Listen and Learn

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

LISTEN AND LEARN

Acts 24:22-27

22 Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. "When Lysias the commander comes," he said, "I will decide your case." 23 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. 24 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. 25 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." 26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. 27 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.

NIV

Now we see the politician part of Felix as he kept Paul incarcerated as a favor to the Jews. However, something was stirring within him, and he kept asking Paul to come and tell him more about the faith in Christ. Felix was not interested in righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. How many believers are interested in those three subjects? When we think of righteousness, we know that Jesus is our righteousness, but in the sense of the Greek word translated as righteousness, it refers to the virtue or quality of one's character. It carries the meaning of integrity, virtue, purity of life, uprightness, correctness in thinking, feeling, and acting. In that sense, we can or should live righteously. Paul made Felix uncomfortable with that idea, as Felix was not demonstrating the qualities of righteousness. That makes us think about whether we are not just demonstrating those qualities of righteousness but actually living them. Then we are faced, as Felix was, with the idea of self-control, or being strong in a thing, mastery, temperance. How strong are we in controlling our appetite, which could mean for food, but more correctly means for our feelings or emotions in our interactions with others. Do we become impatient, angry, hurt, jealous, envious, or lack unforgiveness or any feelings that are not within the context of righteousness? Have we mastered ourselves, fully submitting our lives to the governance of God, especially in light of the coming judgment? Felix did not want to consider being judged for his life, perhaps because he sat in a seat of judgment over others, which would mean he may have thought too much of himself. That would also mean he had not mastered his "self", submitting it to the administration of God. We wonder as to how much we have submitted our "self" to the complete control, governance, or administration of God. We know because of faith in Jesus Christ, being born again, filled with the Spirit, that our names have not been blotted out of the book of life. Therefore, we do not fear the coming judgment, because we are in Christ and he is in us; when we are judged, we will be able to enter into his rest, or reside with Jesus. The problem for Felix was that he would not have been comfortable standing before God's judgment seat, so he did not want to hear it. He did not want to listen and learn.  We wonder how much of God's word we do not want to hear because it makes us uncomfortable, especially when it rebukes or corrects us, or trains us in righteousness. Let us not just look to Jesus, but follow him, listening, and learning.