For almost 2000 years "the faith in Christ" has commanded the attention of the learned and the unlearned, the great and small alike.
True, it has received different treatments at their hands. The wicked heart of man may neglect, refuse and despise it; or, on the other hand, by grace man may believe it and thus become the happy possessor of its manifold blessings. The results are on opposite poles, yet such are the claims, the promises, and the revelations of this faith in Christ so that, at least curiosity is awakened, and people are forced to listen.
Felix, a Roman governor of Judea, sent for Paul in order to hear from his lips concerning the faith in Christ.
The Apostle Paul was sent to Felix as a prisoner, and was accused before him as a pestilent fellow, a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He declared that the things laid to his charge could not be proved but He confessed that after the way that they called heresy, so he worshipped God, exercising himself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and men.
Now a religion that leads to the worship of God, and a conscience void of offense, cannot be, after all, very heretical. No doubt it may be stigmatized as heresy by those whose consciences are not tender, and this was the condition of Paul's accusers who were, like himself in earlier days, kicking against the pricks. Such a moral triumph on the part of the accused, led Felix to desire further information, and for this cause, as we have seen, he sent for him.
Perhaps he expected to hear some clever theory, to be initiated into some strange mystery, or listen to some obscure system of philosophy.
He little thought that the faith in Christ would prove itself to be anything so plain, so homely, so personal, and withal, that it would place himself-the unjust, intemperate sinner-face to face with "judgment to come," or that he would tremble at the truth he could not deny.
"Felix trembled"! And why? Because Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. The governor was anything but righteous or sober. He was partial in his administration, and voluptuous in his life. These home thrusts must have cut deeply, supplemented as they were by the stern fact of "judgment to come."
Felix quailed in view of judgment, yet only said, "Go thy way for this time." Solemn request, indeed! but how often repeated.
The jailer of Philippi trembled, but thank God, he said, "What must I do to be saved?" It was not "Go thy way" with him. He felt his condition-he owned his guilt-the answer came, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.