Shaken Up But Not Saved

Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on 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.” At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.

Acts 24:24-27

Have you ever had an experience that has shaken you up? When our parents die, when a child dies, when our spouses die, when we have a terrible accident, when we get divorced, when we are told by doctors that we have a terminal disease, when we are let go from our secure job-all of these experiences serve to shake us up. Additionally, when we go to church and listen to a sermon about God and his demands, his law, and his judgment, we often become shaken up and terrified in the very core of our beings.

For most people such shaking up experiences soon lose their impact. Nothing comes of them, and we continue to go on in our merry, callous, unthinking ways. We don’t realize that through these experiences God was knocking, trying to get our attention. Are we listening to God? In general, even when we are shaken up, most of us are not led to repent or be saved. Only a few people ever experience a complete change of their lives through such core-shaking experiences. When this happens, it is only by the mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul was one whose life changed after he was shaken up. When the risen Christ, the Lord of the universe, confronted Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul was blinded and fell down. By a mighty work of God within his being, he was led to ask two questions, and between these two questions, he was regenerated and changed forever. What did he ask? First, “Who art thou, O Lord?” What was the answer? “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.” Jesus was saying to Paul, “Do you want to know who I am? I am the Defender and Protector of the people of the Way, whom you are persecuting.” Then Paul asked a second question-a miraculous question, which expressed his complete and total surrender to the Lord of the universe: “What do you want me to do, Lord?” Through this terrifying experience, Paul was changed from being an enemy of Jesus Christ to his obedient servant. This was a good shaking because, although Paul was shaken up, he was saved.

The same was true of the Philippian jailer about whom we read in Acts 16. This man was responsible for guarding all the prisoners. But one night at midnight there was an earthquake. The prison doors flew open and the chains of the prisoners all came loose. This jailer was shaken up and about to kill himself, but first he fell trembling before Paul and Silas. The Holy Spirit worked in him, giving him a deep conviction of sin and a vision of hell and the wrath of God, and a question was birthed in his heart: “What must I do to be saved?” What did Paul tell him? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” Instantly, the jailer believed and was saved. Like Paul’s shaking, this was a good shaking.

What about you? I am sure you have experienced shaking up experiences through the mighty work of God. Have you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ alone? Or are you like Felix the judge, who was shaken up but not saved?

Felix the Man

In Acts 24:24-27 we read about the terrible shaking experience of Antonius Felix, the Roman governor of Judea when he encountered the apostle Paul in A.D. 57. Felix had been born a slave, but, along with his brother Pallas, he was freed by the mother of Claudius, who later became emperor of Rome. Pallas was influential in the court of Rome, and it was through his mediation that Felix was appointed procurator, or governor, of Judea.

Felix was a cruel ruler whose name brought terror to his people. With the help of the Syrian troops under his command in Caesarea, he crucified thousands of Jews and Gentiles. He was also a thief who helped himself to the monies of those he crucified. He was a greedy man and a hedonist who regularly practiced injustice and took bribes from prisoners.

Felix was married three times. His third wife was Drusilla, whom he took away from her husband King Azizus of Emesa by promising her every felicity and the indulgence of her every desire. Well-known for her beauty, Drusilla was the third daughter of King Agrippa I, who had killed the apostle James (Acts 12). Like Felix, Drusilla had no principles Although she was brought up as a Jewess, she abandoned her religious teachings to marry, with no qualm of conscience, the pagan Felix, who had been born a slave. She did so for the powerful, luxurious life he promised her.

Drusilla was nineteen years of age when she came with her husband Felix to hear Paul. I have no doubt she was somewhat acquainted with the teachings of Christ. As we just said, her father was the king who killed the apostle James by the sword. Her great-uncle, Herod Antipas, had killed John the Baptist at the request of his wife’s daughter. Her great-grandfather, Herod the Great, killed many innocent children of Bethlehem in his unsuccessful attempt to destroy the baby Jesus, born King of the Jews.

Felix and Drusilla were godless materialists who would do anything to gain power and maintain their hedonistic lifestyle. They were unjust, irreligious, and immoral-unafraid of God and man. They knew Paul was innocent of any crime, but Felix refused to set him free because he was hoping for something. In verse 26 we read, “At the same time, he was hoping”-that word is elpizōn, meaning continuously hoping, daily hoping-“that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.”

As a pagan, Felix was by nature without God and without hope in the world. His God was money, and all that money could buy for him. Felix’s hope was in stark contrast to the hope of Paul-a hope in the resurrection of the just and eventual vindication by the resurrected Christ.

Wherein lies your hope-money or God? There are only two Gods-the true and living God, the Savior of the world, the King of the universe, and money. I hope you will examine yourselves today to see whether you are putting your hope in God or in money.

Felix Hears the Gospel

When Felix sent for Paul, I am sure Paul was thinking about God’s call in his life. God called Paul and appointed him for the singular task of bearing witness to God in the power of the Holy Spirit to the Jews and Gentiles, to kings and governors. Paul spoke of this call in Acts 26, beginning with verse 15:

“Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'”

What was the purpose of Paul’s witness? The first purpose was to open the eyes of those to whom Paul was speaking and turn them from darkness to light. The people of the world, all unbelievers, are blind in their innermost beings. As a result, they are wrong in all their understanding. Paul was commissioned to open the eyes of people by preaching the gospel message.

Another purpose of Paul’s witness was to turn people from the power of Satan to God. All unbelievers are under the authority and power of Satan, slaves in his kingdom who do exactly what Satan wants them to do. We find a vivid description of this slavery to Satan in The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. But God wants to take away their blindness to him and bring them into his kingdom where God himself will rule them. Only when God does this can anyone experience the glorious salvation that the Lord Jesus Christ has accomplished.

What was the final purpose of Paul’s witness? “That they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me”-that they may have an inheritance in God, in other words. That is the purpose of Paul’s gospel message, and that is why God had Paul witness before Felix.

In verse 24 we read that Felix and his wife Drusilla sent for Paul. Perhaps Felix was feeling a little happy that night. Having had something to eat and drink, he was now interested in a little entertainment. He probably talked his plan over with his nineteen-year-old wife, saying, “Maybe we should invite this prisoner and let him talk to us about his new faith. He seems to be quite a brilliant man. He is a Roman citizen, highly educated, and seems to be the chief exponent of this gospel. I think that will be a profitable way to spend the evening.” Drusilla probably agreed, and they sent for Paul.

What other reason might there be for Felix’s interest in Paul’s message? I think it was that Felix was a pluralist. He believed in the equal validity as well as the equal uselessness of all religions. The Bible tells us Felix was already well-acquainted with the Way, that is, Christianity, but he wanted to hear about it from its chief exponent, the apostle Paul. Thus, Paul was summoned and came in chains to stand before this terror, this tyrant, this cruel hedonistic pluralist Felix.

Paul Preaches the Gospel

Paul was unlike many modern preachers who would give anything to appear before modern political leaders. They glory in such opportunities and speak only flattering words to those who summon them. But Paul had no interest in flattering Felix. Led by the Spirit of God, and knowing that God had called him to be a witness of Christ before Jews, Gentiles, kings, and governors, Paul chose his subject very carefully, in accordance with the real need of Felix and Drusilla.

Paul knew that he must proclaim the truth of the universality of sin and condemnation to Felix and Drusilla. He knew he must also proclaim the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Paul knew Felix and Drusilla were terrible sinners. He knew that they were under the wrath of God and heading for eternal judgment. That is why he knew he must proclaim the gospel, because he knew that the gospel alone is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes–to the Jew first and also to the Greeks.

A preacher must realize that there is the disease, the prescription, and the medicine. The gospel alone is the medicine for those who are under divine wrath. What did Felix and Drusilla need to hear? Verse 24 says Paul spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. In the Greek, the phrase is peri tēs eis Christon Iēsoun pisteōs, meaning faith into Christ Jesus, trusting into Christ Jesus. In other words, on the basis of the gospel a person may come to link himself to Jesus Christ.

As Paul presented the gospel to Felix and Drusilla, he required something from them in return. This prisoner, as an ambassador of Christ and with his full authority, demanded that this ruler and his wife repent and trust in Jesus Christ alone and be saved.

The Components of Paul’s Message

A few months before Paul appeared before Felix, Paul was in the Greek city of Corinth. From there he wrote the epistle to the Roman church in which he set forth the gospel clearly and logically. I am sure the structure of that letter was in Paul’s mind when he preached before Felix. Acts 24:25 tells us he preached to Felix and Drusilla about three things: righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come.

1. Righteousness. The first point Paul spoke about was righteousness. Can you imagine a modern preacher going to the leader of his country, looking into his eyes, and speaking about his need for righteousness? Oh, generally speaking, politicians invite only preachers who will flatter them and say nice things about them. Most politicians don’t invite preachers who will preach about righteousness to them.

But Paul spoke to Felix about righteousness. He spoke about how all have violated God’s law, the Ten Commandments, and how all men are evil and practitioners of evil. We can get a good idea what he said from what he wrote in his epistle to the Romans. In Romans 3:23 Paul wrote, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” In Romans 3:10-11 he wrote, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.” In Romans 3:12 he wrote, “There is no one who does good, not even one.” In Romans 3:18 he wrote, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” In Romans 1:18 he wrote, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men.”

Imagine a modern preacher looking into the eyes of a head of state and speaking about these things, under the unction of the Spirit of the living God! After saying these things, I am sure Paul stopped and said, “But Felix and Drusilla, even though this is a bleak picture, there is hope for you. God has sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for your sins. He who knew no sin became sin for you, that you might become the righteousness of God in him. Felix and Drusilla, Jesus Christ alone is the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world by his death and resurrection. Christ died for your sins and was raised for your justification, if you will put your trust in him.” Thus the prisoner, the apostle of Christ, the prisoner of Caesar, stood and demanded that Felix and Drusilla repent truly, trust in Christ, and be saved.

What else do you think Paul would say? “Felix and Drusilla, you must realize that you are wicked and unrighteous. You are unjust by nature and practice. To be acceptable to God, you must become righteous. Jesus Christ alone is able to justify you. That is why you must repent and believe in him. He takes your sins upon himself and suffers God’s wrath so that he can grant you his perfect righteousness right now. There is no other way to be righteous.

“Felix, I know you are a pluralist but you must recognize that not all religions are equally valid. The Way-Christianity-alone is valid. Faith in Jesus Christ alone saves. Felix and Drusilla, Christianity is not for entertainment. It is the most serious subject in the world. You must realize that Christianity first wounds, but then it saves the wounded. That is always the case. Felix, you are the governor, but you yourself know that you are wicked and unrighteous. I am presenting to you today the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ alone, who was crucified, buried, and raised by the Lord of heaven and earth.” That is the first point.

2. Self-control. The second point Paul spoke about was self-control. I am sure he said something to this effect: “Felix and Drusilla, you know how incapable you are of controlling your lusts and passions, especially your sexual passion. Yes, you are powerful people in the eyes of the world, but you know very well how weak you are when it comes to resisting temptation. It is well-known that you indulge in every form of perversion because of your moral corruption and weakness.”

Such moral weakness was not limited to people like Felix and Drusilla. We have recently seen powerful political figures in our own country involved in great sexual scandals. These people are among the most powerful people in the world, but morally they are among the weakest.

“Felix and Drusilla,” Paul was saying, “don’t you realize how morally bankrupt you are?” But then I am sure he again spoke words of hope to them, saying, “Felix and Drusilla, I have more good news for you. In Jesus Christ there is great hope for even the most morally bankrupt person. Jesus of Nazareth will not only justify you through faith, but he also is able to sanctify you and make you able to resist every temptation. When he does this, you can be truly powerful in your inner man by the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, he not only gives you a new nature, but he causes his Holy Spirit to dwell in you, to educate you, and to empower you to do that which is pleasing in the sight of God. This Jesus Christ of whom I am speaking is wisdom–that is, your righteousness, your holiness, your sanctification, and your redemption. That is why it is important that you leave yourself with him by faith and be saved.”

3. The judgment of God. The third point Paul spoke about was the judgment of God. I am sure he said something like this: “Felix and Drusilla, I have presented you the gospel as the only way of salvation. Jesus Christ alone is the way, the truth, and the life, and through him you can be justified and sanctified daily. But let me tell you something else: through him you will also be declared just at the last judgment. Felix and Drusilla, you are powerful people, but even you will have to stand before Christ at the coming judgment.”

The first point Paul made was that this judgment is certain and in the future. The Bible speaks clearly about the future judgment. In 2 Timothy 4:1 Paul himself wrote, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead. . .” In John 5:28 Jesus said, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out. . . .”

“Felix and Drusilla,” Paul would say, “there is a coming judgment. You can be very certain of it because God’s word promises it. In fact, there have been precursors of the final judgment throughout the history of the world. When you look at the Flood, when you look at Sodom and Gomorrah, when you look at the exodus from Egypt and what God did to Pharaoh, when you look at what God did to the seven nations of Canaan, when you see how God expelled his own people from the northern kingdom in 721 B.C., and again in 586 when he exiled the people of Judah to Babylon and allowed the temple to be burned down, you are seeing precursors of the final judgment. Felix and Drusilla, I assure you, unless you repent, you must fear this judgment because you failed to live your lives in conformity with God’s revelation given in nature, in conscience, in Scripture, and, finally, in Jesus Christ, concerning whom I am speaking to you.”

The second point is that this will be a judgment according to works. In Romans 2:16 we read, “This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.” In Ecclesiastes 12:14 we read, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” In 2 Corinthians 5:10 we read, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” In Romans 2:5 we read, “God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done.'” In other words, judgment will be on the basis of what we have done all of our lives. Every thought, every deed, every non-conformity to God’s will shall be judged.

The third point is that everyone will be judged. Christians will be judged. Unbelievers will be judged. All must stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

The fourth point is that Jesus Christ is the judge. In Acts 10:42 Peter told the people assembled in Cornelius’ house that Jesus Christ himself “commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.” In John 5:27 Jesus himself said all judgment is given to him by God the Father. Jesus Christ will be the judge on the day of judgment.

The fifth point is that Jesus Christ judges impartially. In Romans 2:11 Paul wrote, “For God does not show favoritism.” There is only one who can judge us impartially-that is our Lord Jesus Christ. We will all stand naked and stripped before this one who has all the facts and figures, and He will judge us without favoritism.

The sixth point is that on the judgment day, God will unveil the secrets of our hearts. We all keep secrets, don’t we? We keep secrets from many people-from our wives, our husbands, our fathers, our mothers, our teachers, and even the IRS. But the day is coming when nothing will be hidden and everything will be revealed and laid bare before God. As we read in Romans 2:16, “This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.” In Psalm 44:20 we read, “If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?”

The seventh point is that this judgment has a purpose. What is the purpose of God’s judgment? The glory of God. (PGM) God will not let anyone treat him with contempt. God created both hell and heaven, and both declare the glory of God. Have you ever thought about that?

Paul told Felix and Drusilla, “Felix and Drusilla, you both are wicked and unrighteous. You are without self-control and subject to the coming judgment. Soon you shall die, but you will not remain dead. In due time you will be raised up by Jesus Christ, and he will judge you. And unless you repent and trust in Christ, you will go to hell.”

Some people think we are like animals and once we die, everything is over. But that is not what the Bible teaches. In Hebrews 9:27 we read that “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” In Matthew 10:28 Jesus Christ himself made this statement, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Every person who dies without Christ will be raised up, judged, and sent in body and soul to hell.

“Felix and Drusilla, do you understand these things?” Paul was asking. “Felix, you as judge summoned me, your prisoner, and I came. But one day your Judge, Jesus Christ, who is risen from the dead and is now the supreme Lord of the universe-your Lord, your Caesar’s Lord, and my Lord-shall summon you and you shall appear before him. He shall judge you justly and weigh you in his balance. Unless you have trusted in him and been clothed in his righteousness, you shall be found wanting.”

The Reaction of Felix

The text tells us that as Paul spoke of these things, Felix began to feel some terror. He was frightened–in the Greek the phrase is emphobos genomenos–but his fear did not lead him to salvation. Instead he turned it off. This may be your reaction also. Turn it off! Stop it! I am frightened! Turn it off!

Oh, that is the wrong thing to do when you are confronted by the gospel. It is like flying an airplane and being confronted with a warning light. Should you switch off the warning light and ignore the problem? That would be the most terrible thing you could do. Suppose you are driving your car and the light comes on your dashboard, indicating that you have no oil. Should you ignore the light and keep driving? Oh, no. You must deal with the problem, if you want to keep your car. In the same way, when you are listening to the gospel preaching and your conscience begins to bother you, should you repent and trust in Christ, or turn off your conscience by entering into an unresponsive stupor, or by getting drunk, or by engaging in more wickedness?

All of us will be weighed in the balances of God. We shall be found wanting unless we repent of our sins, trust in Jesus Christ alone, confess him to be our supreme Lord, and serve him. If we do not do these things when we hear the gospel message, we shall be condemned to eternal damnation and punishment.

Shaken Up But Not Saved

In Acts 24:25 we read that Felix became afraid as Paul spoke. Oh, this was just a foretaste of what will happen in the future. Felix was experiencing a foretaste of the terror of judgment, and he didn’t like it.

This proud, powerful judge and governor of Judea was shocked and frightened by the gospel preached by Paul. He had been looking for entertainment but what he got instead was a taste of terror. The phrase used, emphobos genomenos, “and he was frightened or terrified,” appears elsewhere only when supernatural force is in operation. It seems the Holy Spirit gave Felix a flash, a vision, of the Judge, the Lord Jesus Christ, in a vision of judgment and hell. When Felix saw himself as a sinner in the hands of an angry God, he was terrified.

But what was Felix’s reaction to this shaking experience? He turned off the gospel preaching. The terror he experienced did not lead him to salvation Refusing to repent and trust in Christ, Felix stopped Paul cold and said, “Go away. When I have a spare moment, I’ll call you. I was looking for some entertainment, but you are only terrifying me.”

“I’ll call you when I have a spare moment,” Felix told Paul. “Don’t you see how busy I am?” The Bible tells us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, but this pagan judge said, “I am busy.” And as a result of his refusal to repent, the gospel became the stench of death to Felix. Unlike Paul, he did not say, “Who are you, Lord?” and “What do you want me to do?” Felix was shaken up but not saved.

What tragedy! What missed opportunity! Herod Antipas had a similar opportunity to be saved when John the Baptist presented the gospel to him and his adulterous wife Herodias. What did Herod do at that time? He turned off the gospel warning by killing John.

Pilate had such an opportunity as well. Jesus Christ himself stood before him, saying, “I have come to bear witness to truth.” But Pilate turned him off by asking, “What is truth?” In other words, Pilate was saying, “There is no such thing as truth. Everything is relative.” But by doing this, Pilate missed his golden opportunity to be saved.

Judas Iscariot associated with Jesus for over three years. There is no doubt that he heard the gospel over and over again. But Judas loved money more than his own salvation. He also turned off the gospel preaching and refused to be saved.

When the Magi came to Herod the Great and asked, “Where is this king of the Jews?” Herod, together with all Jerusalem, became distressed (Matthew 2:3). However, even though they were distressed and shaken up, Herod and those with him were never saved.

There are examples of this in the Old Testament as well. Remember the story of Ahab and Elijah? Elijah confronted Ahab many times, but Ahab turned him off and never was saved. In Isaiah 7 we find the story of Isaiah and Ahaz. Isaiah told Ahaz, in essence, “You know, God will help you. Believe in him; he can do anything. He will save you from your trouble.” Ahaz turned off Isaiah and was never saved.

What About You?

What is your reaction to the gospel? I hope you will react like the Philippian jailer. Yes, he was shaken up in the middle of the night, but then he asked an amazing question, “What must I do to be saved?” What did Paul tell him? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” What a marvelous thing to hear! That jailer, along with his household, was saved and baptized that very night.

I assure you, conviction is not enough, tears are not enough, and weeping is not enough. Have you repented of your sins? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ? Have you surrendered completely to his rule in your life? Are you living daily for his glory?” These are the questions you must ask yourself. Don’t say you are too frightened or wounded by the gospel to ask these questions.

Felix probably experienced these things but they didn’t do him any good. What was his reaction? “Go away now, Paul. Maybe another time I can talk to you further. I do not consider the claims of Jesus as of any importance to me at this time.”

There is only one problem with this type of answer: As we said before, judgment is certain. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Elsewhere we read, “Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.” This moment, while you are hearing the word of God, is the favorable time for you. It is God’s year of jubilee. It is the moment of grace and great opportunity, the time in which you can call on the name of the Lord and be saved.

In light of all of these things, I urge you to take advantage of this moment. In Hebrews 3:7-8 we read, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” In Luke 13:5 Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” When Jesus was asked, “Are only a few people going to be saved?” he said, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,” meaning, “Strive now with all your might to enter into the kingdom of God.”. Why must we do this now? Because later is always harder, and later is never assured. Perhaps Felix thought he would be saved when he heard Paul later, but it never happened. Felix was never saved.

We should also take advantage of this moment because the Spirit of God shall not strive with us always. There are times we hear the word of God and nothing happens. We may even yawn and want to go to sleep. We don’t know what is going on. Then there are times when the Spirit of God speaks, and we are stirred up. But don’t assume that the Spirit of God will strive with us always. We must heed the warning Peter gave in Acts 2:40, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

What about you? If you are not a Christian, this is your moment to turn to Christ and be saved. Oh, what a glorious moment it is, when he forgives all your sins! He takes all your sins upon himself and gives you his salvation.

Why should you be saved? Because there is a judgment coming. Remember the story of the widow of Zarephath? Elijah was sent to stay with her and her son, and then her son died. This widow asked Elijah, “Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” Even that pagan woman knew there was a judgment. She interpreted the death of her son as a punishment for her own sin. Therefore, I ask you: Would you turn to Christ today and be saved?

What about those who say they are Christians? If that is what you say, I must ask you this question: Have you surrendered to him completely to live for his glory, to listen to his instructions, to go when he tells you to go and to stay when he tells you to stay? This is your opportunity to consecrate yourself by presenting your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Therefore, my question to you is: Do you want to listen to Christ and serve him alone, the One who died for your salvation and who lives for your salvation?

May God have mercy on us and save us! May he reveal his majesty to us, that we may surrender ourselves to Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our Lord, and serve him only from this day forward, knowing that he is coming soon. Amen.