Not Persuaded
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” Acts 26:28 (ESV)
Have you ever sat in a worship service with a loved one and thought, Surely, this message is so powerful they’ll respond. Or maybe you were able to tell that person about something amazing God did in your life. Again you thought, Surely, they’ll be convinced God is real and present in their lives too. I’ve been in that position many times, and yet in most instances, I’ve been disappointed by my loved one’s response. They don’t see. They don’t respond. 
You may also be tempted to think, What am I doing wrong? The truth is, you may not be doing anything wrong. The Holy Spirit may not have softened the other person’s heart yet. They may be resisting the Spirit. We don’t know. And that’s okay. Our job is not to convince or cajole. Our job is to speak the truth, testify of God’s work in our life, and present the gospel when God gives us the opportunity.
That’s what Paul did again and again and again. Sometimes people responded with repentance and faith. Many times they didn’t. In Acts 26, Paul is brought before Agrippa.[1] Paul recounts his testimony, presents the gospel, and … Agrippa gives one of the saddest responses in Scripture. The classic version of the Amplified Bible words Agrippa’s response this way: “You think it a small task to make a Christian of me [just offhand to induce me with little ado and persuasion, at very short notice]?”
Because the Holy Spirit lives inside us, many biblical truths and teachings are clear to us (see John 16:13), but they may seem ludicrous to those who don’t believe. That was Festus’s reaction in Acts 26:24: “You are out of your mind, Paul! … Your great learning is driving you insane.” Others, like Agrippa, may dismiss the gospel or its messenger. Out of pride, or guilt, they may say, “You’re not going to convince me.” And in one sense, they’re right. We’re not going to persuade them. Only the Holy Spirit can do that.
Paul’s response to Festus and Agrippa was “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am [a follower of Jesus]” (v. 29).
Does a loved one’s resistance to the gospel break your heart? Follow Paul’s example. Keep testifying about God is doing in your life. Keep praying. That person may never be persuaded by your words, but the Holy Spirit can change anyone’s heart. He transformed Saul into Paul. The old you into the new you. He’s not finished with our loved ones either.
Dig Deeper
How did Jesus make the gospel clear to Paul on the Damascus Road according to Acts 26:17–18? How might you use Jesus’s own words to witness to someone?
How does Paul connect his faith in Jesus to Judaism in Acts 26:4–6 and 22–23, 27? What do you see as the connection between your faith in Jesus and Judaism?
In Acts 26:18, Jesus affirms that people need to turn from darkness to light. Consider Paul’s words in Romans 1:18–21 and John’s words in 1 John 1:5–10. Why is it important for us to remember that those who don’t know Jesus are living in darkness?
Denise K. Loock
This devotion is part of our series on the book of Acts.
[1] This Agrippa is Herod Agrippa II. He was the son of Herod Agrippa I, who murdered James and imprisoned Peter (Acts 12).