For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)

In August of 1513, a German monk teaching at a seminary was lecturing on the book of Psalms, but his inner life was nothing but turmoil. In his studies, he came across Psalm 31:1: Deliver me in Your righteousness. The passage confused him; how could God’s righteousness do anything but condemn him to Hell as a deserved punishment for his sins? The monk had legal training before going into the monastery, so he knew what it meant that God is a righteous judge – a judge who would surely condemn the guilty.

As he thought on this, the monk’s mind was repeatedly drawn to Romans 1:17, which says that in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (the last portion is a quote from Habakkuk 2:4). The monk went on to say: “Night and day I pondered until…I grasped the truth that the righteousness of God is that righteousness whereby, through grace and sheer mercy, he justifies us by faith. Therefore I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise…. This passage of Paul became to me a gateway into heaven.” The German monk’s name was Martin Luther – and through understanding the good news of righteousness by faith, Martin Luther was born again, and the reformation began in his heart.

Many people don’t even think of God as being righteous. They suppose that God will just excuse all sin because He’s a forgiving kind of guy. Maybe God is mad at a few things, but not anything they do.

God is love; but He is also a completely righteous judge – He is just and fair. And it isn’t fair to let the guilty go. If someone is guilty, the righteousness of God seems to only condemn them. Therefore, if God is completely fair, it doesn’t seem like this fairness is our friend.

But here is the good news of the gospel: God has righteously dealt with our sin by putting on Jesus the punishment we deserve. Our sin is righteously and fairly punished – but it is judged in Jesus, not in us.

Because of this, God’s fairness now is our friend instead of our enemy. Because our sin is already settled in Jesus, it wouldn’t be fair for God to hold the same sins against us.

Because God is righteous, the believer in Jesus Christ and His work on our behalf can be confident He will never leave us or forsake us, and always be for us. Why not receive – and thank God for – all Jesus did for us to make God’s fairness, His righteousness, our friend instead of our enemy.

This is the good news – God’s righteousness delivers those who put their trust in Him, and not in themselves. Live by this faith and this righteousness today.

Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. (Acts 28:30-31)

These last two verses of the book of Acts tell us that Paul did finally make it to Rome, and the book ends with Paul waiting to have his case heard by Caesar. Paul dwelt two years waiting in Rome, and this was after more than two years at Caesarea waiting for his case to be resolved (Acts 24:27). Long delays in the legal system are nothing new.

Paul eventually had his appearance before Caesar Nero. It’s entirely reasonable to believe that he boldly and powerfully proclaimed the gospel to him – as God had promised he would (Acts 9:15 and 23:11).

The Never-Ending Story

Until his trial before Caesar, Paul lived in his own rented house. It may be that in these years Paul continued his work as a tentmaker (leatherworker) to supply the rent for his house (as in Acts 18:1-2 and 20:33-35). Paul was always a hard-working man, but he still took the time for people and received all who came to him.

More than anything, Paul used these years, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ. Though Paul could not travel, he could teach and preach to all who came to him – and this he did. He also wrote letters; we have these two years of Roman custody to thank for the letters to the Ephesians, the Philippians, and the Colossians.

These two years were not wasted, and God didn’t waste Paul’s time in Rome. God never wastes our time, though we may waste it by not sensing God’s purpose in the moment.

Paul did this with all confidence, no one forbidding him. This has the idea of being completely unhindered. Paul’s chains and custody mattered nothing. The word of God was unhindered. As Paul came to Rome, the sea, the soldiers, and the snake all threatened his life. But God delivered him from them all. Through Paul, God shows that God’s man, fulfilling God’s will, cannot be stopped – though all kinds of difficulty may come in the way. Finally, even the disbelief of some of the Jews – or anyone else’s rejection of Jesus – will not hinder the gospel. The gospel will go forth and find those who will believe.

At the end of it all there is no end to the story because the history of the church continues this story on and on through the centuries. Trusting in Jesus, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Father, the word of God will continue to spread without hindrance and continue to change lives for the glory of God. The book of Acts really is a never-ending story.

God isn’t finished writing your story. Abiding in Him, the best chapters are yet to come!

I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me. (Acts 26:17-18)

The auditorium where Paul spoke these words was filled with important people and dignitaries (Acts 25:23). They invited Paul to share his story, so he told them about how Jesus got a hold of Paul’s life on the road to Damascus. Here, in Acts 26:17-18, Paul repeated words that Jesus spoke to him on that road outside Damascus.

Jesus told Paul about his destiny, his calling. God would send Paul as a messenger, a preacher, to both the Jews and the Gentiles, telling them about Jesus.

When Jesus spoke those words on the road to Damascus, Paul was blinded by the great light from heaven. His eyes were not yet opened physically, but Jesus would send him to open the eyes of others (both Jews and Gentiles).

Jesus then told Paul of five results that would come from the opening of the eyes:

– Being turned from darkness to light.
– Being turned from the power of Satan to God.
– To receive forgiveness of sins.
– To receive an inheritance among God’s people.
– They would become those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus.

These five things are God gift and plan for every one of His children! Every follower of Jesus Christ should know what it is to turn from darkness to light. They should know by experience that they are no longer under the power of Satan and now belong to God. They have received both the forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among God’s people. Finally, they should grow in holiness, being set apart to God as those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus.

One of the men listening to Paul later said, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28). But however close Agrippa was to becoming a believer, it wasn’t close enough. Almost being a Christian means that you almost have eternal life and will almost be delivered from the judgment of hell; but almost isn’t enough.

When Paul recounted the words of Jesus on the road to Damascus, saying what a Christian is (Acts 26:18), those who heard didn’t want it.

– They didn’t want to turn from darkness to light.
– They didn’t want to turn from the power of Satan to the power of God.
– They didn’t want to receive forgiveness of sins.
– They didn’t want an inheritance among God’s people.
– They didn’t want to become one of those set apart by faith in Jesus.

What do you want? Do you want what God offers you in Jesus Christ?

If you repent and believe upon Jesus, these five things are yours as a birthright in Jesus.

Now as he [Paul] reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now, when I have a convenient time I will call for you.” (Acts 24:25)

Antonius Felix began life as a slave. His brother Pallas was a friend of the emperor Claudius; through such influence, he rose in status – first as a child gaining freedom, and then through political skill and intrigue he became the first former slave to become a governor of a Roman province.

According to some, his slave mentality stayed with him. Tacitus, the Roman historian, described Felix as “a master of cruelty and lust who exercised the powers of a king with the spirit of a slave.” Felix gained his third wife (Drusilla) by seducing her away from her husband.

In Acts 24, Paul stood trial before Governor Felix. Most everyone else would see this as a trial for their life but Paul saw it as an opportunity to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

When Paul preached to this high and mighty man, he had a three-point sermon. Acts 24:25 says that he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come.

These were the three points Paul used when he spoke to Felix and Drusilla. These are three points many modern preachers would avoid speaking about, especially in speaking to a prestigious man like Felix.

We don’t know exactly how Paul developed these three points, but we can speculate on something like this.

– He told Felix about the righteousness that is ours in Jesus Christ.
– Paul spoke to Felix about the need for Christian ethics (self-control), something that was evidently lacking in the life of both Felix and his wife Drusilla.
– Paul explained to Felix about eternal accountability before God (the judgment to come).

We admire Paul’s bold preaching, directed right to the issues of Felix’s life. Preachers today should show the same boldness, willing to proclaim God’s truth even when it might confront or offend those who hear.

Did you notice the response of Felix? We read Felix was afraid. Hearing this message made Felix afraid. Knowing something about his life, at least we can say that he probably understood it. The gospel should make those who are intent on rejecting Jesus afraid.

Acts 24:25 ends on a sad note. Paul faithfully preached and Felix was afraid – perhaps in a good sense! The tragedy was that Felix heard what Paul said, and the Roman governor was impressed by the message of the gospel. He knew that he had to get his life right with Jesus Christ. Yet he avoided doing anything, and he excused it by telling Paul that he must wait for a convenient time.

The excuse of Felix is repeated in the lives of thousands upon thousands of people. When you hear God’s message of righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, respond in continuing repentance and faith. There will never be a more convenient time.

Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, “Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.” (Acts 22:17-18)

Most of Acts 22 is Paul’s impassioned sermon to a mob that had just tried to beat him to death on the temple mount in Jerusalem. These two verses are just one part of that sermon, but I think they give a fascinating insight into the life of the Apostle Paul.

Paul mentioned an occasion when he returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple. Paul told them about something that happened about 20 years before, when he had been a follower of Jesus for 2 or 3 years. Even though he had been a Christian for a few years, yet he still came to Jerusalem to pray in the temple.

By this, Paul wanted the violent crowd that just tried to kill him to know that even though he trusted in Jesus, he was not against all Jewish ceremonies and rituals.

But it wasn’t just that Paul was praying in the temple – while at the temple, Paul soon was in a trance. He both saw and heard Jesus. One thing I find remarkable about this impressive spiritual experience is that Paul never referred to this vision in his letters, and it seems that he only mentioned it here out of necessity.

Paul didn’t like to talk a lot about his spiritual experiences. In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul also reluctantly mentioned a heavenly vision he had but he was careful to not boast about it. Paul wasn’t interested in promoting himself as the man who had visions of Jesus or of heaven. He would, when necessary, mention such experience, but he never dwelt on them or boasted of them.

In this vision, Paul – even though he had only been a Christian for a few years – heard a surprising word from Jesus. The Lord told Paul, “Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.” This word from Jesus probably was a surprise to Paul. With good reason, he probably thought of himself as the perfect one to bring the gospel to his fellow Jews. Nevertheless, Jesus gave him this warning, even telling him to make haste.

This word from Jesus was helpful to Paul, and I’m sure the apostle was grateful for it. Yet for Paul it seemed to be nothing to focus on. I imagine that if I had such an experience with God, I would probably never stop talking about it! But for Paul, his focus on Jesus and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2) – something every Christian can know and enjoy.

If God grants you impressive spiritual experiences, thank Him for them – but don’t make them the focus or goal of your Christian life. Remember that we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).