Acts 25: 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man
myself.”
He replied, “Tomorrow
you will hear him.”
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp
and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the
prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are
present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has
petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought
not to live any longer. 25 I found he had
done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the
Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But
I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have
brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that
as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27 For
I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the
charges against him.”
============
After having sex
outside of marriage, I wondered if the sky would open up with fire from heaven
to punish me. It didn’t, so I pursued this often. After stealing and justifying
the theft by saying “I was pledging a fraternity while being broke.” Again, I wondered
if I would be super punished. I wasn’t. But when I got hurt or thieves stole
from me, I questioned GOD’s very existence.
- There were times when I wanted my way and got it.
- There were times when I did wrong and there seemed to be no consequence.
- There were times when I deserved punishment but did not receive it.
King Agrippa and
Bernice were well known. They came in town with a huge parade and celebration.
They wanted to be amused by the situation Paul was in so they asked Festus to have
him brought before them. Festus said, in so many words, he could not find
anything Paul had done wrong. Yet Paul remained in jail.
- JESUS did nothing wrong, yet HE died because of my sins.
- JESUS was innocent, yet HE was blamed by me when things did not go my way.
- JESUS never committed a single sin, yet HE was punished for all of my sins.
Guilty people do not
want the guilt, so it is easier to not believe in deserving punishment than to
accept responsibility. Not accepting responsibility will have eternal
consequence. GOD allowed HIS SON to voluntarily die for the sins of humanity.
The only term HE put
in place is to believe JESUS died and was raised from the dead for my
salvation. When I believed this, I gained eternal live. I am grateful an
innocent man cared enough about me to die just for me.
- Do you feel you are innocent?
- Are you trying not to look at your sins to avoid feeling guilty?
- Will you take responsibility for your life and admit to GOD you need HIM for day to day problems as well as eternal salvation today?
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