THE MAIN IDEA
We need to be faithful in our witness to bear witness to our faith.

The interaction between Paul and Felix shows us three aspects of our witness to the world ...

CURIOUSITY IN CHRIST MAY SAVE A SOUL
As the governor of Palestine, Felix had to be well acquainted with all the Jewish sects, including Christianity, because he was responsible for keeping the peace. Felix must have learned about Jesus, His crucifixion and especially the stories about His resurrection. Felix would have heard all the “rational” explanations that just didn’t make sense. Also, Drusilla, the daughter of King Herod who had interrogated Jesus personally, must have heard the stories about Jesus and His resurrection too. So they must have seen how Christianity was not like any of the other sects. It’s not difficult to see how both Felix and Drusilla would have been very curious about Jesus and His church. And Paul was surely praying that Felix and Drusilla would get saved through his witness. But that was up to Felix and Drusilla to make that decision, not Paul. Paul’s responsibility was simply to be faithful in bearing witness to Christ. And so that’s what he did. As long as people are curious, there is an opportunity that they may be saved.

FEAR OF GOD MAY SAVE A SOUL
When Paul spoke to Felix about faith in Christ Jesus, Paul talked about “righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come.” “Righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come” are related to three aspects of our salvation— justification, sanctification, and glorification. But Felix was afraid of God’s judgment upon him both for his violence against the Jews and also his immoral conduct in stealing Drusilla from her husband. But his fear of God was the the fear of condemnation. The right kind of fear of God knows that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The wrong kind of fear of God repels us from God, but the right kind of fear of God draws us near to God—draws us near to His love, mercy, and grace. But even if the wrong kind of fear of God repelled Felix away from God, there is in that fear a longing for forgiveness and redemption. And where there is a longing for forgiveness and redemption, there is an opportunity for salvation.

PERSISTENCE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT MAY SAVE A SOUL
Even though it was abundantly clear that Paul was not going to give Felix a bribe, and that he had not broken any laws, and even though it was well within Felix’s power to release Paul, Felix kept Paul in prison for two years simply as a favor to the Jews. Felix was keeping Paul in prison in case he ever needed a bargaining chip against the Jews. And despite Felix’s curiosity and despite his fear of God, he allowed his heart to be ruled by the worries of his office, the politics of Rome and Palestine, and just plain greed. It might have been easy for Paul to get annoyed and impatient with Felix, but we can be sure that Paul spent those two years bearing witness to Jesus Christ. And we need that kind of persistence in our witness too. We never know whether our witness will end in faith or not. But three things are absolutely certain. (1) If God loves us, then God also loves those who are lost. (2) The only reason God brings the lost into our circle of relationships is so that we might bear witness to Christ. And (3) God wants to develop in us the same kind of heart that He has for the lost. God has called some to prepare the soil, some to spread the seed, some to water the plants, but God has not called any of us to do nothing.

DISCUSSION QUESTION
What can you do to encourage others (and not hinder them) to have fertile hearts for the word of God?