Joseph Patty, Associate Director of Student Ministries, High School

Acts 24:25
“As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”

Genesis 18:25
“Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

Reflection:
Paul is a prisoner, accused of a matter worthy of death by the Jews. So, in Acts 24, we find Paul laying his case before Felix, a Roman Governor with the power to have Paul killed. Instead of defending himself, Paul talks to Felix about faith in Jesus. It says, “As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid,” and he sent him away. 

We know from Paul’s letters that he spoke of righteousness, right standing before God, as something that only comes through faith in Jesus (Romans 3). Self-control is something produced by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5), and the judgment to come is the sobering reality that there will be a day when each of us will stand before the judgment seat of God (2 Corinthians 5:10). You don’t say those things to the man who judges your own life unless you believe they are true with every fiber of your being. 

Felix’s reaction is telling. He is afraid, so he sends Paul away. He is a man of power, a judge himself, so he needs time to think. What kind of judge would this God be, and if there really is an eternal judge, righteous and holy, what would he make of Felix’s own life? What would God say about the judgments he had passed on others, about the power grabs and backdoor political agreements made to advance his own career, and what about the way he had used his power? When we stop to actually think that our actions are subject to another’s judgment, it sobers our own. We become more honest, and it makes us uncomfortable. It’s easier to bury the discomfort than to wrestle with reality. When Felix feels this discomfort, he sends it away and says, “I’ll deal with you when it’s more convenient.”

So, we have a choice. We can turn away from the discomfort, or we can face reality. This is why it’s imperative to know what kind of judge God is. Yes, God condemns wickedness, and this is good. If wickedness is not judged, we are without hope. However, because wickedness is judged, we are also without hope. Thankfully, we also know that God is a judge who delights in repentance. God is a judge who is rich in mercy and forgiveness (Exodus 34:6). God is the judge who sent his own Son to take our sin into himself and justify us. God is the judge who gave us his Spirit to sanctify us, freeing us not only from the effects of sin but from slavery to sin itself. 

Therefore, let us think of ourselves with sober judgment. Let us be honest about our own sin, and let us also receive the unfathomable grace our judge offers. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).

Closing Prayer: 
Righteous Judge, have mercy on me, a sinner. Thank you for being a good judge who condemns sin and delights in mercy. Give me the courage to see my sin for what it really is and to repent. Give me the faith to receive your grace. Thank you for sending your Son to die so that I might be made righteous. Sanctify me by your Spirit. I place my hope in you. Amen.