FELIX TREMBLED – Acts 24:25
Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
Paul had already spoken to Felix about his innocence. Felix now called Paul back into the judgment hall once again, and Paul spends his time talking about righteousness, temperance, and the judgment to come. Because of the power of God in the life of Paul, the words of Paul caused Felix to tremble. Felix was convicted of his sins and Felix chose to deal with his conviction by keeping Paul away from him. Felix did not want to repent so the best thing he could think of was to keep the one who was able to convict him as far away as possible. For two years, Felix knowing that Paul was innocent kept Paul bound in chains and away from him.
The world does not like being convicted of their sins. When Adam and Eve sinned, they knew that they had done wrong. When God came into the garden to have fellowship as HE had in the past, they chose to hide because they knew that they were guilty of violating the perfect law of God. Their nakedness was proof of their sin.
The world is no different than Adam and Eve. When your life convicts an individual of their sins, they know that they are guilty and that something is not right with their life. If they are honest with themselves, they will acknowledge their sins and they will confess them and get right with God. However, the response of those of this world is naturally to stay away from anything that convicts them of their sin. Like Adam and Eve, they would rather hide in their shame then to confront and fix the problem.
If you are living your life in accordance with the will of God, then your life will naturally reflect the light of God. The closer your relationship with God is, the easier it will be for the world to see God through you. God desires that you be a light unto this world. If you are living your life just as everyone else in the world is living their life, then the world has nothing to fear when being around you. However, if you are living your life according to the principles of the Bible, then when the world hangs around you, they either need to change or they need to change you.
What good is your life if you hide the light of God so as to have plenty of friends? Paul could have been free and out in the world serving God if he was willing to pay a bribe. However, Paul lived by a higher standard and because he was constantly trying to be a light, he had to suffer more than most Christians have suffered. Nonetheless, while Paul was suffering, he did not live his life in vain, instead, he openly practiced his Christian walk and as a result, men like Felix were convicted of their sins.
If the world is comfortable with you around; the question you should be asking yourself is whether you are living your life in accordance with the principles of God. Your light should be so bright for God that world knows that you are a Christian. You are not a secret agent for Christ; you are HIS child, you should be proud to tell the world who your Father is.
In the book of James, we are told to be doers of the word and not hearers only. This means that we must live out our knowledge of God. We must take the time to learn more about God and that knowledge must affect our lives so that all the world can see the light of God. A lighthouse would do not good if all they did was build it and never turn the light on.