November 22 - Acts 24-26: The Best Defense Is A Good Offense

The life of Paul blows me away. He wouldn't stop talking about Jesus. That relationship was the most important thing in his life, and everyone knew it. Even under arrest and the threat of death, instead of focusing on his innocence, Paul took every opportunity to preach the gospel to those in charge - first, Felix and Drusilla, then Festus, and finally King Agrippa and Bernice.

"[Paul's] defense was neither a defense in the obvious sense or a capitulation to the inevitable realities of power. Rather, it was an offense, an invasion of the courtroom with the message of the gospel. What Paul did was preach a sermon. 

Paul was supposed to be defending himself, persuading King Agrippa of his innocence, but instead, he addressed the king in personal terms and attempted to persuade him of his need for a Savior. King Agrippa was suddenly on the stand. He was on defense. And he must face the eternal question squarely. 

The best defense is still a good offense. What the world needs is not evidence for the deity of Christ or arguments for the existence of God. What it needs, and what will bring it to its knees in adoration, is a confrontation with a man to whom Christ means everything. 

We don't need to defend God; he's perfectly capable of defending himself. What we do need is to live in obedience to him and enter the world with a confidence and enthusiasm that spring from having our lives centered on him." Eugene Peterson, Conversations, pg. 1732

I can't stop thinking about this. What the world needs is "a confrontation with a [wo]man to whom Christ means everything." That's a huge shift in thinking. While I know that God wants first place in my life, I still have the laundry list of things in my head that I should be doing - engaging with unbelievers more often, serving more at church, showing more compassion, meeting my expectations of myself, and the list goes on. 

Rather than focusing on these things - even the good things - God is asking me to focus on Him. He wants Christ to be at the very center of my life, my highest priority, so that I can really live. And that, in turn, will impact the people around me.

I'm realizing that, in part, this means preaching the gospel to myself in every situation, which will allow me to live in the grace and freedom that Christ has purchased for me. That's what the world really needs from me, not my laundry list of good deeds and 'shoulds.'

"You are now free from slavery to the demands of self: for recognition, for life to go as you want, for good health and prosperity, for freedom from emptiness, and for the experience of fullness...You are now free to really live!" 66 LL