“Pascal’s Wager” is a line of thought which the 17th century mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal proposed in his collection of aphorisms entitled Pensées. On the assumption (not necessarily one I accept) that no conclusive reasons may be offered for or against God’s existence, he argues that the wisest course is to “wager” that God does in fact exist.
The “Wager” has provoked all sorts of discussion and it had important consequences even in non-theological areas of study like decision and game theory. One of the key ideas of Pascal’s argument is that in certain circumstances one must decide between two options. To fail to decide is, in fact, actually to choose one or other of the options.
The relevant passage from Pascal is as follows:
“Do not, then, reprove for error those who have made a choice; for you know nothing about it. ‘No, but I blame them for having made, not this choice, but a choice; for again both he who chooses heads and he who chooses tails are equally at fault, they are both in the wrong. The true course is not to wager at all.’ Yes; but you must wager. It is not optional.”
In the case of belief in God, to fail to decide is essentially to choose the option to not believe, in the way one lives practically, that God exists. That is, if you try to suspend belief, then you will fail to live as God desires, will fail to do what those who believe in God do, and will thus lose out on the rewards God gives to those who believe and direct their lives toward Him.
In Acts 24, our sermon text for this Sunday, we find Paul brought to the attention of the then governor of Judea, Antonius Felix. Felix appears to feel he can remain in a state of indecision, a suspension of belief, as he encounters Paul and hears him talk about God, Christian faith, and the expected course of life for those who acknowledge the truth of the Gospel.
The chapter begins with an attorney’s letter about Paul to Felix, which opens praising the governor for the peace and reforms enjoyed by Judea under his rule. That praise was pure sycophancy like we see in politics today, because Felix was a terrible governor who actually provoked disturbances in his territory and brought little to no benefit to the Jewish people.
In any case, Paul was brought before Felix, who heard both the the Sanhedrin’s charges against him and Paul’s own defense. Verse 22 then tells us that Felix was “rather well informed about the Way,” in other words, about the Christian movement.
In what follows in verse 22 we find Felix declaring his intention to quickly decide Paul’s case upon arrival of the tribune Lysias, who has now been involved with Paul for some time.
Yet instead of a quick decision, Felix kept Paul imprisoned while allowing Paul’s friends freedom of access to him. He and his wife also listen to Paul talk further about “faith in Christ Jesus” in verse 24. But Felix is disturbed when Paul draws practical conclusions concerning “righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment,” verse 25. He sends Paul away at that moment, but over the next two years keeps bringing him back for conversation, because according to verse 26 he hopes for a bribe from Paul.
It seems to me that Felix not only fails to decide Paul’s case in the hope of receiving a bribe, but that he also fails to come to a decision about Paul’s message. Felix was informed about Christianity before he met Paul, yet he continues to hold faith at arm’s distance even as he listens to one its most eloquent advocates.
Felix makes no commitment either way for two years. Finally his incompetency catches up to him and he is recalled to Rome, where his more influential brother manages to protect him from any severe consequences for his failures as a governor.
Felix is a reminder that, while God is gracious to those who are open to hearing the Good News, one cannot postpone forever an active and practical commitment to Christ. You and I should look for ways in which we might send away God’s messenger, whether in the form of Scripture or in the form of Christians around us, when we are pressed to conform our lives more closely to the message we’ve heard, especially around topics like righteousness, self-control and the coming judgment. To fail to decide is to decide against what God wishes for the way we live.