“While Paul was discussing righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, I will send for you.”” Acts 24:25 NET https://bible.com/bible/107/act.24.25.NET

Felix was interested in the one true God, but he could never commit himself to that God. What he heard seemed fitting, that indeed God would be that way and hold him responsible to live according to His commands. While frightened by the prospect of being held accountable for his thoughts, words, and deeds, probably because God moves so slowly in judging men, he continued his pagan ways, never really following Jesus as his Savior and Lord. Our churches are filled with such men like Felix. The ways of God seem right: moral purity and integrity. Yet those ways are hard to live by when the desire for pleasure, comfort, and approval by others consumes us. We do not kill people, nor do we work hard to keep people from eternal suicide. The Christian places his faith in being forgiven by God in the perfect life lived by Christ, which was sacrificed as an offering to the Father for all the failures of all people to live obedient lives. This faith is evidenced by proving the righteous life of Jesus through living lives of obedience to Jesus which require a great deal of self-control on our part so that we are deemed good and faithful servants at the judgment to come. The self-control we must exercise is less about moral decisions. Jesus is our righteousness. We need self-control to focus our lives on His goals and work. The focus of our lives, the purpose of our life, and the work of our life is to be the building of God’s kingdom upon the earth as it is in heaven. The kingdom of God is the people of God who come to believe in and obey Jesus the Lord. The faithful Christian seeks and saves the lost to increase the kingdom of God upon the earth instead of increasing his kingdom on earth only to see it all burn when he returns to his Lord in heaven.