Three Quick Notes – Acts 24-26

Quick Note – Acts 24:16 – A Clear Conscience

Acts 24:16 – 16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

When Paul was giving a defense of his faith before Governor Felix after being accused by the Jews, he spoke these words in our passage today, “So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”  By saying this, Paul was assuring Felix and the others at the trial that he had done nothing wrong.  The Jewish people were accusing him of inciting a riot and breaking the laws of the Jews, but they could not prove any of their accusations.  Paul had lived in a way and manner that proved that he had done nothing wrong, so they could do nothing but bring up false accusations.  This is similar to what happened to Jesus with the Pharisees, who falsely accused Him.  This passage should be a reminder to all Christians to live in a way where we can have a clear conscience toward both God and man.  We must avoid sin and temptation.  We must avoid any appearance of being misunderstood that we might be doing what is wrong.  We must avoid unnecessary arguments and quarrels.  It is by living with a clear conscience, following God, that we will be a light to this world.  It is by having a clear conscience toward man that we can avoid bringing shame to the name of Christ. 

Quick Note – Acts 26:16-18 – The Purpose of the Message

Acts 26:16-18 – 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

When Paul was going to Damascus to persecute the Jews, he was met by Jesus Christ on the way.  At this meeting Jesus rebuked Paul for persecuting him and called him to become a servant of His.  It was then that Paul was given his assignment.  He was told that he would be a witness for the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles.  His purpose was to share the Good News – the Message of Jesus Christ.  And the purpose of that Message was to open their eyes, to turn the people from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, from a place of sin and shame and punishment to a place of glorious rejoicing with those who are sanctified by faith in Christ.  The Gospel’s purpose is to save. 

There are three contrasting conditions that the Gospel changes in a person when they receive Christ into their hearts as Lord and Savior.  First, the Gospel changes a person’s eyes.  It opens them so that they no longer live in darkness but live in the Light of life.  Before becoming a Christian, a person can only wander blindly through this world.  There is no true purpose, there is no eternal home.  But when a person hears and receives the Gospel, his or her eyes are opened, they see Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, and now have direction and guidance in this life.  They no longer walk in the darkness, sin, and evil of this world but in the Light of Jesus Christ.  Our eyes are changed.  Second, the Gospel changes a person’s master.  Before becoming Christians, we are slaves to sin and the Devil.  He has full control of us and how we live.  We can only do what is wrong.  We can only live in sin.  But when Jesus Christ comes into our hearts, we are set free and given a new life under a new Master – the one and only true God.  We are no longer under the power of a wrathful false pretender but under the power of a true King.  Our Master is changed.  Finally, the Gospel changes a person’s final resting place. Before coming to Christ, because of our sin, we owed a great debt.  We owed our lives.  According to Romans 6:23, the wages of our sin is death.  We deserved to die because we were in the wrong state with God.  He had every right and every reason to send us to hell.  And that was our destination after our life here on earth.  But when God saved us, He paid the debt that we owed on the cross (Jesus Christ died for us), forgave us of our sins, and sanctified us to live a new life with Him.  We no longer owed Him anything.  All our sins and all our debts were paid.  No longer were we heading to Hell, a place of eternal punishment, but we are heading to Heaven, a new home, a new place that was especially prepared for us where we will be surrounded by those who are also sanctified by faith in Christ.  Our eternal home is changed. 

The Gospel is powerful.  It changes hearts.  It changes lives.  It changes us.  That is the purpose of the Gospel. 

Quick Note – Acts 24-26 – What Is Your Response to the Gospel

After Paul was accused by the Jews of causing a riot and breaking the laws of Moses, he was put on trial before three important leaders in Israel at the time – Governor Felix, Governor Festus, and King Agrippa.  All three men were given the opportunity to hear Paul’s defense and even hear the Gospel.  But unfortunately, none of them were recorded in the Bible to have received Christ into their hearts.  Instead, we hear of how they made some excuse as to why they were not ready.  If you have yet to receive Christ into your hearts, I encourage you to do so today.  Read these passages and ask yourself, what is the excuse I am giving?  And before it is too late, like it might have been for them, give your life to Jesus today.  

Acts 24:24-25 – 24 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.”

Governor Felix was the first of the leaders to hear of the Gospel from Paul.  He was already well-informed of Christianity, because according to vs. 22, he had “a rather accurate knowledge of the Way.”  But wanting to know more, he would invite Paul to come speak with him and his wife personally about Jesus Christ.  However, after hearing the Gospel, after knowing about sin, after learning about the coming judgment, rather than letting the fear of God push him towards repentance, he let that fear push him away.  He told Paul, “Go away for the present.  When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”  Instead of turning to God, when the Holy Spirit moved in his heart, he ran away, looking for a “better time.”  He likely wanted to continue living in his sin, because one of the things he heard about was righteousness and self-control.  He must have heard that as a Christian, he needed to turn away from his sin and to follow God.  And he wasn’t ready to give them up.  So he pushed it off.  We never hear if Felix ever came to Christ, but eventually, he was removed from his office and replaced, so it could be that he never got the chance.  Are you like Felix holding onto your sin?  Are you like Felix waiting for a “better time”?  Stop waiting.  You never know if you will have tomorrow.  Now is the day of salvation.

Acts 26:24-25 – 24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words.

Governor Festus was the person that replaced Felix.  So when Paul was placed under his supervision for trial, he also heard the Gospel.  He heard it at the same time that King Agrippa did.  But after hearing Paul share the Gospel, he yelled to Paul, “You are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.”  Unlike Felix who understood but was not ready to receive the Gospel, Festus just outright rejected it.  He thought that the idea of a man rising from the dead was ludicrous, so he told Paul, “Your learning has made you mad.”  Most people would agree with Festus that it is quite crazy to believe a person could rise from the dead, but like Paul said in vs. 8, “Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?”  Is it surprising that God is capable of doing that?  Of course not.  If God is truly God, then He can do anything, even raise a person from the dead.  It isn’t out of the question.  Festus’ excuse was that it didn’t make sense, but he was only thinking about what man could do, not what God could.  Is that what is keeping you from receiving the Gospel?  Is it because it doesn’t make sense to you?  Not everything can be answered by science.  Some things are a matter of faith.  And if you truly think about it, it does make logical sense to consider that God is capable of doing anything, even raising a person from the dead.  So don’t let the things you don’t understand keep you from turning to God.  Instead place your faith in Him and let Him answer those questions for you.

Acts 26:27-28 – 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”

The last important official Paul witnessed to while he was on trial was to King Agrippa.  King Agrippa had been a ruler in this area for some time, so he knew the Jewish law and the prophecies about the Messiah.  He also knew what had happened with Jesus Christ.  So when Paul was sharing the Gospel with him, Agrippa understood the background knowledge and the context.  However, after hearing the Gospel, rather than placing his faith in Christ, he told Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”  Although Agrippa knew the prophecies, believed in them, and knew that Christ was the only one that fulfilled them, he still came up with an excuse to accept it.  King Agrippa’s excuse was that he just hadn’t heard enough about it yet.  He wanted to know more.  He wanted to have more information.  He wanted more time to mull over what he had heard.  Now, there is nothing wrong with considering whether you want to become a disciple of Jesus.  It is an important decision that will change your life completely.  Even Jesus told His disciples to count the cost of following Him.  But when the Holy Spirit works in your life and urges you to come to Him, it is time.  It is not a time for you to reconsider.  It is not a time for you to look for more information.  It is the time to accept Him.  Agrippa must have been moved by Paul’s message but was not ready cause he wanted more.  Maybe like Felix he didn’t want to let go of his sin.  Maybe like Festus he didn’t want to give up on what sounded logical.  Whatever the case, he wanted more time.  But unfortunately, we don’t know if he ever got that time.  

The Gospel has been presented to you today.  What is your excuse for rejecting it?  Stop making excuses and instead give your life to Him today.  Now is the day of salvation. 

Psalm 132:3-5 – Don’t Delay! Don’t Procrastinate!

Psalm 132:3-5 – “I will not enter my house or get into my bed, I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place of the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Although this will be a fairly short post, I think it will still pack quite the spiritual punch.  We all struggle with procrastination.  Some more than others.  I mean even today, I procrastinated from reading some scientific papers that I should be reading for my thesis introduction outline.  I decided to watch some television instead (I’m not proud of doing that!).  Interestingly, these verses from Psalm 132 came up in my devotions today.  King David, one of the most famous kings of Israel, stated these words as a promise to God – a promise to find a place to build a temple to worship the Lord.  During his reign, he realized that while he was living in an elaborate palace, the place of worship for God was simply a tent.  He felt that it was inappropriate for His great God to be worshipped in such meager surroundings.  Because of this, he wanted to build a beautiful temple for the worship of the one true God.  However, God told him that it wouldn’t be him that would do it, but his son.   This didn’t stop David from keeping his promise though; he put every effort he could to help prepare for the construction.  He scouted the location; he drew up architectural plans; he set aside gold and silver for the production of temple goods, and he even planned out who would sing music and play instruments for praise and worship.  He took his promise seriously and didn’t procrastinate in doing the work of the Lord.

The question I want you to reflect on today is “Are you procrastinating from doing something that God has asked you to do?”  It might be that God has prompted to you to send an encouraging text to a friend.  It might be that God wants you to call a person you have been fighting with and ask for forgiveness.  It might be that God has called you to share the Gospel with someone you know or maybe even called you yourself to accept Jesus Christ into your heart.  Whatever God has called you to do, don’t delay.  David said that he wouldn’t go to bed, until he could find a place for the LORD, a dwelling place of the Mighty One of Jacob.  He didn’t wait.  He didn’t look for an “opportune time,” as Governor Felix did, when his heart was moved by God to become a Christian (Acts 26:25).  He didn’t put it off for his son to do.  He took the initiative and did the work.  Don’t wait any longer!  Whatever God has asked you to do, do it with all your might and for Him this day, this moment.

Now is the day of salvation.

Quick Note – STOP PROCRASTINATING – Acts 22:12-16

Acts 22:12-16 – “‘And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing by me said to me, “Brother Saul, receive your sight.”  And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him.  And he said, “The god of our fathers appointed you to know His will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from His mouth; for you will be a witness for Him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.  And now why do you wait?  Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name.”’”

We are masters of procrastination; no matter what the assignment is we can find a reason for not doing it when we have the opportunity to do so.  Back in high school and college, I often left my homework and lab reports undone until the last minute.  I would know a week, and often times, months in advance when each one of these assignments were due; but instead of working on them ahead of time, I would just wait until two or three days before the due date and stay up late putting something together.  This bad habit continues to creep up on me even now.  I put off presentations that I need to do for work till the day before.  I put off writing things to post on this blog for the night before (when I used to try to post weekly).  I put off applications for advance degree programs and scholarships.  Just the other day, I sent an application in for a scholarship two days before it was due, when I knew two months beforehand that I had to fill one out.  I even procrastinated writing this specific post.  I seem to procrastinate with everything in my life.  The funny (not in a HAHA way but a sad way) thing is that I probably am not the worst procrastinator you know.  I’m sure that you can think of at least two or three people in your life (which may include yourself) who don’t only put off things a few days before it’s due but minutes before it’s due.  In high school, some of my friends would try to finish their homework assignments while waiting for the teacher to enter the classroom the day it was due.  It was amazing that they managed to pass!  I can almost safely say that most of us have accepted that procrastination is a part of our lives.

What’s worse is that we procrastinate with spiritual matters!  So many people procrastinate when it comes to things related to God.  If God told them to do something, they will put it off.  If God has called them to salvation, they will say, “It can wait till later.”  I read a chapter from C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters just the other day and found that one of the ways Screwtape, prevented an atheist from turning to Christ was simply to make him put it off to another day.  In the letter he wrote to his nephew Wormwood, he basically told him, the key to preventing a person from turning to God was to simply move his attention to something else – make him put off the decision to accept God or to even think of Him to another time, and he will be trapped forever.  I think this act of spiritual warfare was probably used on Governor Felix in Acts 24:24-27.  Paul shared the Gospel with Felix and when convicted of his need for salvation instead of turning to God at that moment he said, “Go away for the present.  When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”  He put it off for another day, and from the following verses, it sounds like he just kept putting it off and never became a Christian.  This is why there is a Bible verse that says, “…Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2b).  If God is calling you to search for Him, if He is calling you to know Him more, if He is calling you to receive Him as your Lord and Savior, then do so today!  Don’t procrastinate, because the time will not always be there.  The more you say, “No!” to the Holy Spirit’s prodding, the more your heart will grow hardened to hear it.  Our passage today has Apostle Paul sharing his testimony to the Jewish people.  He was going to Damascus to persecute the Christian church, when suddenly on the way, Christ appeared to Him and told Him that a disciple named Ananias would tell him what to do next.  When Ananias came, he shared the Gospel with Paul, told him why God had called Him, and said something very poignant, “And now why do you wait?”  He was telling Paul not to linger, and Paul answered the call that night.  We should not linger; we should not wait.  When God has called us, it is time to answer immediately.

This post is not simply for unbelievers who are on the fence about Christianity though.  I am writing this post to speak also to those who are already disciples of Christ.  God has given us a job to do as His disciples and that is to share the Gospel and make more disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).  So often we procrastinate.  We say that we can put it off for another day.  We can share the Gospel with that person tomorrow or another time when we get the chance.  BUT WE MAY NEVER GET THAT CHANCE AGAIN.  It is said that D. L. Moody, a famous Christian evangelist in the 1800s, once preached in Chicago and instead of making an altar call that night told the people listening to think about what he had said and come back another time to decide whether they really wanted to give their lives to Christ.  That night, the Great Chicago Fire occurred, and many lost their lives.  Who knows who might have put off the decision for salvation because of what he had said?  When God has called us to do something, we should no wait or linger either.  We should respond to the call immediately.  We should not use prayer as an excuse for not doing it.  We should not use seeking godly counsel as a reason for not doing it.  If you aren’t sure God said it, then wait; but if God has made a certain call, then answer immediately.  Maybe He is calling you to a mission field.  Maybe He is calling you to the ministry.  Maybe He is calling to seminary.  Or maybe He wants you to share the Gospel with your best friend or family member.  The truth is that if you choose not to do the work, God’s work will still happen; it will just happen without you.  And trust me, you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity God is giving you.  You will be amazed to see what will be accomplished when you respond to God immediately.  STOP PROCRASTINATING AND GET TO WORK ON WHAT GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO DO!

Quick Note: Genesis 19:15-16 – Don’t Linger

Genesis 19:15-16 – “As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, ‘Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.’  But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.”

In high school and college, one of the things I did very often was procrastinate; it almost became like a part of me, in that, whenever I had an assignment due in two to three weeks, I would feel the urge to put it off until the last minute.  I would watch television shows, check on the news, surf the net, do anything to avoid having to do my required work.  I just did not feel like working on it.  But as I put it off more and more, the pressure and stress would build up to its climactic point of panic – the night before it was due.   Every time I would tell myself, “I won’t do that again.  It’s too stressful,” but would repeat the cycle the next time.  I would procrastinate instead of work.  Fortunately for me, the results of my procrastination were not fatal to my grade point average, my health, or my life; but it definitely helped me realize the importance of doing what needs to be done as soon as possible.  I must admit that I often still fall into the trap of procrastination, but I am learning to overcome it slowly and surely.

In our passage today, we find the story of a man whose procrastination/lingering almost cost him and his family their lives.  Genesis 19 recounts the destruction of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah; these two cities were so evil in the sight of God that God felt the need to judge it immediately with complete destruction.  One man in that city though was saved by God due to his relationship with Abraham, the friend of God; this man’s name was Lot, Abraham’s nephew.  Lot was actually a righteous man in his heart but made a bad decision to dwell in Sodom.  By staying there, his heart became calloused to the wickedness to the point where he could live there without feeling so guilty.  He got so used to this place of sin that when the angels urged him to leave, he lingered.  To linger is to wait around and delay doing something that you feel that you should do.  To linger is to know the need to do something and not to do it.  To linger is to procrastinate.  Instead of running from the upcoming destruction, Lot lingered.  Why?  Likely it is because he got so used to this wicked city that he couldn’t bear to leave his home, his friends, and his familiarity.  Luckily for him, the two angels dragged him out of there before the destruction, leaving him alive and leaving us a lesson to learn from his example.

No matter how good we are or how little we have sinned, we are all considered sinners in the sight of God, deserving of judgment.  That judgment awaits us every day, for immediately when we leave this earth in death, we will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to get the punishment we deserve – hell and eternal separation from God.  That judgment is hanging on top of our heads like an axe on a burning string, just waiting to snap.  Jonathan Edwards, a famous preacher during the First American Great Awakening, preached a wonderful sermon to describe this called Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God; I recommend reading it.  Like Lot, the judgment is on our doorstep.  But just like with Lot, God has provided a way to escape through His Son Jesus Christ.  By receiving Him into our hearts as Savior and Lord, our sins can be forgiven and the judgment appeased.  But like Lot, many people are lingering.  They know exactly what to do yet wait thinking that they can forgo the need to be saved until the last minute.  They act as Felix did with Paul, putting it off until a more “convenient season” (Acts 24:25).  You, who are reading this right now, may be like Lot, lingering, while God is urging you to turn to Him today.  Do not make Him wait, for He will not drag you as the angels did with Lot.  One day, it may be too late.  One day, you may die without Him unexpectedly.  Run away from sin now and into His arms.  Do not linger.  He is urging you today.

For Christians and growing disciples of Christ, God has called us to step away from sin and into His holiness.  He has called us to a close and tight-knit relationship with Him that requires a clear cut separation from sin.  Too many of us are holding on to our idols and our “pet sins,” instead of choosing obedience and giving them over to Him.  We would rather entertain are dangerous lusts than to obey Him.  These sins and idols will eventually enslave us, if they haven’t already, leaving our Christian walk and witness destroyed.  Rather than linger in our sin, let us run away from these destructive habits and grow in Christ.  Let us seek His face and grow ever closer to Him.  Don’t linger, get up, and run – run now.

Whether you need to give your life to Him or need to recommit and rededicate your devotion to Him, whether you need to run away from sin or you need to run into His arms, don’t linger.  Do it now.