As I read Acts 25, the thing that stands out to me is how Paul remained steadfast in his profession of faith and commitment to the Lord Jesus, even after having been unjustly held in prison for two years without being brought to trial.
When he was finally brought before Festus, Paul said: “For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them” (Acts 25:11, NJKV).
Paul was willing to be accountable for his actions and was completely confident that the Lord would be his defender.
There are three important points I believe the Lord wants us to catch here:
- Our walk must be consistent with our profession of faith.
We must live what we say we believe. That doesn’t mean we are expected to be perfect, but it does mean that we must have hearts submitted to the will of God and be attuned to the Spirit of God so that when we do get off track, we hear the correction of the Holy Spirit, repent and immediately make the necessary changes to get back on track.
- We must be accountable for our actions.
Even after we repent for wrong actions, we are still accountable for the consequences of those actions. Paul was fully ready to pay the price—even to be put to death—for anything he had done wrong. Living with that kind of accountability will help us to be more careful in the things we say and do.
- We must have full confidence in the Lord’s ability and willingness to deliver us.
Paul had complete confidence that the Lord would deliver him. He did not try to manipulate the situation. During the two years Paul was in prison, the previous governor, Felix, would periodically bring Paul out, hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe to be released. All Paul did was continue to share his faith in Christ with him.
I have heard multiple voices within the church recently preaching the message that God is calling us to return to our first love; to love Jesus and serve Him in total submission and humility; and to return to the simplicity of the truth of the gospel.
I believe God is calling us to live with the same confidence and boldness that Paul did. To live lives sold out to Jesus at every level. To be confident in Whom we serve, knowing that He is faithful to deliver us in every situation when we walk in obedience.
By: Ron Thigpenn, vice president-chief financial officer for The Foursquare Church
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