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The Acts of the Apostles
He held up before Felix and Drusilla the character of God—His
righteousness, justice, and equity, and the nature of His law. He clearly
showed that it is man’s duty to live a life of sobriety and temperance,
keeping the passions under the control of reason, in conformity to
God’s law, and preserving the physical and mental powers in a healthy
condition. He declared that there would surely come a day of judgment
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when all would be rewarded according to the deeds done in the body,
and when it would be plainly revealed that wealth, position, or titles are
powerless to gain for man the favor of God or to deliver him from the
results of sin. He showed that this life is man’s time of preparation for
the future life. Should he neglect present privileges and opportunities
he would suffer an eternal loss; no new probation would be given him.
Paul dwelt especially upon the far-reaching claims of God’s law.
He showed how it extends to the deep secrets of man’s moral nature
and throws a flood of light upon that which has been concealed from
the sight and knowledge of men. What the hands may do or the tongue
may utter—what the outer life reveals—but imperfectly shows man’s
moral character. The law searches his thoughts, motives, and purposes.
The dark passions that lie hidden from the sight of men, the jealousy,
hatred, lust, and ambition, the evil deeds meditated upon in the dark
recesses of the soul, yet never executed for want of opportunity—all
these God’s law condemns.
Paul endeavored to direct the minds of his hearers to the one great
Sacrifice for sin. He pointed to the sacrifices that were shadows of
good things to come, and then presented Christ as the antitype of all
those ceremonies—the object to which they pointed as the only source
of life and hope for fallen man. Holy men of old were saved by faith
in the blood of Christ. As they saw the dying agonies of the sacrificial
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victims they looked across the gulf of ages to the Lamb of God that
was to take away the sin of the world.
God justly claims the love and obedience of all His creatures. He
has given them in His law a perfect standard of right. But many forget
their Maker and choose to follow their own way in opposition to His
will. They return enmity for love that is as high as heaven and as
broad as the universe. God cannot lower the requirements of His law
to meet the standard of wicked men; neither can man in his own power
meet the demands of the law. Only by faith in Christ can the sinner be