Writing from a Roman prison cell, Paul urged Philemon and his runaway slave Onesimus to be reconciled. Paul wrote with thankfulness and joy because he had been encouraged by stories of Philemon’s faith in Jesus as evidenced by his love for others. Alistair Begg teaches that genuine shared faith in Christ is so deep and transformative that it becomes impossible to remain selfish or unforgiving.
Greeting
1Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon's Love and Faith
4I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.1 7For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
Series: The Road of Reconciliation
Other messages in: The Road of Reconciliation
Being reconciled to God not only changes our relationship with Him, but also changes the way we view the world and our relationships with others. The Bible calls Christians to forgive one another as Christ has forgiven each of us – an impossible task apart from the empowering grace of God. As Alistair Begg warns, “we dare not claim to love God, whom we cannot see, if we are failing to love our brother who stands before us plain as day.” When we follow Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus along the road to reconciliation, we see the transforming power of the Gospel at work for the glory of God.
| Message | Scripture | |
|---|---|---|
| Terms of Endearment | Philemon 1:1-7 | |
| On the Basis of Love | Philemon 1:8-16 | |
| Refresh My Heart | Philemon 1:17-25 | |
| Complete Series | ||
