Your Daily Devotional for May 17, 2006

May 17, 2006

 

An Appeal for Forgiveness

By Dr. Paul Chappell

 

“Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient, Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds: Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me: Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels: Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel: But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.”

 

Philemon 8-14

 

As we can see from our passage today, Philemon is a book about reconciliation. Webster defines the word reconcile as “a return to harmony; to make compatible.” The key to reconciliation is found in the word forgiveness.  One of the best pictures in the Scriptures of reconciliation is found in this book.

 

The Apostle Paul wrote this book after having met Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave. Legally, Philemon had every right to punish Onesimus, but in this epistle, Paul is advocating his forgiveness and reconciliation. On what grounds does Paul advocate the forgiveness of Onesimus? On what was this plea based? In this letter, Paul is reminding Philemon about several factors.

 

From the beginning of the letter, Paul makes it clear that he does not intend to force Philemon to forgive. Although he could have appealed on the basis of his apostolic authority, Paul says, “for love’s sake I rather beseech thee for my son Onesimus.” Though he could have forced this issue and told Philemon to receive Onesimus back, he appeals to his love for Jesus Christ. His love for the Lord would be his strongest motivation for forgiveness.

 

The plea was also based on Onesimus’ service to the Apostle Paul. Paul says in verse eleven that Onesimus, “in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me.” Philemon had become a valuable assistant to the Apostle Paul. In verses thirteen and fourteen, Paul was saying, “I would have kept him here to minister to me, but I am sending him to you so that you can benefit from reconciliation.”

 

Lastly, Paul reminds Philemon of the providence of God. This is one of the most encouraging parts of this passage. In verse fifteen, he writes, “…perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever.”

 

Paul wants Philemon to consider that perhaps God saw all that would take place in Onesimus’ life and that He let him be a runaway for a season so that he could become a friend to Philemon forever. Just as Paul reminded Philemon of the providence of God, we must remember that God can take the trials, detours, separations, sicknesses and any other momentary afflictions that are in our life and use them for an eternal good. 

 

I don’t know the hurt or the worry that you are experiencing, but I can say with the Apostle Paul—perhaps God is working. Perhaps God is working in the life of someone that you have deemed unprofitable and you will not get the full blessing that God has prepared unless you forgive that person. Perhaps there is someone that you need to set free by forgiving today. I trust that, with a spiritual heart and a mind that is focused on the Lord, you can. Is there someone the Lord is laying on your heart to forgive?  How will you react to the Holy Spirit’s prompting on your heart?

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