Reasonable Faith

After governor Festus was swept up in the squabble left unsettled by Felix between the Jewish religious rulers and the apostle Paul, he decided it would be beneficial to interview Paul before King Agrippa and Bernice in Caesarea.  The scribes and Pharisees called for Paul to be executed and he appealed to Caesar, yet Festus could find no evidence of guilt--certainly nothing that even hinted a sentence of death was appropriate.  Festus confided in Agrippa of his predicament in sending Paul to Rome without a charge in Acts 25:27:  "For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him."

It seems more than unreasonable, even unjust to imprison someone without specifying charges against them.  In many countries today those legally empowered to arrest people must notify the suspect they are under arrest and why they are being arrested.  In Jerusalem Paul had not been arrested for a crime but was taken into custody for his own protection because an angry mob attacked him.  He was then transferred to Caesarea because enemies plotted to kill him, and so as a Roman citizen he would receive a fair trial.  Festus was correct anyone accused of a crime and arrested ought to have charges formally laid against them. It was his role as governor to decide if the accusations leveled had any merit.

When it comes to the justice of God, I have observed people who assume the position of Festus and make censorious judgments Him.  They feel it is unreasonable anyone should be beholden to God or His righteous judgment.  Unlike Felix who kept Paul bound as a political favour, God has revealed in His word we are all bound by our own sin, and He specified them one after another.  The 10 Commandments is a good starting point that clearly shows we are bound by sin and under the sentence of death in hell forever due to our guilt, having broken God's law.  Paul wrote in Romans 3:19-20, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."  One purpose of the Law of Moses is to silence all sinners from attempts to justify ourselves, for our conscience agrees we are guilty of breaking it.

It is reasonable for God to condemn those who are guilty of sinning even as a judge gives sentence of a man declared guilty of murder by a jury.  It is entirely reasonable for the Judge of all the earth to do right and uphold what is right.  What is more unreasonable is when men choose to reject God's offer of eternal life purchased at the price of His beloved Jesus Christ who died for the sins of the world.  God said to sinners in Isaiah 1:18:  "Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."  We have all sinned and the soul that sins will surely die.  Praise the LORD for the truth of  Romans 6:23:  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  By faith in Jesus we who were guilty as sin and worthy of death can be forgiven and receive eternal life!  God's love and grace towards sinful humanity is beyond reason, yet it is reasonable considering how good God is.