The Epistle to the Hebrews part LXXIX

Acts 24:25b
"…Felix trembled, (that’s how much he considered it and he answered what? Paul, I’m ready to believe? No, but rather) answered, Go your way for this time;…"

What does that tell us? Felix hadn’t crossed it off. He hadn’t just adamantly told Paul - take off! I’ll never listen to you again. But he was postponing it. See? Postponing it, and that is just exactly what Paul is warning these Jews and Hebrews. Don’t postpone it for today, until tomorrow. See that’s the word throughout these chapters. Today, harden not your hearts as they did, and as Felix did. And see, every time that Felix would listen to Paul, what happened to his heart condition? Softer or harder? Well, harder. And now, read on and we’ll see what evidently happened to this man.


Acts 24:25b
"…Go your way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for you."

In other words, when we're more in line to step out of our wicked lifestyle and become a believer. When a more convenient season comes along, I’ll call for you. And then verse 26. On top of that, his wicked mind was looking for a bribe.


Acts 24:26a
"He (Felix) hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him; wherefore he sent for him the oftener,…"


So it wasn’t just once. Not even twice. Several times this Roman authority reasoned of righteousness and judgment to come. And every time, no doubt, his heart became harder and he says, "Well Paul, if you’re not ready to pay for your way out of here, then be gone." But now the reason we know that Felix never came to the place of redemption, he put it off and put it off, is because of verse 27. What’s the first word?


Acts 24:27
"But (he never responded) after the two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’ room; and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound."


And he did, you see, as far as we know, he came short. He never did step in to that which he saw was the right way and we think we see this throughout all of human history. How that mankind is either absolutely destitute of spiritual insight, or they play around like a cat with the mouse. Until finally, what happens invariably? That little mouse slips away. And man ends up where they did not believe it was possible a waiting their doom, eternally separated from God.



We had an old cat who had done that same thing just the other day. He had a mouse and played with it and played with it and I almost was getting frantic. Kill the poor thing! But, what do they do? They fool around and they fool around with it, and all of a sudden it gets away. Well, you see, that’s what happens to many people with God’s plan of salvation. They play around with it - oh, they consider it, they talk about it but they will never give in and accept God’s saving Grace and consequently, they come short of it. Well, that’s not God’s fault. God has done all He can do. And you want to remember, God never forces His salvation on anybody. It’s a matter of the free will, as God inspires us with the Spirit. He in fact requires us to surrender our free will into His will, so that by our obedience to Him by this action He is then able to see us and to hear us for this first real time. What we'll find out later is that we've gained more liberty than we ever had as a sinner, chained to Satan.


Alright, verse 2 here Paul continues the thought.


Hebrews 4:2a
"For to us was the Gospel preached, as well as to them:…"

Now don’t lose sight of our pronouns here. Who are the "them?" Israel at Kadesh-barnea. See that’s our whole idea of the lesson. Don’t forget Israel at Kadesh-barnea, when they had all the promises of God to go in and take Canaan without a drop of sweat or losing a drop of blood and because of unbelief turned away. Alright, Paul is using it again.


Hebrews 4:2a
"For to us (today in this Age of Grace under Paul’s Apostleship) was the Gospel preached."

Well, that’s easy enough to understand. We all know from Paul’s Gospel, that Christ died, was buried and rose from the dead, that that’s the means of salvation, our being identified in Christ during His taking of our place in this action. When we by way of inspiration of revelation see yourselves hung on the tree with Jesus then laid to rest, then raised the third day and then later to have ascended in Christ where we now sit in Him in the Holiest place on the very Throne of God at His right hand. The key is “IN Christ, IN Whom, and IN Him.” We have put away the world and the power of it to hold us, then daily we receive His Grace in our time of need.