Prove

This week, we are going to conclude our look at the book of Acts. In order to do that, we will only look at one section in each of the remaining four chapters. Today, we will look at a section of Acts 25. I encourage you to take a minute or two and read through the rest of the chapter some time today. Last week, we learned that Paul’s trial had been postponed and that Governor Felix had been replaced by Porcius Festus. Here is Paul’s brief trial before Festus.


Acts 25
7 When Paul arrived (in court), the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn’t prove. 8 Paul denied the charges. “I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government,” he said. 9 Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?” 10 But Paul replied, “No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty of harming the Jews. 11 If I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!” 12 Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!”


Prove. In this scene, I was been drawn to the “trial terminology” ... words like law, crime, guilty, innocent, charges and appeal. The one word that really hit me though was the word prove. The Jewish leaders couldn’t prove any of their accusations against Paul; which made me think ... what could you prove about me ... my life ... my story? Each one of us leaves a trail of evidence in our life ... conversations, decisions, purchases, appointments. If someone were to gather that evidence and examine it, what would they discover? What would I want them to discover? What would I want it to prove? I think Paul said it best in Galatians 5:22-23 (so I will steal his words), “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” I want that investigator to find evidence that will prove God was at work ... at home ... in my life.