Felix had all the natural capabilities and personal history that made him perfect to fulfil a political role. Apparently, he began life as a slave, but winning his freedom he sought, with success, the favour of the imperial court. Having attained high office, Felix lived with two main ambitions in view – success and riches.
The events recorded for us in Acts reveal him to be an ambitious, but careful, politician. He could quickly anticipate the possible outcomes of situations, and would make decisions that often forced others to deal with the consequences.
He conducted three official hearings of the case against Paul, followed by an unspecified number of private interviews and, after two years, he left the final decision to his successor Festus. How often has the work of God in your life been hindered by a tendency on your part to put off making a decision about it? You cannot play the political game with the Lord.
Having made the decision to try the case, Felix calls all the necessary parties together, and hears the evidence. He then defers the trial more or less permanently, 24. 22. We, too, can be guilty of making the kind of decisions which lead to nothing happening. To do so is only to frustrate the purposes of God in your life! Felix walked the political tightrope, but you as a Christian cannot live like this.
Eventually, Felix, with his Jewish wife Drusilla, calls for Paul to tell them concerning ‘the faith that is in Christ’, 24. 24. With nothing now to limit an open testimony, Paul takes the opportunity to ‘reason about righteousness, temperance, and judgement to come’. Although greatly troubled, and on various occasions sending for Paul to discuss these issues, Felix’s opportunity to get right with God slowly faded away. It would seem that, at the end, bribery was his only motive for seeing Paul.
Felix was one of life’s tight-rope walkers. Are you a Christian of that sort, neglecting to do the right thing as you seek a place in the eyes of men? Far better to walk with God in truth and await His day of reward.
