The Plot
There was a plot to kill Paul. Paul’s nephew heard about the plot, he told Paul, and Paul told one of the centurions. The centurion took Paul’s nephew to the commander. Paul’s nephew told the commander about the plot to ambush Paul and to kill him, so the commander transferred Paul to Caesarea.
The Trial
In Caesarea, Paul was put on trial before Governor Felix. Paul defended himself against the charges against him. Paul believed the charges to be false and misleading, as well as he stated that his accusers could not prove the accusations. Then, Paul stated:
However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man (Acts 24:14-16).Paul continued by stating that, after an absence of several years, he returned to Jerusalem. He was ceremonially clean when he entered the temple area. He was not involved in any disturbance. He felt there were certain Jews that should be there to state what crime they found in him when he stood before the Sanhedrin.
Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. “When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.” He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs.My Understanding: There were several verses in this passage that stood out to me in relation to this subject of childlike faith (the song the Lord gave me). Paul said, about his faith in Jesus Christ and his hope in God, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked, that he strived always to keep a clear conscience before God and man. Then, further on in the passage it states that, when he stood before the governor and his wife, that Paul spoke to them about faith in Christ Jesus, as well as he discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come. Felix’s response to this was fear. He said, “That’s enough for now.” He didn’t want to hear more, yet he sent for him frequently and talked with him, hoping Paul would offer him a bribe. Perhaps that was customary, I don’t know, but that is not how Paul operated.
Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on 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.” At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.
When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison (Acts 24:22-27).
This song, Child-like Faith (below), is based off of Matthew 18:1-9 and Jesus’ words concerning God’s kingdom and the requirements for entering into God’s eternal kingdom. Jesus said that unless we change (turn; repent) and humble ourselves (submission; surrender; obedience) we cannot enter into his kingdom. Yet, so many churches today are teaching that nothing is required of us other than to “believe,” yet they make “belief” in Jesus out to be nothing more than an acknowledgment of the fact that we are all sinners and are thus in need of a Savior, and of some intention to move in the direction toward Christ and learning his word and how to live the Christian life.
Yet, when they state that repentance and obedience are not necessary for eternal life with God, not only are they making a mockery out of what Jesus did for us on the cross in setting us free from sin, but they negate, in their lives, what he did on the cross, if they do not truly ever turn from their sins and turn to obey God with their lives. Jesus was so clear always that repentance and obedience are required for entry into his eternal kingdom, and that is exactly why Paul stated that he strove always to keep a clear conscience before God and man. He was very much aware that Jesus died so that he could go free from the control of sin over his life and could be free to live in harmony with God with a clear conscience.
Jesus also spoke of how we need to welcome true believers in Jesus Christ in Jesus’ name as we would welcome Jesus. So many in our churches today are not welcoming other believers in Jesus Christ for various reasons, some of which are philosophical differences, personality differences, and following man’s teachings over the teachings of God’s word, etc. Yet, we are all one family in Christ and thus we should accept and love one another as though accepting and loving Jesus Christ. Jesus said that whatever we do for others we do for him. So, when we reject our brothers and sisters in Christ because we don’t like their particular personalities or their philosophical leanings, and/or their spiritual giftedness, then we are doing that, as well, to Christ. We are not to say to another part of the body that “We have no need of you.” Yet, many are doing just that.
Jesus also had some strong words concerning leading other believers to sin. I have simplified what he said by merely stating that we are in danger of God’s judgment when we lead other believers to sin. God takes sin very seriously. It is bad enough when we choose to sin, but when we lead others to sin, that is horrible! May we never be guilty of doing that.
Still on the subject of sin, the Lord Jesus said that if any part of our body leads us to sin, we should cut it off. I believe he was speaking metaphorically, yet it gives a strong picture of how seriously our Lord takes sin, because he knows how much sin hurts us and how much it hurts others who are in our lives. So, he says to take the most drastic measures possible to rid ourselves even of the temptation to sin. If your sin issue is pornography, then don’t have a personal computer or extended cable available to you unchecked (without accountability), because you are just asking to give in to temptation. If your sin issue is overeating, then don’t purchase a bunch of snacks, i.e. junk food, and don’t eat out a lot where the portions are so large unless you plan to share meals. If your sin issue is shopping too much, beyond your means, then don’t go to shopping sites on the internet and/or don’t “window shop”, because you will only be tempted to sin. We can’t sit and watch TV shows and movies with sexual situations in them and expect to have purity of thought. We can’t expect to watch TV shows and/or movies with extreme violence in them that is glorified, and not expect to be tempted toward violent reactions to life’s situations, if that is our area of weakness.
And, not only should we cut off what might be tempting us, but Ephesians 4 gives us numerous examples of the kinds of things we need to put on in place of the things we have removed from our lives. If we don’t replace the old with the new, i.e. the old sin habits with positive messages and positive actions, the old will just grow back, and we’ll be right back where we started. We have to become something and somebody else. A thief does not cease to be a thief just because he is not presently stealing. He is just a thief between jobs. A thief no longer is a thief when he becomes something else, i.e. when he works for a living with his hands and when he gives to the poor and needy. We need to get rid of everything in our lives that tempt us to give in to sin, and we need to replace those sinful habits with godly habits, and those sinful inputs with godly inputs.
As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now!Jesus’ speech in Matthew 18 was a discourse on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come. And, many today are saying with Felix, “That’s enough!” I pray that would not be the case for us, but that we would willingly listen to Jesus’ words that he spoke to us, that we would heed his wise and godly counsel, and that we will walk humbly before God, will change our lives (become someone else), that we will lovingly and graciously accept our brothers and sisters in Christ, as though we are receiving Jesus Christ himself, that we will not lead others to sin by our own actions and words, and that we will rid ourselves of anything in our lives that is tempting us to give in to sin. May we be more like Paul in choosing to always keep a clear conscience before God and before man. And, may we not be like Felix, and reject Jesus’ words and his gospel message of salvation.
Child-like Faith / An Original Work / May 24, 2011
Based off of Matthew 18:1-9
Child-like faith He requires of us all:
“Who is greatest in God’s Kingdom?”
“Unless you change and humble yourselves,
His Kingdom you will never enter.”
“Whoever welcomes a little child
Like this in My name, he welcomes Me.
If you cause a believer to sin,
You stand in danger of God’s judgment.”
“Grief to you ‘cause of what causes sin.
Grief to the man through whom these things come.
If some part of you leads you to sin,
Throw it off, and never give in.”
Song Lyrics @ Public Domain
Audio, song lyrics and sheet music:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs/home/songs/child-like-faith
Song on video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03UXTTZTON4
http://www.godcares.tv/video/1150/Childlike-Faith
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