‘Almost persuaded’
In the 24th chapter of Acts, the Apostle Paul is arrested by the Romans (or saved from murder by the Jewish authorities) and taken to Caesarea to appear before the Roman Governor Felix. Verse twenty-two of the twenty-fourth chapter ofActs reveals that Felix knew extensively about the Christians and Christianity in Caesarea. (Cornelius and Philip the Evangelist lived there.) The Governor allowed Paul to present the Gospel to his wife and himself, and the Governor’s response was the same response of the vast majority of people today. Acts 24:25, Now as Paul reasoned about righteousness, self control, and the judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”
Felix “trembled” under conviction. The word trembled means to be terrified and frightened. Felix was living a life totally opposed to what God demanded. He was under conviction, for if Paul was right — if Jesus was truly the Son of God — then he, Felix, was condemned and doomed if he rejected Christ and continued to live sinfully.
Tragically, Felix postponed making a decision for Jesus. He did what so many do — simply put the decision off for some other time. Yet, it has been proven out in the history of the human family for 2000 years that people can keep postponing making a decision for Christ until they come to the place where they cannot make a decision for Him at all. They “quench the Spirit.”
The Christian faith does not guarantee a tomorrow; now is our only time and our day of salvation. So very often a “convenient time” never arrives and lives are lived and died without ever possessing the power and presence of Christ.
Two years after this meeting with Paul, Felix was dead and he had never found that “convenient time” to reconsider the Gospel and the salvation of his soul. As it turned out, the witnessing of the Gospel by Paul to Felix was the Governor’s last opportunity to experience God’s amazing love and salvation. But Felix “quenched his spirit” and walked away from God. Just like so many today who can never find a “convenient time” to consider holy truths — and spiritual opportunity is lost forever.
Paul was afforded another chance to present the Gospel to a powerful politician while imprisoned in Caesarea — the Roman puppet King Agrippa II. The King responded as a worldly man would respond to the Gospel.
Acts 26:28, And Agrippa said to Paul, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”
Like the vast majority of people throughout time, Agrippa decided what he could see and what he could touch was much more important than what he could not see or could not touch. And his soul’s last opportunity to know God passed by, his spirit quenched because he rejected the Gospel message.
Do you know that you can “almost” be a Christian and then be lost for time and eternity? How tragic that is! “Almost” will never do. It must be all or nothing. Either you accept Christ or you don’t accept Christ. Either you trust Christ or you don’t trust Christ. Either He is your Savior or He is not your Savior. Either He is your Lord, or not your Lord. It is one of the two. There is no such thing as a middle ground. It cannot be “almost.” Our faith, our commitment to Christ, cannot be “almost.” IT MUST BE ALL! AND IT MUST BE TODAY!
The highest privilege of life is to say yes or no to God. But when we resist God’s pleadings, live a lifetime of sin and are eternally lost, it won’t be God’s fault. God is faithful to give us opportunities to commit our lives to Him and therefore save our souls from the fires of hell.
There is a saying that “the mill will never grind with the water that has passed.” Spiritual opportunities come and they are turned down. So they pass on, and, like the mill water that has passed, never to return.
Almost persuaded
Harvest is past.
Almost persuaded
Doom comes at last.
Almost cannot avail
Almost is but to fail.
Sad, sad, that bitter wail,
Almost - but lost.
–P.P. Bliss
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Chris Voss is a pastor at First Christian Church, 317 S. Main, Donna.