King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do." Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" Paul replied, "Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains." (Acts 26:27-29)
Insecurity is a crippling condition. Yet, it is a plague which has spread throughout all sectors of our society. But this plague is not limited to non-Christians. It affects Christians as well.
Our own insecurity as believers keeps us from living a full and free Christian life. As believers, we can be severely retarded in our development because of our own insecurity. Because we doubt our own worth before God, we are all too willing to be content to live a passive Christian walk. Because we lack confidence, we also lack the aggressive boldness which we need in order to have an impact on the world for Christ.
Living biblical Christianity in a secular world could be the theme for these studies in the book of Acts. It is also the challenge which every Christian faces on a daily basis as he or she endeavors to be the kind of man or woman God intends for that person to be. Those of us who struggle seriously with the claims of Christ for our lives are constantly challenged with our own need to be more effective in our Christian walk and witness. But sometimes our own fears and doubts and insecurities get in the way of what we desire to do for Christ. How can you be all that you desire to be for Christ when you see so many areas of lack in your own life? Is it possible to be the kind of Christian witness you need to be when you are still struggling with things in your own life?
It is true that you can’t give what you don’t have. But it is also true that our perception of ourselves is not always accurate. Our insecurities arise, in large part, because we haven’t seen by faith and accepted by faith God’s own word concerning us. There is a desperate need in the body of Christ for believers to come to know who they are in Christ. We need to understand God’s opinion of us. We need, by faith, to come to know what we have received in Christ. And we need to accept the extent of His forgiveness and acceptance of us.
Our text today speaks to this theme by directing us to one who was far from perfect, but who lived in the confidence of his position in Christ. Perhaps as we look at Paul’s appearance before King Agrippa, we will not only come to understand his motivation to see people come to Christ, but we will also catch a vision of who we are in Christ that will give us the same kind of confident assurance which he had.
As this episode in the life of Paul unfolds, we find him imprisoned in Caesarea. Because of a near riot in Jerusalem and a plot by the Jews to kill him, Roman officers had brought him to Felix, the governor, so that his guilt or innocence could be ascertained. Paul remained in prison under Felix for two years, at which time Festus succeeded Felix as governor. During this time, Paul preached the gospel to both Felix and Festus. But neither one of them could decide what to do with Paul. They both knew that he was innocent, yet they wanted to please the Jews, who wanted Paul in jail. They were in a political dilemma, so to speak. Should truth prevail over political expediency? It should, but oft times it does not.
King Agrippa arrived to pay a visit to Festus. King Herod Agrippa II was the great-grandson of Herod the Great, who had murdered all the male children in the vicinity of Bethlehem because he feared the birth of Jesus. He came to visit Festus with Bernice, who was sister to Drusilla, Felix’s wife. This made her a sister to Agrippa II. We have here a sordid affair indeed. Paul was brought before Agrippa to present his defense.
One characteristic which is unmistakable about the apostle Paul is that he was an aggressive soul-winner. Everywhere he went, and to everyone he met, he gave a witness of the grace of God and of their need to come to Christ for salvation. This meeting with Agrippa certainly was no exception. Picture what must have happened.
The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. (Acts 25:23)
Great ceremony and pomp surrounded this official occasion. No doubt, Festus had donned his scarlet governor’s robe for the occasion. King Agrippa and Bernice were also arrayed in the splendor of the robes of royalty. I’m sure the court was majestically decorated for the occasion. The captains, centurions, and legionnaires stood in stately splendor as they lined the great Hall of Audience to remind all of the military might of Rome. The honored guests and dignitaries looked on to witness the questioning of Agrippa. Into this magnificent hall, before these imposing earthly powers, is brought Paul. He is a man small in stature and physically unimposing. The chains of his imprisonment dangle from his wrists. He wore no royal robe, but rather the robes of a prisoner. Yet, within this little Jewish man is a power unmatched by all the regalia which surrounds him. As you look into his eyes, you see a certain majestic confidence and a depth of understanding which was unsurpassed. When Paul speaks, his voice cuts through the pretentious elegance of this glorious display of pomp. What he says rings with truth and is clothed in power.
So, Paul begins to make his defense before Agrippa. But as you read his defense, you find that it is as much a testimony to the Gospel of the grace of God as it is a defense of his innocence. Paul was neither impressed by Agrippa nor afraid of the Roman power. Paul was a soul-winner at heart. His motivating desire was to see people come to know Christ. And he was determined to use every opportunity to see that happen.
There is a message here for us. We see that Paul seized the opportunity to share Christ with Agrippa. The example of Paul should be an encouragement to us to do the same thing. Do we see, as he did, that whatever the circumstance of our encounters with other people, they are opportunities to share the good news of the grace of God? When people encountered Paul, they encountered Christ’s representative. And when they encounter us, they also encounter Christ’s ambassadors. 2 Corinthians 5:20 says, "Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." Paul saw himself as an ambassador for Christ and so should we. We stand before this watching world, in the place of Christ, entreating all those who do not know Christ to be reconciled to God. We must use every opportunity to get that message across.
We also see an unmistakable message here. It is the message that we must share with every person, regardless of their place in society. Paul preached to the poor, Gentile, and Jew alike. But he also preached to the affluent and socially important as well. Paul could stand before paupers and kings. It didn’t matter to him, and it shouldn’t matter to us. A man is a man regardless of his title, and without Christ he is lost. Sometimes the temptation is to draw back from sharing with so-called VIP’s. And, in our insecurity, sometimes we do draw back. What we need to do is to catch the confidence which Paul manifested. We need to see ourselves as ambassadors for Christ. We are set forth in His authority and by His command. Furthermore, we possess His power to get the job done. He has ordained us to be His representatives in that confidence. We need not fear any man. We see in Paul an aggressive soul-winner and that is precisely what we too can be.
What was the effect of Paul’s witness to Agrippa? We see that this aggressive soul-winner produced an anxious sovereign. As Paul preached about the truth of salvation by faith in the risen Jesus Christ, King Agrippa was getting more nervous. Agrippa knew of these things, and Paul’s testimony had a ring of truth about it. You see, truth produces conviction. And Agrippa was feeling that conviction.
Perhaps Festus noticed Agrippa’s uneasiness. Because when Paul’s message was being driven home, Festus intervened. At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane." (Acts 26:24)
But Paul would not be turned aside from his goal. Still standing before King Agrippa, he replied to Festus, "I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner." (Acts 26:25-26)
Then Paul delivers a call for decision. He says to the king in verse 27, "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do." Paul was calling for Agrippa to make a decision. You see, truth demands a decision. Agrippa had already experienced the conviction of truth. And now, he must decide what this anxious sovereign will do. He must do something.
Agrippa decides to take the course of evasion. He says, in verse 28, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" The thrust of Agrippa’s statement was that Paul shouldn’t expect Agrippa to make such as decision on the spur of the moment. The fact is that Agrippa was uncomfortable. He had heard the truth, and somehow he knew it to be true. He was feeling the pressure. Perhaps deep down within him, faith was attempting to be born. But he quickly aborted that attempt. In our witnessing encounters we are certain to run into our own Agrippas. Not everyone is willing to hear the truth. You will witness to people who profess themselves to be open-minded, thoughtful intellectuals, but who are opposed to the truth. They will not admit it. Many times they will seek to evade the truth by refusing to admit it is the truth. They do not want to admit that they are rejecting truth. That would portray them as being not so smart after all. The real reason they reject the truth is not for intellectual reasons however. It is for moral reasons. There is no other explanation for why intelligent people would reject truth. The Bible calls it Original Sin. It is the utter moral depravity of humankind. We are addicted to selfish sinful pleasures and we do not desire to change. This was the situation with King Agrippa.
What Paul says next is simply amazing. This anxious sovereign was about to hear an audacious statement from the lips of the apostle Paul. In response to Agrippa’s statement, Paul makes a statement of his own.
Paul replied, "Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains." (v. 29)
On its surface, I find this statement utterly amazing. What I find amazing is not Paul’s desire to see the king be saved, but the way Paul expressed that desire. He said that he desired that the king and every one else "may become what I am." On the surface, this seems like reckless arrogance on the part of Paul. Did Paul think he was such a great person that they should desire to be like him? Why didn’t he say that they should become like Christ? After all, isn’t Christ to be our example? Isn’t His life the life we are to emulate? What does Paul’s statement say about his own self-worth? What does it say about his view of himself as a sinner who has been forgiven? What does it tell us about Paul’s view of the grace of God working in his life?
Paul certainly knew his shortcomings. He knew his faults. He was aware of his sins. On several occasions in the New Testament, he reminds us of just how great a sinner he was before his conversion to Christ. Paul had persecuted the church. Because of his activity, many in the early church suffered and even died. I’m sure the apostle spent many hours after his conversion in utter remorse over the pain and suffering he had caused many innocent saints of God. I’m sure he had repented in dust and ashes over his behavior which had been motivated by a false zeal for his religion. Paul called himself on one occasion, "the chief of sinners." He was fully aware of his own sinful past. But he was aware of something else as well.
At just the right time in Paul’s life, Jesus Christ had come to him. He had been encountered by the grace of God. With his face to the ground he had received Christ as his Savior and Lord. All of those horrible sins he had committed were forgiven. His heart was cleansed and he was set free. Paul had come to understand the complete forgiveness of Jesus Christ. He Himself wrote about us that we are "accepted in the beloved." This sinful man had come to understand that when Christ receives you, "old things are passed away; behold, all things become new."
This is perhaps one of the hardest lessons to learn in the Christian life. I know intellectually about the forgiveness of Christ. And I know what the Scripture says. The Scripture says, in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." According to the Bible, my sins are forgiven. But while I know that Christ has forgiven my sins, sometimes I find it extremely hard to accept the fact that I’m forgiven. I suppose we all find it hard to forgive ourselves, to really believe that we are accepted by Christ. Therein lies our insecurity and our lack of confidence.
There is an interesting statement which we hear the apostle making in verse 29. He said that he wished that all those who heard him that day, "may become what I am, except for these chains." Paul was saying, "This is my only exception...I would like for you to be just like I am, except for these chains." We, like Paul, must also make some exceptions. What would your exceptions be? If you had to tell someone you’d like for them to be just like you are, what would you have to except? Would you have to say, "except for this sin in my life" or, "except for this lack of obedience to Christ?" What would we have to except?
All of us have those exceptions — the things which we carry like heavy baggage through a busy airport. By the time we get to where we’re going we’re exhausted. The exceptions are burdens too heavy to bear. But in Christ, the exceptions can disappear. In Christ, we can be made whole. In Christ, we can find a confidence for daily living. For we can find acceptance as His children. Our insecurity flows from the fact that we live in the exceptions rather than the acceptance of Christ. It is hard to forgive yourself, but you must. For Christ has already forgiven you, and you are now a new person in Christ. You can begin again. This is what the grace of God is all about. God knew what He was doing when He chose you. He knows all about your sins and your weaknesses. He called you while you were yet in your sin. The Bible teaches that "while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." The Word God begins, God finishes. Remember that "you are His workmanship." He will see you through by His grace.
If we would ever meet the challenge of living biblical Christianity in a secular world, we must begin to see ourselves from Christ’s perspective. We are forgiven, cleansed, redeemed by His blood. God sees us through the finished work of Christ. We are kings and priests in the kingdom of God. No matter what our outward circumstances, we can hold our heads high. We never have to be ashamed of the Gospel. We can proclaim it boldly, seizing every opportunity to share it with every person, everywhere. The same confidence which we see in Paul can be our confidence, because the same God is our God.
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