Almost

Acts 26: 27 – 29, King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe." Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." And Paul said, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains." NKJV

Christians can find themselves in some challenging situations that often provide opportunities to witness to unbelievers. Even though Paul was the accused and had to defend himself to the King, it was King Agrippa, who ended up being witnessed to about Paul’s faith in Christ. Isn’t it interesting that Paul’s life was hanging in the balance, and yet God used this occasion to give King Agrippa an opportunity to believe in Jesus as the Christ?

 King Agrippa wasn’t a man of faith in the Jesus, whom Paul both believed in and testified about. Consequently, Paul seized the moment to share evidence and facts about Christ that could potentially lead the king to faith. In order to bring someone to faith, you have to give them sufficient creditable information that will assist them in making an educated decision based on the evidence. Remember, unbelievers only operate based on logic. Their hearts have been made hard by sin; trusting God isn’t something they're comfortable doing. Once there is sufficient evidence offered to the unbeliever, they may allow the Holy Spirit to bring them to a place of faith or trust in their heart. This process is called winning them over to Christ.

Paul not only spoke about his own encounter and experiences with Christ, but he also mentioned the writings of the prophets. We, too, must be able to share effectively our own testimony of how Christ has transformed our lives. We also need to have scriptures that we can share, which will bring them to faith in Jesus and His Word. One of the greatest truths that we can take away from Paul’s defense of himself, and of his faith in Christ is that he seemed more concerned about King Agrippa coming to faith than his own well-being.

Ultimately, it was up to King Agrippa to decide whether he would believe or reject Paul’s offer for him to believe in Christ… “Almost!” Apparently, Paul gave the king a sufficient argument; nevertheless, the king still decided he wasn’t quite ready to surrender his heart to Christ. Even though someone may have enough truth and facts to make an informed decision, they may not be willing to submit their lives to Christ. All we can do as a witness for Christ is to provide sufficient evidence and pray for the person. It is the Lord, who will give the increase.  

Sharing My Faith,
Pastor Asa Dockery