Acts 26:27

Acts 26:27 says, King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.  Paul asked, King Agrippa if he believed the prophets?  Paul said he knew that Agrippa believed in them.  Of course, believing in the prophets without believing in Jesus Christ as one’s personal Savior and Lord is not enough. Verse twenty-eight adds, Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Then Agrippa said to Paul that he almost persuaded him to be a Christian.  These are some of the saddest words in the Bible.  To be so close to salvation and state almost. There are no degrees to salvation. Almost is totally lost.  It doesn't matter if a person intellectually accepts what Christ did, but never responds in faith of the reality that Christ died for them personally, they are lost.  King Agrippa, after hearing Paul, almost claimed his salvation, but he went away so close, but still lost.  Verse twenty-nine continues, And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. Then Paul said he wished to God, that not only Agrippa, but also all that heard him that day, were both almost, and altogether such as he was, except for these bonds.  When we encounter someone who is so close to accepting Christ as their Savior, we can only pray that they, and anyone else around us will not go away almost persuaded.  Verse thirty states, And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:  Then the king, and the governor, and Bernice, and all that sat with them got up and left.  All had heard Paul's testimony, and they all went away lost.  Paul, in bonds, was freer than those who had listened to his testimony. He was eternally free, and so are all of Christ's followers today, no matter our circumstances.  Verse thirty-one adds, And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.  Verse thirty-two continues, Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.  After conferring with each other, King Agrippa concluded that Paul had done nothing worthy of death and could be free had he not appealed to Caesar.  He only saw the worldly situation, not the divine implication.  Paul had been told he was to witness in Rome, and that is where he was headed.  When life seems to get us down, we need to look for the divine implications.  God will never abandon us when we are following His will.