Marriage Counseling

Intro

On trial for the Gospel. Paul, one more time, is in prison because of the Gospel.

Because of the false accusations made against him, the apostle will have the opportunity to meet a very special couple: Felice and Drusilla.

Felix and Drusilla. The book of Acts does not give us many details about it, but the various historical sources offer us a very precise and complete picture of this couple:

Felix, Roman prosecutor in Palestine, is remembered by the historian Josephus as a corrupt, violent and evil man. During the course of his 9 years of rule, Palestine suffered enormously. Roma moved Felix 3 times;

Felix was undoubtedly a bad man, but history tells us Festus was a basically good man. He governed well, despite all the problems left him by Felix.

David Guzik

Drusilla,

Drusilla likewise had her share of husbands. Born in Rome, Drusilla was brought by her father to Caesarea, where she spent her childhood.40 Six-year old Drusilla was promised in marriage to Epiphanes, the son of King Antiochus of Commagene.41 But Epiphanes refused to submit to the Jewish rite of circumcision, and so the marriage was never consummated. When Drusilla was fourteen, her brother, Agrippa II, gave her in marriage to Azizus king of Emesa in northern Syria; however, Drusilla left him to become the wife of Felix.

Simon J. Kistemaker; William Hendriksen

When she was only 16 years old, Drusilla accepted Felix's advances on her and, with the help of a magician named Atomos, she escaped from her husband and became Felix's third wife. From their marriage a son was born: Agrippa, who died in 79 AD for the eruption of Vesuvius.

A couple in need. It is to this couple that Paul addresses his preaching.

They are violent, sinful, proud, liars and traitors.

Sermon’s outline. Here are the main points of Paul's sermon towards this truly needy couple:

Justice;

Self control;

Judgment.

N.1 - Justice

We are all sinners. Paul, speaking of justice, lays bare the conscience of this couple.

The Bible is clear:

Romans 3:10 NIV

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;

2174Between that word save and the next word, sinners, there is no adjective. It does not say, “penitent sinners,” “sensible sinners,” “grieving sinners,” or “alarmed sinners.” No, it only says, “sinners.”—7.108

Charles Spurgeon

We are all sinners! The bad news for us sinners is that our God is holy and requires justice and holiness.

Thanks be to the Lord who provided us, Christ Jesus, who justified us:

Romans 3:23–24 NIV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Past sins. The first point of Paul's sermon given to Felice and Drusilla concerns their past.

They had committed sins and needed to be cleansed and justified.

If a marriage lives the justification of Jesus, we will not witness those painful arguments where past mistakes are used to hurt our wife or husband.

If the justification produced by Jesus is in our marriage, not even the past can condemn us:

Romans 8:1 NIV

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Forgiveness, Results Of

The First Calculator was invented February 1, 1972.

N.2 - Self Control

Daily temptations. If “justice” concerned the sinful past of Felice and Drusilla, “Self-control” concerns the daily temptations to which each couple is subjected.

In fact, the proconsul Felice did not hesitate to lie, betray or kill in order to remain in power.

Drusilla on the other hand, despite being a Jewish woman (Acts 24:24), therefore called to observe the commandments of the Lord, she clearly lived in contrast to the law of God.

Besides, a Jewess was not at liberty, according to strict Jewish views, to marry a pagan, and the children who were the issue of such marriages, were regarded as bastards; see Ewald, Gesch. d. a. Z. p. 445, and, below, Doctr. etc. no. 1. [“Intermarriage with the heathen was forbidden by the law (see Deut. 7:3; Ezra 10:2, 44; Neh. 13:23); but some suppose a distinction between strange wives and strange husbands, founded on the cases of Esther and Drusilla (ch. 24:24).” (Alexander, ad. loc.).—Tr.]

Johann Peter Lange (Evangelical Theologian); Philip Schaff; Victor Lechler Gotthard; Charles Gerok; Charles Frederick Schaeffer (Pastor at Carlisle)

It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Self-control is the consequence of the action of the Holy Spirit in us hearts.

Self-control means dominating our thoughts, directing our eyes in the right direction and not engaging in useless conversations, where there is hatred and gossip.

Man’s greatest danger is the combination of his increased control over the elements and his lack of control over himself.

Albert Schweitzer

Control your appetites before they control you.

Saint John Climacus

N.3 - Judgment

There is also a tomorrow. Paul invites this couple to also look at the future that awaits them.

We live in a time where people are so captivated by the requests and needs that today, the present, demands.

This is why they forget that in the future there will be a special day, a day where Jesus will judge the entire nations:

Acts 17:31 NIV

For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

If couples in crisis allowed the Holy Spirit to remind them of these verses from the book of Revelation I believe we would save at least 99.99% of marriages:

Revelation 20:12 NIV

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

Conclusion

The 2 reactions of Felice and Drusilla. The first reaction was fear (Acts 24:25).

The second was procrastination (Acts 24:25).

For the sake of your marriage, don’t be afraid to face reality and don’t procrastinate on making wise decisions with your spouse.

Today is the day for salvation for your marriage:

2 Corinthians 6:2 NIV

For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.