Intro to Phile. 19-25

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/14/2017 9:29 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                Focus:  Intro to Phile. 19-25

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Philemon 19-25

            Message of the verses:  “19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). 20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say. 22 At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.”

            John MacArthur entitles this last chapter in his commentary on Philemon “The Motives of One who Forgives.”  MacArthur begins his short introduction to this last chapter in his commentary on Philemon with a very interesting story which I will quote at this time:  “Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of England under Henry VII, spoke the following words to the judges who had unjustly condemned him to death:  ‘As the blessed apostle St. Paul…consented to the death of Sr. Stephen, and kept their clothes that stoned him to death, and yet be they now both twain holy saints in Heaven, and shall continue there friends for ever, so I verily trust, and shall therefore right heartily pray, that though your Lordships have now here in earth been judges to my condemnation, we may yet hereafter in Heaven merrily all meet together, to our everlasting salvation’”

            Thomas More was talking about the death of Stephen which is found in the seventh chapter of the book of Acts and right before he died of being stoned he said something very similar to that of what Jesus Christ said, Stephen said “Father, do not hold this sin against them!” (Acts 7:60).  Jesus said “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”  As we look at Moore’s statement we see the beauty of forgiveness.

            Paul is closing his letter in this section we begin this evening to look at and he gives insight into what the motives of forgiveness are.  MacArthur writes “His gracious but pregnant words are meant to be the final push to move the heart of Philemon to forgive Onesimus.  Each of his remarks contains the embryo of a truth that should motivate us to forgive as well.  In this passage, we can discern six motives for forgiving others:  the recognition of an unplayable debt, the possibility of being a blessing, the necessity of obedience, the acknowledgment of accountability, the importance of maintaining fellowship, and the requirement of grace.”  These six truths that motivate forgiveness will be the subject of our Spiritual diaries as we work to conclude this letter of Philemon.

7/14/2017 9:51 PM