The Judgment To Come / What Goes Around Comes Around

Here’s a shocking truth:  The full story of faith in Christ involves human accountability (also known as: what goes around comes around, reaping what you sow, payday someday, and the judgment to come).

Let’s step back into history and listen to Apostle Paul as he speaks to a Roman governor named Felix:

“He (Felix) sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.  As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.'”  (Acts 24:24-25).

When given the opportunity to talk about his faith in Christ with Governor Felix, Paul didn’t share about grace.  Instead Paul zeroed in on 3 of the most unpopular topics in our contemporary society — right living, self-control, and the judgment to come.  (Nowadays you will be called judgmental {or accused of hate speech} if you refer to these three Biblical themes.)

Righteousness means right living — obeying your conscience, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit.  It requires courageous self-control to avoid giving in to our whims, desires, cravings and compulsions.  Nevertheless, at the judgment to come, God will hold each one of us accountable for our actions, thoughts, and words.

How did Felix respond?  The Bible says that he was afraid (he was accountability-phobic).  So Felix interrupted Paul’s words and sent him away.  Like modern Americans (and other Westerners), Felix didn’t want to be told that he would one day answer to God.  He found the topic of judgment to be inconvenient to his lifestyle choices.

So, why didn’t Paul preach grace to Felix?  Perhaps it is because the message of grace has no meaning for us until we realize that we are individually facing God’s judgment for our wrongful thoughts, words, and behaviors.