Isaiah Pauley
  • Home
  • Bio
  • BLOG
  • Some Sermons
  • Home
  • Bio
  • BLOG
  • Some Sermons

The call to forgiveness

9/4/2020

Comments

 
Picture
God calls us to forgive as we have been forgiven (see Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13). And in this second part of our study through Philemon, we examine the call to forgiveness.
The apostle Paul writes to Philemon, “Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me” (v. 8-17 ESV).

There are two things I want us to see in this passage of Scripture.

First, forgiveness must come from a willing heart.

Paul recognizes the authority he has to require Philemon’s acceptance of Onesimus. However, instead of commanding Philemon to forgive, he appeals to Philemon to forgive from a willing heart.

Last week, we pondered the work before forgiveness. The work of Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. And we saw how Philemon had indeed experienced the grace of God. So now, with a changed heart, Paul asks him to willingly receive Onesimus back.

Paul loves Onesimus to the point of referring to him as his own child. After all, Paul has led him to Christ. And now, as he writes in verse 11, Onesimus is much more useful. But what exactly does this mean?

You see, “Onesimus” means “useful.” As Philemon’s slave, one can only imagine the usefulness expected from such a man. But now that Onesimus has experienced the grace of God, his usefulness is all the more realized. He is now a believer. It might be that Paul recognizes a renewed work ethic in Onesimus as one who now works heartily unto the Lord and not unto men (see Col. 3:23). Or, perhaps he is one who now makes the best use of his time (see Eph. 5:15-17).

Onesimus is now useful for the spreading of the gospel, and Paul is sure to mention that to Philemon as he prepares to send him back. The heart Paul has for Onesimus is further recognized in verse 12 when Paul says, “I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart” (ESV).

Indeed, it is difficult for Paul to return his brother in the Lord to his master. But even so, Paul’s plea to Philemon is that his acceptance of Onesimus come from a willing heart rather than compulsion. In verse 14, Paul writes, “… I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord” (ESV).

The same is true for us. We must forgive from a willing heart.

Second, forgiveness spreads the gospel.

Paul is sure to mention that Onesimus is now a child of God. As he writes to Philemon, he asks him to receive Onesimus “no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me” (v. 16-17 ESV).

In his commentary on Philemon, F.F. Bruce writes, “Even the most forgiving of Christian masters would normally find it difficult to exclude a note of disapproval on finding the prodigal servant back at his door: no, says Paul, give him the same warm welcome as you would give me if you found me unexpectedly at your door.”

You see, now that Onesimus is a believer, he is a partner in the gospel alongside Paul and Philemon. Forgiveness among Christian brothers and sisters spreads the gospel, for it strengthens the fellowship.

Unforgiveness in the local church becomes a disastrous thing. Here we see Paul asking Philemon to forgive a fellow brother in Christ. In Romans, Paul encourages those in Christ to receive one another as Christ has received them (see. Rom. 15:7).

Because of Christ’s work in our hearts, we can obey His call to forgive others.
Comments

    Categories

    All
    Calling
    Christmas2019
    Church
    Classics
    Colossians Series
    Confidence
    Direction
    Discipleship
    Discipleship Series
    Doubt
    Ephesians Series
    Esther Series
    Expectations
    Failure
    Faith
    Fear
    Forgiveness
    Grace
    Grief
    Hope
    Identity
    Joy
    Justice
    Life
    Love
    Marriage
    Origins Of Christ
    Passion
    Peace
    Perspective
    Philemon Series
    Prayer
    (Re ) Series
    Rest
    Sacrifice
    Salvation
    Sin
    Student Ministry
    Surrender
    Thanksgiving
    Trust
    Work
    Worry
    Worship

    Archives

    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

Proclaiming the Word through writing since 2014.

© 2022 Isaiah Pauley