"No longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord." - Philemon 1:16
The book of Philemon is only one chapter with one story, but boy is it powerful! I'll sum it for you. There is a slave man named Onesimus, he recently escaped and meets with Paul whose been imprisoned in Rome. There at the prison Onesimus hears the gospel of Christ and openly receives it and is saved. Paul then tells him to go back to his owner, Philemon and ask for forgiveness and to go back to be with his owner and his family again. In the book of Philemon is Paul's letter to Philemon. He tells Philemon to forgive Onesimus, but not just to forgive to go even further and receive him into his family as a dear brother in Christ.
Now this may sound all great and wonderful and you may think okay that's good for them, what does that have to do with me? Well, think about this story for one minute. Onesimus was a slave. He escaped. Then all of sudden after he accepts Christ, Paul tells him to go back. What? Go back, Why?? Do you know how difficult my life was being a slave? Do you know how hard it was for me to escape and get here? Why in the world would I do that? Can't I just stay here and help minister with you? I can definitely be more useful here. Paul knew this also, but the spirit tells Paul to send Onesimus back, back to his owner Philemon.
Now shift over and pretend you are in Philemon's shoes. His slave just escaped and stole some of his possessions with him. He is probably upset, angry, and frustrated. One day Onesimus shows up at his door with a letter from his dear friend Paul. In the letter Paul tells him to forgive his slave and receive him as a brother in Christ, receive him into your family and love him.
Now before you start saying that Philemon deserved it also for making Onesimus a slave. You need to understand the background and history of this story. Back in this time, slavery was very common, and in some cases the owner and the slave had a good working relationship. A slave escaping was probably also normal. Who would want to be a slave for the rest of their lives? Even if they had a good roof over their head and food to eat, no one would want that kind of life forever and so one day Onesimus stole some of his owners possessions and then ran away.
You can say both are victims here, and we can go back and forth and argue points over for each one. However, the beauty of this story is not about that. The beauty is the action that came from these two characters.
Have you ever been wrongfully hurt and betrayed by someone you love? Have you ever been blindsided by someone's hurtful betrayal to you? God's word tells us to forgive. Yeah that may be easier said than done right?
Have you ever heard the saying, I can forgive, but I'll never forget? I've always hated that saying. It's so wrong to me in so many ways. True forgiveness to me is the opposite of that. Check out these verses:
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." - Isaiah 1:18
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." - Isaiah 43:25
True forgiveness goes beyond the feelings of what your heart wants to do. I can say this, because I've been there. My heart was hearting so bad it was much easier for me to walk away and never look back. I could forgive but definitely never forget and make sure this person did not forget. Forgiveness calls the one being hurt to extend undeserving grace and mercy to the one who hurt you. I know.. it is a hard thing to ask someone to do, but when you do it. You are putting into action the grace and mercy that our loving God extended to us. He asks us to do the same, and offer that same undeserving grace and mercy to others. We in turn are showing God's love for them, and ministering to the other person's heart and healing for them in such a way that only God can do. God tells us to be obedient and then watch him make something beautiful out of it, in your heart and in others.
What if the person hurting you never does show any sign of change? That's okay. It's not our job to force people to see truth. Remember that God changes people's hearts, not us. We focus on what we are called to do. Extending forgiveness in this way, is an act of love. Because God first loved us even when we were clueless and completely oblivious to it, his grace and mercy covered us completely. I know looking back at my own life some of the action and lies I use to believe, that I desperately needed that grace and mercy. I am so thankful to Him that he didn't see me for what I use to be, but that he saw me for who He knew I could be.
Do you have someone in your life that you need to forgive? Pray and ask God to help you. Help you get to a place of submission to his call by extending forgiveness, and then ask him to help you to go pass forgiveness and offer grace and mercy also. I pray that God will bless you greatly in spirit and in heart in such a way that gives all peace and all understanding for you. Amen.
The book of Philemon is only one chapter with one story, but boy is it powerful! I'll sum it for you. There is a slave man named Onesimus, he recently escaped and meets with Paul whose been imprisoned in Rome. There at the prison Onesimus hears the gospel of Christ and openly receives it and is saved. Paul then tells him to go back to his owner, Philemon and ask for forgiveness and to go back to be with his owner and his family again. In the book of Philemon is Paul's letter to Philemon. He tells Philemon to forgive Onesimus, but not just to forgive to go even further and receive him into his family as a dear brother in Christ.
Now this may sound all great and wonderful and you may think okay that's good for them, what does that have to do with me? Well, think about this story for one minute. Onesimus was a slave. He escaped. Then all of sudden after he accepts Christ, Paul tells him to go back. What? Go back, Why?? Do you know how difficult my life was being a slave? Do you know how hard it was for me to escape and get here? Why in the world would I do that? Can't I just stay here and help minister with you? I can definitely be more useful here. Paul knew this also, but the spirit tells Paul to send Onesimus back, back to his owner Philemon.
Now shift over and pretend you are in Philemon's shoes. His slave just escaped and stole some of his possessions with him. He is probably upset, angry, and frustrated. One day Onesimus shows up at his door with a letter from his dear friend Paul. In the letter Paul tells him to forgive his slave and receive him as a brother in Christ, receive him into your family and love him.
Now before you start saying that Philemon deserved it also for making Onesimus a slave. You need to understand the background and history of this story. Back in this time, slavery was very common, and in some cases the owner and the slave had a good working relationship. A slave escaping was probably also normal. Who would want to be a slave for the rest of their lives? Even if they had a good roof over their head and food to eat, no one would want that kind of life forever and so one day Onesimus stole some of his owners possessions and then ran away.
You can say both are victims here, and we can go back and forth and argue points over for each one. However, the beauty of this story is not about that. The beauty is the action that came from these two characters.
Have you ever been wrongfully hurt and betrayed by someone you love? Have you ever been blindsided by someone's hurtful betrayal to you? God's word tells us to forgive. Yeah that may be easier said than done right?
Have you ever heard the saying, I can forgive, but I'll never forget? I've always hated that saying. It's so wrong to me in so many ways. True forgiveness to me is the opposite of that. Check out these verses:
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." - Isaiah 1:18
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." - Isaiah 43:25
True forgiveness goes beyond the feelings of what your heart wants to do. I can say this, because I've been there. My heart was hearting so bad it was much easier for me to walk away and never look back. I could forgive but definitely never forget and make sure this person did not forget. Forgiveness calls the one being hurt to extend undeserving grace and mercy to the one who hurt you. I know.. it is a hard thing to ask someone to do, but when you do it. You are putting into action the grace and mercy that our loving God extended to us. He asks us to do the same, and offer that same undeserving grace and mercy to others. We in turn are showing God's love for them, and ministering to the other person's heart and healing for them in such a way that only God can do. God tells us to be obedient and then watch him make something beautiful out of it, in your heart and in others.
What if the person hurting you never does show any sign of change? That's okay. It's not our job to force people to see truth. Remember that God changes people's hearts, not us. We focus on what we are called to do. Extending forgiveness in this way, is an act of love. Because God first loved us even when we were clueless and completely oblivious to it, his grace and mercy covered us completely. I know looking back at my own life some of the action and lies I use to believe, that I desperately needed that grace and mercy. I am so thankful to Him that he didn't see me for what I use to be, but that he saw me for who He knew I could be.
Do you have someone in your life that you need to forgive? Pray and ask God to help you. Help you get to a place of submission to his call by extending forgiveness, and then ask him to help you to go pass forgiveness and offer grace and mercy also. I pray that God will bless you greatly in spirit and in heart in such a way that gives all peace and all understanding for you. Amen.
RSS Feed
