Three Crucial Elements of the Gospel Message from Acts 24:25
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.”
-Acts 24:25
Paul’s reasoning, as a prisoner, with Felix consisted of three elements: A) Righteousness, B) Self-Control, and C) The Coming Judgment. We can learn something here about how we should go about reasoning with people, both inside and outside the church. These elements should be present in our presentation of the Gospel.
A) Righteousness. The greatest accusatory question that Satan brings before a just God is this: God, if you are just, how can you free a guilty sinner without punishment?
The judge who does not exercise justice on the law-breaker would be as guilty as the law-breaker. This has been described by many theologians throughout history as the greatest problem in all of the universe. In fact, the solving of this problem is the very reason for which the universe was made.
Righteousness is the issue. How can God remain righteous and forgive sinners? How can sinners be made right in the eyes of a holy God? How can God be just in justifying law-breaking enemies of the Court?
The astonishing answer is found in 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.“
The accusations of Satan against both God and man have been silenced by the truth of this verse. The righteousness of God has been vindicated. Incredibly, He has made His law-breaking enemies His friends. How? By actually giving them His righteous standing! Jesus became as the sinner and was crushed under the just wrath of a just God. His life of perfect obedience to the will of God was then transferred over to all who believe. God is just. The sinner is justified. The accusations are snuffed.
This element of righteousness is everything! To not include the righteous work of God for the glory of God in the justification of sinful man is to not include the essence of the gospel message.
B) Self-Control. The control of self. Felix has heard the truth of the work of God. Now will he submit to Him and His rule? Paul the prisoner is reasoning with the heart of Felix. Will Felix be meeked? Will he bow his knee? Is Jesus Felix’s master, or Felix’s servant?
C.S Lewis:
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg–or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us.
C) The Coming Judgment. Upon hearing the final prong of Paul’s gospel message, Felix is left “alarmed” and he told Paul to “go away”. There will be a final reckoning. Exposure will take place. We will be naked before God Himself. The thought of being judged in the presence of a Holy God is unbearable to the natural man/woman. There will be no more fig leaves to hide behind. God will be proven right in overwhelming fashion. He is just.
Revelation 1:12-18
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.
The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
We cannot control how a person will respond to the Gospel. However, we must present Him rightly and pray for His Spirit to produce fruit (Galatians 5).
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