“This is one of the most
important and profound books of the Bible!”
What about
the first book of Genesis where we have God showing
his
glory in his creation of six days?
What about
David’s one hundred and fifty Psalms where we discover
the
magnificence and character of God himself?
What about
the book of Matthew where we have the detailed account
of Christ as “…a man
approved of God among you by miracles and
wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye
yourselves
also know:” (Acts 2:22)?
What about
the book of Romans where God reveals his righteousness
in Jesus Christ?”
Now dear
Reader, all this is true. Indeed we
are reminded that “All
scripture is
given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: (2 Tim 3:16)”
We are
aware that Paul begins his writings to Christians with the
Book of Romans and ends with the book of Philemon.
The
former, Romans, is an explanation of how a man may get right with God.
And you
know the outline – the first three chapters show that all men are
sinners and chapters four and five tell us how a man can rightly stand
justified before God.
But what
does the word ‘justified’ mean? The following may help. Do
you believe the following?
“Dear God I now stand before you justified (JUST – AS – IF – I’D) never sinned. Jesus Christ has paid for all my sins – past, present and future. My slate has been wiped clean with you and it is by Christ’s blood, that I can do this. His blood is the only payment that you will receive. Dear God, I am now right with you. I now have right standing with you. I do not have my own righteousness but I have your righteousness. I have utterly failed to keep any of your laws but Christ himself has kept them on my behalf. He has paid my sin debt to you that I couldn’t ever pay. Now his goodness, obedience and righteousness has been put into my heavenly bank account ‘JUST AS IF I’D’ paid the debt myself.”
Yes dear
Reader, this is why we can be called sons of God. It is because
that God became a man and Christ, God himself, shed God’s own blood for
our
salvation.
“… the
church of God, which he hath purchased with
his own blood. Acts 20:28 “
Now it is
very fitting that God would have Paul’s last book to Christians
in the new testament, with a magnificent and tremendous practical
explanation
of God’s own righteousness.
Paul has
two books that reveal the righteousness of God and they like two
book ends on a shelf, as they have all the other books between them. It
looks
like this –
ROMANS, 1 Cor, 2
Cor, Galatians, Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thess, 2 Thess, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus,
PHILEMON.
(Of course we add Hebrews, but that is not addressed to a church).
Coincidence?
No! Romans is about God’s righteousness and Philemon
is about God’s righteousness.
Romans
could be described as a ‘theological’ account on how to get right
with God, but God wants to make sure that we know what this means. So
Paul
gives a very practical and every day example on how to
get right
with God in the book of Philemon.
This is
the true
story of Paul, Philemon and Onesimus.
Although
Paul never visited Colossae,
Philemon was Christian convert of his and so they were the best of
friends. He
seemed to be reasonably well off and conducted church services in his
house.
Now
Onesimus, a slave of Philemon’s, stole
money off him and ran away as far as he could to Rome, no doubt hoping
to get
lost in the big city of one and a half million people. Somehow while he
was
there, his path crossed with Paul’s. Paul gets him saved and sends him
back to
Philemon with a letter.
Paul’s
letter is the epitome of tact, courtesy,
generosity and
delicate wording appealing to
Philemon to accept Onesimus back as he would receive Paul (v17).
Paul’s object was to intercede on Onesimus’ behalf to have
Philemon forgive the runaway slave and receive him back as a Christian
brother.
This
little epistle of Philemon, only 25 verses, provides a wonderful and
delightful illustration of how one man (Paul) can make another man (the
slave
Onesimus) to be acceptable to another man (Philemon) even though he
stole money
off Philemon and ran away. Now in verses 17 and 18 of this epistle,
Paul writes
to Philemon If thou count me (Paul) therefore a partner,
receive him (Onesimus) as myself. If
he hath wronged thee (Philemon), or
oweth thee ought, put that on mine
account; (Phil v17-18)
DO YOU
RECOGNIZE THE APPLICATION?
(Simply
change the
characters:)
God =
Philemon; Jesus Christ = Paul; An
unsaved sinner = Onesimus
Dear
Reader, if
you are a Christian, this is a superb illustration of what Jesus Christ
did,
and does, for you. Jesus Christ says to God the Father - “If You (God),
regard
Me (Jesus Christ) as a partner, accept him (your name) as You would Me.
If he (your
name) has wronged You in any way (and you have), and owes You anything
(and you
do), charge that to my account.”
That is
how
wonderful it is! Paul paid Onesimus’ money debt he owed to Philemon.
Onesimus
is given the backing of Paul and as such ‘takes on’ the good name of
Paul
Similarly,
your
sin debt owing to God has been paid for by Christ himself. Christ has
given you
his sinless record and put this into your account. A transfer has
occurred – your
sins given the Christ and his sinlessness given to you. Your slate has
been
wiped clean now and forever more. Nothing more to pay.
Your sins
have
been put on Christ’s account, he has paid for them, and his good name “I am a Christ –ian” has been placed
over your account. Indeed, not only has Christ paying for your sins
wiped out
my sin debt, but his good works have been substituted into your account.
I have
been justified (JUST – AS –IF – I’D) with
God. JUST – AS –IF – I’D never sinned.
This right
standing
(righteousness) that you now have with God is called imputed
righteousness.
It is
something
you didn’t earn or work for. Someone else did it for you.
You have
been
redeemed, justified and sanctified.
Our right
standing with God the Father is
brought about upon our believing what Jesus Christ has done for us. And
we are
reminded that our believing is not a work. For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of
God: Not of
works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians
2:8-9
Just as we
were born sinners because of
someone outside of us (Adam), we now become forgiven sinners because of
someone
outside of us (Christ). We were
brought into
condemnation by one man Adam. We are brought into salvation by one man
Jesus
Christ.
Do not
ever forget that our acceptance to God
depends entirely upon what Christ has done for
us. By believing in what Christ has done for us, we now have imputed righteousness with God the
Father. This is the only righteousness he will accept. It is a
right standing with God that I now have that I didn’t earn or
work for. It was given to me by someone else.
We like
Onesimus
rebelled from God’s service by breaking his laws. Jesus Christ finds us
and
pays our sin debt and then intercedes for us with God the Father. This
is done
in order that we may be received into his favour and family again and
that past
offences may be forgiven - AND WE ARE SURE THAT THE FATHER HEARETH HIM
ALWAYS.
Just as Paul prevailed with Philemon to forgive and receive Onesimus,
God’s
word absolutely assures of Christ’s intercession to God the Father on
our
behalf.
By Harley Hitchcock.
This
website’s front page is:
www.
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The servant mind of Christ
For more
information
contact:
AUSTRALIAN
BIBLE
MINISTRIES PO Box 5058 MT Gravatt East 4122 Qld, Australia
