An Appeal to Act for Love’s Sake

Transcript

GR 1663
1/6/2013
An Appeal to Act for Love’s Sake
Philemon 8-14
Gil Rugh

We are coming back to the little letter of Paul to Philemon. One little chapter comprises the letter, just before the book of Hebrews. If you have been with us in the study of Hebrews you’ve got an idea where we are, toward the back part of your Bible. Hebrews is the last larger book there and then you hit the smaller books and then move into Revelation.

The letter to Philemon – this letter is written by the Apostle Paul to a friend on behalf of a slave named Onesimus and that slave had evidently run away from his master, Philemon, come into contact with the Apostle Paul, conversion had occurred and now Paul writes on his behalf as he returns him to his master.

It has been a while. Let me read as you follow along, the first seven verses which really form the introduction to the letter. The body of the letter doesn’t really begin until verse 8. We have looked through the first seven verses. Let me just read them to you. “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow-worker, and to Apphia our sister,[which is evidently the wife of Philemon] and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, [which is probably the son of Philemon and Apphia] and to the church in your house: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints; and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake. For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.”

So a warm opening to a short letter and a long opening relative to the rest of the letter but it reveals something of the Apostle Paul’s appreciation for Philemon. Paul said he prayed for Philemon regularly. He had heard of the testimony that Philemon had. Evidently part of the church at Colossae, this letter as we have noted is associated with the letter at Colossae. Archippus is mentioned in that letter as well as Onesimus but Paul has special concern for Philemon and special appreciation for him.

The testimony of Philemon is strong. He is obviously a believer who has come forth openly and boldly for his faith because the church is meeting in his house and that would identify him clearly with believers in Jesus Christ.

Verse 5 says: “I hear of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints.” So he is a godly man and it is manifested in his love for Christ and in his love for fellow believers and those two would naturally go together. He wants him to continue to grow and Paul says, “I have been encouraged and blessed.” Verse 7: “I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.” In other words, as Paul has heard about the impact of Philemon’s life among that group of believers it has encouraged Paul. When you hear of a believer who has been faithful to the Lord and has been used in other people’s lives, you are encouraged even if you are not there, even if you don’t know them personally. It is a blessing to you and Paul speaks of Philemon has blessed Paul, brought joy, comfort through his testimony that has been passed on.

Now he is ready to address the matters at hand. You know, as a run-away slave, Onesimus is in a precarious position and the indication of the letter as you move through the letter is that Philemon has suffered some loss, maybe significant loss. We are not told exactly what. Obviously he has lost the service of a slave but when Onesimus fled as a slave we don’t know. Did he take certain possessions of Philemon with him? I mean, did he have anything to lose? Once he’s a run-away slave he is a criminal and would suffer for that so how is he going to sustain himself? He may have taken certain things that belong to Philemon and his family. We are not given the details but Onesimus is in a position where he could be severely punished by a man who is even a Christian. You say, “Well here we have criminal activity, so to speak so there is reason for just punishment to be meted out. So Paul doesn’t take for granted that Philemon is a believer. We will just overlook the wrong that has been done to him even though this slave has become a believer. So this very personal letter is written to appeal to Philemon to demonstrate further love. He has talked about his love in verse 5: love and faith, love toward the saints, the faith toward Christ, he’s going to ask him to take another step in that love which is a self-sacrificing action not to take revenge or not to exact a penalty if you will from Onesimus.

Very delicately, Paul enters into the subject yet a certain confidence. He expresses in verse 8: “Therefore, [based on what I have said about the joy and comfort that I have come to have in your love as you have refreshed and brought rest to the saints] though I have confidence in Christ to order you to do that which is proper, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you.” Paul says, “I have confidence, enough confidence in Christ to give you an order.” An order here, the word to order is a strong word, to give a command, even stronger than one that is normally used. “Though I have enough confidence [boldness], in Christ.” This discussion as he has talked about Philemon’s godly character up to the point and the manifestation of his godly character Paul makes clear at the beginning of his appeal that I am speaking to you in light of our relationship in Christ and both of us being in Christ and I would have confidence in Christ as His representative to order you to do what is proper. And we know from Paul’s other letters he was not hesitant to use his apostolic authority to command believers to do what was right. And when they were not functioning as they should he would use his authority as an Apostle. That comes out numerous times in his letter but here he says, “I would have confidence to use my authority and to order you to do what is proper, what is right, but I am not going to. I am going to appeal to you on the basis of love and to do what is right in love as a believer in your relationship and your response to Onesimus.” To do what is proper, to do what is fitting, to do what is right.

You know, there are certain things we sometimes get into as Christians. We say, “Well is this something the Bible says I have to do?” Well Paul doesn’t approach it that way. He doesn’t approach Philemon and say, “As a Christian, here is what you must do.” But he says, “As a believer in Jesus Christ, a godly man who has manifested your love for fellow believers and your faith in Christ, this is what would be fitting, what would be appropriate, what would be proper conduct in this situation.”

Back up to the letter to the Colossians, a little bit before the letter to Philemon. Go through the letters to Timothy and Titus and back up into Colossians, chapter 3. Paul uses this word, Colossians 3, verse 18: “Wives, be subject to your husbands as is fitting [there’s our word] in the Lord [as is proper].” This is the right thing to do as a [in this context] as a Christian wife. This is what he is saying to Philemon: “This is the right thing to do, the proper thing to do.” We sometimes think we are off the hook if we say, “Well does the Bible say anywhere I have to do this?” We have to ask the other question. What would be the proper, fitting thing for me to do as a believer who wants to maintain a godly testimony and consistency in my testimony? That’s the way Paul is approaching him, not commanding him to do something with his authority as an apostle because Paul believes it is the right thing to do but he wants Philemon to make the decision on his own regarding what would be proper here. Philemon as the master has the right, legally, to punish his servant. Paul is going to ask him to contemplate doing something that would be more consistent, more fitting, an opportunity to display love, forgiveness. There is no issue here where he plays down the wrong that Onesimus has done. He is not trying to get sympathy toward Onesimus from Philemon. Well you know, the loss wasn’t that great and no, he approaches it more from the other side. This would manifest the character of Christ in a particular situation as Philemon has already manifests.

He says in verse 9: “Yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you.” He’s referred to Philemon’s love for the saints twice. Once in verse 5: “I hear of your love toward all the saints,” and in verse 7: “I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed.” He’s brought refreshing and rest to the saints, displaying love toward them. Evidently Philemon may be a man of means, has a slave, has a home where the church could meet and has demonstrated love to fellow-believers that has brought them peace and comfort in their relationship to the Lord. So I want to appeal to you to again display this love, take it to another level.

You know how that is. Easy to manifest love, graciousness toward people that you have a relationship with and you appreciate but when somebody has seriously wronged you, perhaps damaged you, your reputation, you’ve suffered financial loss because of their action. That becomes a personal thing, an emotional thing and sometimes it’s hard for us even as believers to let it go. And then to take the next step and be gracious to them and we are just going to write if off. It’s going to be as though you hadn’t wronged me at all. That’s what Paul is really asking Philemon to do here. “Yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you.” That contrasts with what he said in verse 8: “I have confidence enough in Christ to order you,” but I am not ordering you. Rather the context of love which you have already demonstrated, I’m appealing to you, requesting you, asking you to do something. So he is putting the responsibility for making the decision on Philemon. Paul’s not giving a command as an apostle here. He is just telling Philemon, I want to encourage you to make the right decision here, that which would be consistent with your testimony as a believer. “I rather appeal to you, [urge you, implore you] since I am such a person as Paul.” We have a little development here and then Paul will come back in verse 10 to pick up again, “I appeal to you,” but he wants to put that appeal in a context, “I appeal to you- since I am such a person as Paul.” First it comes from a personal, it’s from me, Paul, not the apostle, just me, Paul, the one you know, the one you know about. I appeal to you, such a person as Paul and then he elaborates that, the old man, the aged. I am appealing to you as Paul who is now in the advanced years of his life. How old was Paul? We don’t know. Back in the book of Acts chapter 7, verse 58 when he was present at the stoning of Stephen it said that they laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul but the years have gone by. Most commentators put Paul’s age at this time around 60. Now it depends on how old you are how you look at 60. A lot of you here are young people and you say, “Yes, 60 is about as over the hill as you’re going to get.” If you are my age you think, “60, well, they are young people.” But remember what Paul has been through. Remember his account of his life in 2 Corinthians chapter 11. How many times he had been beaten, how many times he had been shipwrecked, all that he had gone through so his body has taken a beating over these years so he is in his older years and so “I am appealing as Paul, the aged man,” the older man, one that deserves respect. Not just because he is an apostle but because he is Paul, the elder man. The respect for him as God’s servant who has been faithful, that has evidenced with his life a commitment to Christ. He wouldn’t ask you to do something that is not fitting, that would not strengthen your testimony so it’s Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.” This is not only a man who has had an extensive life of service for Christ and is now in his older years, he is now imprisoned for his testimony for Christ. That is what he means when he says, “Now a prisoner of Christ Jesus.” As he writes this, this is one of Paul’s prison letters, you remember. Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, those letters written during Paul’s time as a prisoner in Rome, the imprisonment that is talked about at the end of the book of Acts. It was a house arrest imprisonment. We are told in the book of Acts he was allowed to live in his own rented quarters. He had a Roman solider with him but he had a certain amount of freedom for people to come and go so he is not confined to a dungeon in Rome, kind of situation but he is a prisoner. What is he saying here? I am appealing to you as Paul, the elder man, advanced in years who is now a prisoner because of his testimony for Christ which is a reminder of Paul’s faithfulness to Christ. Now with that let me come back and pick up again in verse 10: “I appeal to you for my child.” I mean, Paul doesn’t command him but he knows how to put the pressure on. How are you going to say “no” after this? This is Paul, Paul, the aged man, Paul the one who is a prisoner because of his testimony for Christ. I am appealing to you, requesting you, imploring you, for my child, not just for Onesimus, for my child, Onesimus. You know there are things that puts pressure on us to do the right thing even though that is not something specifically commanded by the Scripture. Paul is writing here under inspiration of the Spirit. This is part of Scripture so it’s not like Paul is using emotion in the wrong sense here to appeal. This is a right use of an emotional appeal coming from Paul’s own character. Sometimes it’s good for us to put pressure on one another to do the right thing as a believer and we sometimes use this kind of approach. I am appealing to you to do this in light of what, our relationship in Christ. I am appealing out of the experience I have in serving Christ and seeing Him work in my life. I am appealing on the basis of the consistent testimony you’ve appealed. That person may be thinking, well is there a passage of Scripture that says I have to do this? That is not the issue. This would be fitting. I am telling you this would be fitting for your testimony and I am telling you as Paul, the aged, the prisoner of Christ. I’m telling you as one who has a strong testimony. This would be a further step. This would be the right thing for you to do. It would be consistent with your testimony for Christ. “I appeal to you for my child.” He appeals for my child, he’s the child whom I have begotten in my imprisonment and then he will give the man’s name. You realize the way we have it here in a little different order. “I appeal to you for my child, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment,” then the name will come. You know, if you leave the name out up to this point you know you’ve Philemon as a godly man probably is at the point, whatever you know, of course, Paul and I want to appeal to you for my child, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment. Here Paul, the aged in his elderly years has to suffer imprisonment because he’s consistently faithful with the Gospel and so he is in prison and while I have been in prisoned there has been one who has been born into the family of God and I was the instrument in his coming to salvation in Christ in being born-again.

Back up to I Corinthians chapter 4. Look at verse 14: “I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the Gospel.” What he is talking about? When he presented the Gospel to them and they believed it Paul was the intermediary to bring the message of God regarding salvation in Christ to these people so he becomes their spiritual father when they believed the message that he brings to them.

In this context, while you are here, look at verse 17: “For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord.” Another one that came to salvation through the testimony of the Apostle Paul.

You might leave something in Corinthians, we may be back here but come back to I Peter chapter 1, the terminology here, verse 22: “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified yours souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been corn again, not of seed which is perishable but imperishable that is, through the living and enduring Word of God.” Remarkable when you think about it that we have been entrusted with the Gospel and when we share that Gospel with someone who does not know Jesus Christ as their Savior we have shared with them that which can bring about their new birth and so when they hear it and believe it we become their spiritual parent. What a privilege given to us when you think about it when the power of God for salvation is entrusted to us for the Gospel is the “power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” And to believe it, they must hear it. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the message of Christ, Paul wrote to the Romans.

We look at Paul and say, “Well, people getting saved through his ministry and I have people I am praying for to get saved but you know what we have to praying for? “Lord, I want to be the instrument You use to bring the message of salvation.” How are they going to get saved if we don’t tell them? It is amazing that God has chosen to use us, anyone of us as believers in Jesus Christ can take the Gospel and share it with someone and become their spiritual parent, remarkable.

One thing that we as believers must be is proficient with the Gospel, ready at any time to share the Gospel. Good practice for us to work through the message. As I have shared with you I used to practice different ways. Set a timer and time myself. I am dealing with a person who will be dead in three minutes. I only have three minutes to tell him. What am I going to go through? There is no time to think, hmmm, what do I say, where would I begin? How do I? You have to know it. Are we ready to share the Gospel naturally? Well let’s see. Well I talked to them about God. Well, the Gospel is the power of God, not a general discussion about God. Not a general discussion about Jesus. It’s the Gospel. When you think about it, we can be the instruments that cause people to be born again because we are the instruments God uses to convey the Gospel to them so that His Spirit might take that Gospel, open their blinded eyes so the light of the glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ shines into the heart, amazing. I had a person come to my office here maybe a month ago now and they were sharing their testimony how they came to know Christ. “I heard the Gospel and God opened my heart, it was like the light came on. I knew I could never go back.” Wow, we can do that. Tell someone, tell them the Gospel. I wouldn’t know what to say. Well then we nearly need to settle that and get the Gospel down. One thing I ought to be able to tell someone is what the Gospel is, right? I mean every one of us, anyone who is here should be able to say, “Here is someone who needs to hear the Gospel, would you explain it to them?” How would I pick out the right person? Well first I might say, how many in here are saved, have been born again? Everybody who raised their hand then anyone of them could be picked out, right? We know the Gospel because we have heard it. We have believed it and now we tell them.

I say this because here the Apostle Paul is talking about giving birth to someone. How did he do it? Not because he had this supernatural aura about him as an apostle. He’s in prison. He sure didn’t have any slick way to do it that kept him out of trouble. He just told them the Gospel and you know what? He’s in prison because he talked about the Gospel all the time and you know what he is doing in prison? He’s talking about the Gospel, endless.

Come back to Philippians chapter 1. This is one of Paul’s Prison Epistles, Philippians chapter 1. Look at verse 12. Now I remind you, this is a letter he wrote while he’s a prisoner in Rome. “Now I want you to know, brethren that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the Gospel.” He’s been arrested. He spent years as a prisoner being transported to Rome. We left Acts – he spent two years in Rome so a total of about five years from the time of his arrest in Acts. Now he says, “My circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the Gospel.” Being a prisoner is a great progress? For the Gospel. Why? “So that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the Word of God without fear.” Now I’ve had opportunity to talk about the Gospel with the Praetorian Guard. How else would I have gotten in to talk to the Praetorian Guard? And, it has been an encouragement to other believers to see how the Gospel can spread even in a prisoner situation and they’ve been given courage. So I love that statement in verse 12: “My circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the Gospel.” Wherever we are, whatever our circumstances, that is where God puts us and that’s where what?

Come to 2 Corinthians chapter 2, the secret to Paul’s effectiveness. 2 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 14: “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, [note this] and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” The secret if I can use that word to Paul’s success, everywhere he went he talked about Christ. Everywhere he went he is giving off the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ. It’s like a sweet aroma arising up to the throne of God. I want to please God with my life, talk about Christ because when we tell people about Christ that’s like an aroma from the sacrifices of the Old Testament that arose up and was pleasing to God. I do it what, in every place. Two words I have underlined in my Bible in verse 14, always and in every place. “Thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” Where should I talk about Christ? Is this a good place or not? Well, always, in every place. I have to be ready. If I go, and in every situation, thinking this is going to be a place where I can tell them about Christ. How often have you been in a situation where you walk away and after you walk away say, “Boy, I missed that opportunity, what was I thinking? I could have told them about Christ.” You know, it goes by because we don’t go there with that as our goal. I am going to tell them about Christ. Paul, “in every place was making Christ known.”

Okay, come back to 2 Timothy on your way to Philemon. 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon so when you get to 2 Timothy you will almost be back to Philemon. Go to chapter 2 of 2 Timothy and pick up with verse 8. “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my Gospel; for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal.” This is Paul’s second imprisonment and the one which will result in his execution. His first Roman imprisonment at the end of the book of Acts, he’s evidently freed from that, carries on ministry for several years and then he is rearrested and executed under the persecution of Nero. What does he say? “For which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal.” But note what he says, “But the Word of God is not imprisoned.” What a balanced perspective he has. “I’m in prison but the Word of God is not in prison. I can turn it loose in prison. I have jailers that I have contact with. I can turn the gospel loose to them. Other people I have contact with. The Word of God, the Gospel is not imprisoned.

Alright, come back to Philemon. So Paul says, “I appeal to you for my child, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, Onesimus.” I wonder what Philemon thought when he came to that name after all of this. Onesimus, that wretched slave that ran away, that stole some of my valuable, precious possessions that I inherited from my parents that I can’t replace, probably sold them on the streets of Rome to subsidize his life. I mean, how is a slave going to live? I made that up. I don’t know what happened. Don’t go away and say you know what we learned? We don’t know what happened but know Onesimus who is my child, I begot him in my imprisonment and you get an idea of the difficulty that Philemon had with Onesimus. Note what Paul says about him in verse 11: “Who formerly was useless to you.” I mean, this is a slave that Philemon was benefitting from and he has suffered from but “Now is useful both to you and to me.” What an appeal Paul makes here. You see the warmth and the personableness that Paul exercises in this particular appeal. He was born again as a result of hearing the Gospel.

How did Onesimus comes to meet Paul when he had run away from Philemon in Colossae and ended up in Rome? Paul is a prisoner in Rome, can’t leave the house. He is in house arrest so to speak. How in the world did this runaway slave end up meeting the Apostle Paul? We are not told. We are not told. Someone may have met him, maybe Onesimus who we would say was down on his luck, didn’t know where to turn, met some people from Colossae perhaps that brought about…we are just not told. But, he met Paul and what did Paul talk to him about, the Gospel. What was the result? This useless runaway slave gets saved. He’s born again by the living and powerful Word of God.

So Paul says to Philemon, he was formerly useless to you but now he is useful. You know, what Paul has to say about Onesimus has to do with the transformation of life that the Gospel brings. “If any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Old things have passed away behold new things have come.” Paul has no doubt. Well boy, can I trust Onesimus? Send him back to Philemon? I’ve put my own personal character on the line in speaking on his behalf and appealing so deeply for him. What is he goes back and his life doesn’t change and this has just been superficial? But Paul, he’s convinced Onesimus truly trusted Christ and if he truly trusted Christ he’ll never be the same. So this useless servant will be a useful servant, “Useful not only to you but useful to me.” Again, that’s further appeal to Philemon. If Paul finds him useful I mean, of course, I would too though Philemon would not elevate himself above Paul. The testimony here would indicate he has respect for Paul. Paul goes on: “I have sent him back to you in person that is, sending my very heart.” Well, there is depth in this appeal. I am sending him to you just is like taking my heart out and sending it. He had come to love and appreciate Onesimus and evidently Onesimus had ministered to Paul is certain ways. I mean let’s face it. Onesimus is used to be a slave so he knows how to help care for and do what needs to be done. Paul has found him useful and developed a love for him. “I have sent him back to you in person,” and that was like sending my very heart. I wanted to keep him with me, verse 13: “Whom I wished to keep with me, that in your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment.” My desire and all the longing of my heart was to keep Onesimus. He’s been a blessing to me and an encouragement, a help in my imprisonment. Here’s the aged Paul who is a prisoner for Christ speaking so highly of Onesimus. That Philemon’s last exposure to him is he’s useless, worthless to me, trouble, no help. Paul is saying he is useful to us both and to have him have to leave me was like my heart leaving. We’ve seen expressions like, “it tore my heart out,” stressing the emotion we feel in certain situations. So Paul said, “I wish to keep him with me, so that in your behalf he might minster to me in my imprisonment for the Gospel.”

I just love the way Paul keeps Philemon focused on things. Not just minister to me in my imprisonment but minister to me in my imprisonment for the Gospel. So you realize this appeal and how helpful Onesimus has been and I wanted to keep him with me so he might continue that ministry, that service to me while I am suffering this imprisonment for the Gospel “but without your consent I didn’t want to do anything.” I wouldn’t force you to do this. Now he is going to write a letter and say, “Don’t think any more about Onesimus, he’s gotten saved, he’s here and he is really benefitting me so I just wanted you to know that all is well. No, Onesimus has to go back and face the music. He’s got to go back and face Philemon.

Paul writes intensely here. We say, “Well the first part of this, well we know Philemon of course, would respond to Paul” but how many times have we known people that are very godly people that have functioned with godly character and consistency over time but you get the right personal situation and it seems they can’t get over it. The wrong that has been done to them and the hurt they have felt and the loss they experienced. It’s like they can’t let it go and it’s so contrary to what you would have expected. So Paul realizes the depth of hurt and impact on Philemon and perhaps his family. Paul has mentioned his wife and son. Perhaps it has been great so he is not taking this lightly. That is why the appeal has depth to it, emotion to it. “Without your consent, [verse 14] I did not want to do anything.

Note this: “So that your goodness would not be in effect by compulsion, but of your own free will.” He wanted him to do it willingly. It’s always the case. Paul is looking for believers to do things willingly that they want to do the right thing. Paul is not saying that Philemon has to send Onesimus back to him. That could be taken as selfish here but he wants Philemon to know how much he appreciated Onesimus so he could appreciate the change that has come about in Onesimus because again, the last contact Philemon has had with him he’s useless and now Onesimus comes back. This gives him some time to demonstrate his new character and new conduct because Paul is saying, “He has proved himself useful and beneficial to me and he will be useful to you.”

So verse 11: “The one who was formerly useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.” And what he says about then is experience in having to see Onesimus leave him indicates what? Onesimus has already proved his usefulness and what greater testimony for usefulness than the Apostle Paul, the aged apostle who is now in prison for his faith and Onesimus, what a transformation of character because Philemon is probably saying, “Well Paul might have been duped here” but Paul is giving testimony to his usefulness and the closeness of his relationship to Onesimus. Whether Philemon would tell Onesimus, “You know, I want you to go back and continue to serve with Paul,” there is no indication of that. We don’t know and I don’t know that that’s required by the letter. Paul has others with him. Verse 1, Timothy is with him so it’s not like Paul is without companions there. We read it and think well, maybe Philemon sent him back but maybe Philemon kept him and demonstrated his gracious forgiveness by now having him back in his household.

You know you can look at it a couple of ways. That would be one thing to send him back to Paul because Paul finds him useful and I would probably find it hard to live with him so it’s just as well he goes back to Paul and that way I have done the right thing but I have not had to really deal with it. But to have to deal with it is what? You know what happens when somebody has wronged you and that’s okay, fine, I forgive them but I just prefer not to be around them. I know you have thought that. Not that I ever have but you probably have. There are people, yes, I know, I have forgiven them, I know, it’s passed. I know that they have repented, they have expressed that they are sorry but I would just prefer not to have to be around them. Wait a minute.

So Philemon will have the chance in the church at Colossae to demonstrate his true love for Onesimus now as a fellow believer by what, by welcoming him, treating him as a new person in Christ, not holding it against him that as an unregenerate slave he caused harm to Philemon and maybe loss to Philemon, maybe significant financial loss. We don’t know but now here, he’s going to welcome him back they have to... If Philemon stays and now he’s is a believer, you know what? They couldn’t leave church and go across town to another church. Now we’ve got to be in church together. Oh man, I don’t know if I can do this. At least now we can go to different rooms and stay in the same church. But you know what happens? You’ve got to live with these people.

Now he’s a fellow believer so the change that come about and we do appreciate the grace of God that works in a life and to see it as an opportunity to demonstrate godly character, true forgiveness, true acceptance and to love them with a full love as Paul has demonstrated and see how useful now he can be. His past is his past but now he is a new creature in Christ. He can live a new life.

We bring that saving Gospel to the worst of the people that we deal with, that hardest person to get along with, that most difficult family member. What they really need is the Gospel to transform their heart and life and what we need is to be have that Gospel continually working in our lives so that the character of God is used with the message of Christ to bring and we might have the joy of seeing others come to know the Savior.

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord, for the greatness of your salvation. Thank You for this little letter written to Philemon. So many of the details we are not told but You have guided the writing so that we might have before us what is necessary for our admonition, for our growth and maturing. Lord, even in our own fellowship of believers in this local church it is easy for us to be holding grudges, to be holding on to wrongs that were done to us, real wrongs, hurtful wrongs. Lord, thank You for Your grace that enables us to do what is not natural to fallen man but we are new in Christ and privileged to function as new creatures.

Thank You Lord for entrusting the precious truth of the Gospel to us, vessels of clay but instruments in Your hands to convey this truth to those who are lost in spiritual darkness. We can bring to them the message that can bring life and light to them. Use us to that end in the days of the week before us we pray in Christ’s name, amen.