Living In An Out-of-control World

Read: Acts 24:24-26

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.”

Acts 24:25

IN WORD Paul went all over the Roman Empire preaching the grace of God and the salvation that comes only through faith in Jesus. He was quite emphatic about God’s mercy, both in his arguments and his letters: We are saved by grace alone. So why, when defending himself to Felix, did he speak of “righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come”? Why didn’t he speak of grace?

Perhaps Paul meant to portray himself as a lawful citizen, not a troublemaker who would stir up Felix’s territory. Perhaps he was trying to tap into whatever moral sentiment had attracted Felix to his Jewish wife. But a likelier reason—one particularly relevant to our times—is that Felix was a Roman, largely unacquainted with the Law and satisfied with the options of the Roman pantheon. The empire’s religion had numerous patron gods to pick and choose from, most with their own easy morality. In such a context, grace means nothing. Conviction must come first. Righteousness, self- control, and judgment must be taught.

IN DEED What does grace mean in our society? In the minds of those who are convinced of their sinfulness, it is a refreshing oasis of relief from a dry spiritual desert. But for those who have embraced a fuzzy, relative morality—the “whatever you like” ethics of our age—grace means nothing. Why would a generation that has defined its own easy standards need a merciful God? What is there to forgive?

That’s why we must live in a way that conveys God’s purity—not holier-than-thou judgment, but a radical, sacred change of lifestyle. Instead of fearing that our friends will respond as Felix did, we should rather fear a generation that has lost any concept of sin. Self-control is a foreign idea in our society. Exemplify it. Your life will stand apart, and your world just might see its need for God.

There has never been, and cannot be, a good life without self-control.

—JOHN MILTON