If our life was on the line, how would we speak to those who have authority over us? In our concern about what could happen in those situations, we might be tempted to compromise the content of our message in our defense. How we react in those settings is about more than just securing our safety. We must assume the Lord has allowed us to be there for reasons more important than our freedom.

When Paul was being threatened with death by an angry mob for sharing his faith, he was brought before a governor named Felix to hear his case. Felix ordered Paul to be brought before him to hear what he had to say. One might think Paul would tell Felix what he wanted to hear to get the charges dismissed. Instead, Paul “told them about faith in Christ Jesus” (Acts 24:23). As Paul reasoned with Felix about the Lord he spoke “about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment.” As a result of what Paul said, “Felix became frightened” (Acts 24:25).

The content of what Paul shared would not be what many of us would share if we were in Paul’s place. Paul spoke about what it meant to live a righteous life and the importance of self-control. He also spoke of the coming judgment, a situation where only faith in Christ can save us. Felix, a man of authority who held Paul’s life in his hands, became frightened at what Paul had to say. 

When the truth is spoken without fear of what could happen to us, it allows the Lord to access the interior of the hearts of those who hear our words. Considering the consequence of living a life without the Lord can make people fearful when the truth is spoken. That’s what happened to Felix.

Only the truth has the power to pierce the defenses of the human heart. The truth doesn’t need diluting to make it acceptable. It was that truth that Paul shared with Felix that made him fearful.

A complete message about what will happen in the future will have a fearful element. In our Western representation of the Gospel, we can shy away from the fearful consequences of a life apart from Christ thinking a toned-down message will be more appealing to our hearers. Our witness must reveal an honest representation of spiritual realities that will have fearful consequences attached to them. That complete message will produce fear – the kind of righteous fear that has the power to capture the attention of people and be part of a message that will eventually lead them to Christ.