Restoration (Phil. 15-16)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/12/2017 7:58 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                              Focus:  Restoration

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Philemon 15-16

            Message of the verses:  “15 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.”

            I can truly understand what Paul is saying to Philemon in these verses.  Human beings are born with the sinful nature of Adam and therefore sin because they are sinners.  Onesimus ran away, knowing it was wrong because he was a sinner and therefore probably did not care that he was doing something wrong.  God on the other hand used this sinfulness of Onesimus to bring him to a saving knowledge in Jesus Christ, and brought him right to see the greatest Christian who ever lived working things out for his good and for God’s glory.  I can say I have been there, done that, so I know this situation very well.  It was truly the providence of God that brought Onesimus to Paul as it was truly the providence of God to bring me to listen to some tapes on the end times with the clear presentation of the gospel on each tape.  Paul uses the word “perhaps” in verse 15 “because no man can see the secret providence of God at work.  But it is surely reasonable to assume that God had this in mind when Onesimus left.  Paul suggests to Philemon that God was using this evil to produce good (cf. Gen. 50:20; Rom. 8:28),” writes John MacArthur.  God does triumph over sin through His providential power and also His grace.  That is how great our God is as He can use sinful things that sinful men do and work it out for His good and glory.

            When Onesimus left he was a slave of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and when he returned to Onesimus he was a slave of Jesus Christ.  Paul is not calling for Onesimus’ emancipation, that is setting him free from being a slave, as Paul would not do but he does urge Philemon to receive Onesimus not merely as a slave but as a beloved brother in the Lord of which he also was.  Paul knew that he was because he had already become that to Paul and he wanted Onesimus to know that.  Paul concludes in verse sixteen by saying that Onesimus could be that to him (Philemon) too both in the flesh and in the Lord.  He certainly is not talking about his sinful flesh, but his service to Philemon.  It was much better for Philemon to have Onesimus, now a brother in his service both in the flesh and in the Lord.

7/12/2017 8:15 PM