Felix Left Paul Bound (Acts 24:22-27)

“And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jew, he sent for Paul & heard him concerning the faith in Christ.   And as Paul reasoned about righteousness, temperance, & the Judgment to come, Felix trembled & answered, ‘Go thy way for this time. When I have a convenient occasion I will call for thee.’  He hoped also that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him the oftener & communed with him.  But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’s position; & Felix, wanting to show the Jews a favor, left Paul bound” (vs24-27).

We only have so long to believe the gospel, and then He is gone, forever.  Felix had a season when he trembled at the Word, but because he wouldn’t bow, he became hardened, so hardened, that he left Paul bound, left the gospel, and went to hell himself.  This is SERIOUS business, because you and I don’t know if we’ll ever DESIRE to hear Christ again, much less have opportunity, if we don’t believe now.

Nothing frightens me more than unbelief, than being found naked and ashamed at the Judgment, and then cast into hell.  To hear Him say, “Depart from Me, you that work wickedness” is a thought the believer cannot bear (Matt 7:23).  It may cost us everything, and we may live day by day warring against the sin within us, but it is BETTER to go through many tears to be holy, than to suffer eternal death and condemnation.

Don’t think, “I’ll hear about this later”, or, “I’ll get to Christ when I’m old.” Think about the gospel as the only hope there is, and without Christ, you are currently condemned and under wrath.  He said, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18)!  You are presently in danger, and if He came for you now, He’d judge you a sinner, and you’d face His wrath.

What are you holding onto besides your sin?  I see people quit the race and others refuse to bow, but it is for the same reason.  Their rebellion says, “I don’t want to give up my sin, I don’t want to struggle with it, and so I reject the gospel and go my way.  I choose a temporary peace”.  This is worse than refusing surgery that would save you, simply because you don’t want the pain, so you go on diseased, soon to die, but feeling as if it will work out eventually, blotting the consequences and reality out of your mind.  You refuse the medicine because you don’t like the taste, and you’ll die eventually of a malady that could have been cured.  This human reasoning is satanic, for the soul that rejects Christ, trading mercy for damnation, is controlled by the devil and blinded by him.  Paul wrote, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Cor 4:3-4).  Jesus said, “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” (John 3:19).  Satan wants you to be where he will be.  He wants you to suffer God’s wrath, but you don’t have to go there.  You can repent, do good works, and be saved. So, why squander it?

Paul gave Felix clear instruction.  He “reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come” (Acts 24:25).  He told him that God saves the righteous, forgives the sinner to make us righteous, and He gives us self-control to wait until heaven before enjoying our bliss.  He reasoned about the wisdom of self-control, how it is good and just to live in God’s limits, and he promised that the coming judgment would lift some to heaven, damn others to hell, but everyone will answer to God (2 Cor 5:10).

What is your relationship with Christ?  Do you tremble?  That’s not enough, if you don’t follow Him.  Do you expect the gospel to change, to cater to your flesh, allowing you to live as you please?  Perhaps you don’t care that righteousness is preached, and you refuse the message, rejecting the very people who are trying to save you.  Eventually, those who don’t have Christ will regret it, but sadly, for the “many” in the “wide way that leads to destruction”, they won’t really care until it is too late.