressiveness always drifts toward a disregard for self-control. In nearly every age, self-control is counter cultural. 2 Timothy 3:2-4 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
1) Did Felix have vices he was unwilling to let go.
2) History indicates that his carnal political aspirations involved corruption, cruelty, and unbridled ambition.
(a) His lust for money was one of the motives for dragging out justice for Paul
(b) Acts 24:26 “…he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him.”
3) He hated and feared the light because his deeds were evil. John 3:19-20 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
4) Perhaps he was afraid of what would happen if he allowed good to win the war within.
(a) We war with the desires of the flesh which are clear and pressing
(b) Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
(c) I used to assume that the things people wished to do were good things, but the flesh kept them from it. It may be more often the case that people want to do bad things and they are afraid that the spirit would came them from it! Some would rather indulge than make hard changes that God calls us to make.
(d) THEY WANT evil to win within them.
(e) “I can resist everything except temptation” (Oscar Wilde)
B) Self-control is the crown of the fruit of Spirit.
1) Self-control completes the list of fruits of the Spirit. If love is the ground of the fruit, self-control is it’s crown – the conduit through which all the fruit of the Spirit emerges.
2) Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
3) Just as life in the Spirit is initiated by love observed and practiced, it is sustained and secured through daily dying to self (Romans 12.1-2) and learning to control the desires of the flesh Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
4) In a word, to walk by the Spirit we must have self-control.
5) To run the race for the heavenly crown, we must have self-control! 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 (ESV) Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
C) Lack of self-control leaves the soul undefended. Proverbs 25:28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
1) In other words, self-control is the basic defense against influences around us. It keeps us from getting swept up in the emotion of the moment or the persuasion of others. It helps us to see our own selfishness for what it is and what we must do about it.
2) But we must “discipline ourselves for godliness” (1 Timothy 4.7-8).
3) “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…” (Titus 2.11-12).
D) While the uncontrolled fear self-control, self-control itself is the spirit of courage! 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV) for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
E) Although some may scoff at our restraint, but they themselves will face God’s judgement.
1 Peter 4:3-5 (ESV) For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
III) The coming judgment,
A) When men fully come face to face with God’s wrath, it is terrifying. Hebrews 10:28-31 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
1) A braggart might claim he is unafraid of a lion, until he meets a lion.
2) We might brag about being unafraid of God’s wrath, of eternal punishment, or of hell itself, until we see it as a real possibility.
B) People who were actually confronted with God’s wrath are were rightfully terrified.
1) Revelation 6:15-17 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
2) Isaiah describes the destruction of Jerusalem:
(a) Isaiah 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up—And it shall be brought low—
(b) Isaiah 2:17-19 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; The LORD alone will be exalted in that day, 18 But the idols He shall utterly abolish. 19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.
Conclusion: Felix was alarmed. But not alarmed enough. Some people can be scared to death, but many refuse to be scared to life. What about you?
