I love the genial attitude
of Paul when he is being interrogated by the local Roman rulers in Acts chapter
26. He knows that his life is on the line, but instead of remaining fearfully
silent or pleading for forgiveness, he shares his faith in Christ and hopes
that those who listen to him will come to know Jesus, too. It’s not an act of staunch
defiance; it’s a simple profession of faith which he compassionately expresses.
I think we can all learn a
lot from the apostle about how we can share our faith. He doesn’t compel anyone
to comply to what he believes, instead Paul offers an invitation to join Christ’s
Kingdom to the rulers and their courtiers who are listening to his testimony.
The apostle truly wants them to accept Christ as their Savior, but he does not
insist that they must do this. He respects their individual freedom to choose
what they want for themselves; all that Paul is doing is being the Gospel messenger
that Jesus called him to fulfill.
As Christians, we witness
to Christ every day through our words and deeds. Sometimes we say and do the
right things which may complement our faith; on other occasions, our bad behavior
and ill-chosen words can repel those around us from knowing Christ, especially
when we try to force our beliefs on others who think, live, and do things
differently. Remember, Paul did not coerce Agrippa and Festus into becoming believers;
he sincerely invited them to consider it.
Q: How do I project my
faith to others? Am I invitational or confrontational?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we
were invited to have faith in You through other people who followed Your way.
We know that we are flawed and imperfect, so we ask for Your guidance to help
invite others to faith through compassion, grace, and, above all, love. In Your
Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You check out the church website at www.erinpres.org to see what’s currently happening there.
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