In this sermon, Pastor Joe Babij examines the entire letter from Paul to Philemon, a letter asking Philemon to forgive and accept back Philemon’s runaway slave, Onesimus, as a Christian brother. Pastor Babij explains the letter’s four parts as well as how the whole letter parallels a believer’s own experience of salvation:
1. Gracious Greetings (vv. 1-3)
2. An Appreciation of Refreshing Love (vv. 4-7)
3. An Appeal for Grace (vv. 8-16)
4. Asking for Acceptance (vv. 17-22)
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he’s still on track so we have to praise him for that let’s pray Lord this morning Lord as we look at your word Lord teach us again the principles found in the word of God so Lord not only we ourselves can relate to them but Lord we can be uh meditating upon them and be thankful for the work that you’ve done in our own life and then Lord um thank you for the word of God that we have in our our hands that we could actually read and and meditate upon and hear it preached and study it and and just share it with others and I I thank you for the freedom we have there Lord and I just pray we never take for granted of that and Lord with all that Lord I pray as the word we preach the word of God we would be ready uh whenever you come so Lord let us live our life a holy life uh pursue godliness and flee those sins that held us in bondage because Lord if you came today what sin would we have to be ashamed about I pray that we would live so we’re not ashamed and so Lord today we thank you and ask you Lord to make our heart and Minds ready to receive the truth of God’s word and I pray in Christ’s name amen we’re looking at phiman today I decided to do this message just one message for this whole book uh and the reason why is because it is really a letter personal letter written by the Apostle Paul to a man named phiman but he had a purpose in writing this book and that purpose is going to become evident in a moment but if you’re looking for Titus first and second Timothy Titus phiman all right right before Hebrews if you’re looking it for that in the book I was reading a story about a man named John Jasper he was born in 1812 and this man John Jasper spent the first 25 years of his life as a slave on the preach uh the peach Plantation in Williamsburg Virginia about 1837 he was asked to go to or told to go to Samuel hargrove’s Tobacco Warehouse and when he got there Samuel harrove was a Believer and he was actually a good Master to the slaves and what he did is he would always speak to his slaves about salvation and their soul and then he would pray for their conversion and so John Jasper under his the hearing of his messages on July 25th 1839 gave his heart to Christ and he said this he often told how he came to faith in Christ my sin my sins was piled upon me like mountains my feet was sinking down to the regions of Despair I felt that all sinners of all Sinners I was the worst I thought that I that moment the Lord would take me but he didn’t take me yet and I cried to heaven and praised his name his mother would pray for her her son and her prayer request for him was that he would do nothing but sing praises to Jesus well after that happened after he became a Christian he would relate his conversion wherever he went and at one particular funeral they asked him to speak and he was such a dynamic Speer speaker he would be asked over and over again to preach and speak and then there came a time where the Civil War brought John Jasper freedom and It produced a d dramatic change in his life and Ministry and what happened at age 55 he became he became the pastor of h a church down south and he pastored that church for for some 50 uh 34 years and then he uh went to be with the Lord and the last words that he had is this I have finished my work I am waiting at the river looking across for further orders now I I relate that story because when we read five lemmen that’s that’s like a modernday phiman story because he meets his slave master he becomes a Believer and then God calls him to be a pastor and preach and and then he’s freed from all the regul you know all the rules and laws of being slaves and and then he begin he was a faithful Pastor for many many many years in his church so when we come here to philimon we find that this is a personal letter that was written by the Apostle Paul to his friend phiman a respected believer in Christ and this letter is well thought out and is a well composed Holy Spirit inspired letter on behalf of onimus onimus was a pagan slave who turned Christian so in this letter to philimon we see exemplified the higher law of love that is actually revealed in Christ Jesus and this is the distinguishing Mark of the children of God love for the Lord Jesus Christ this is what makes us so different than all other religions biblical Christianity is different from all other religious systems so this is what distinguishes true disciples from all others who are false followers of God so both Paul and philimon had been refined by the love of God and this refinement of Love is expressed in their courtesy and consideration for one another in this epistle the very fabric of Christian love is seasoned by a runaway slave named onimus owned by and under the authority of his master philimon William Barkley uh mentions the absolute power a master had over his slaves around this period of time he said that a master can box their ears or condemn them to hard labor making them for instance work in Chains upon their hands while in the country so they wouldn’t run away and in uh or in a sort of prison Factory if they were thieves and stole or they ran away and were caught the master can at most crucify them and at least they were branded with a red hot iron on the forehead with the letter F which means fugitivus or Runway so the Roman government at that time afforded virtually no protection to Slaves really the bottom line was you have a good slave master you did pretty well if you didn’t it was pretty horrible and the mindset of the day was a slave was not a person he was living tool the past character of onimus was really dubious he was a slave and in those days slaves were very ignorant because they really couldn’t go to school they were untaught they usually was were in a low social standing and it uh it is possible that phiman being a Christian attempted to do onimus good but I think some have said that this probably would bother him to onimus so he fled the house maybe his chrisan his Christian Master’s regulations like maybe you have to attend church uh prayers maybe admonitions for salvation may have been disagreeable and proved to be too much for onimus untrained nature so not caring he wronged a good man this dishonest slave stole some of his master’s property and ran away thinking that he would be less likely to be discovered by the Minister of Justice therefore he ran 1200 mil on a 1200 mile Journey from colosi to Rome onesimus was the worst of the worst he was a thug the scum of society who was com comfortable enough to hobnob with the drgs and lowlife Heathen gangs and thieves which infested the Imperial City of Rome maybe he thought in the slums of Rome I can hide and they’ll never find me onimus most likely never considered Ed that the Lord of all creation would look out of heaven with an eye of love and set his eye upon this slave so this short epistle is quite important in several ways two things stand out first we see that the way in which the gospel actually works no one not even a runaway slave is beyond the work of God no sinner is beyond the work of God no matter how much how long how deep a person has gone into sin if anyone will trust Christ he will become a new person secondly the an ancient barriers of class hatred are being broken down by the gospel phiman and onimus because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ actually become Christian Brothers now let’s kind of see from the letter how that all happened we have to really Marvel at the Wonder and the The Marvelous electing love of God which selected such a one as onimus because we can pretty much put oursel in the same place as him we were born Sinners we live in sin we loved ourselves sin and we really weren’t really thinking about salvation or God or forgiveness we were just trying to enjoy our life the best way possible but God is Sovereign to do what he pleases having Mercy on whom he chooses thank the Lord for that just like it says in Romans I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have will have compassion so anthimus ends up either in prison with the Apostle Paul or as a servant of the Apostle Paul while he was incarcerated he was a runaway slave who belonged to philimon and Paul sent onimus back to his master with a letter asking philimon to do something and that’s what philimon is it’s a letter from Paul to philimon about onimus now let’s look at the first thing and that’s in verse one through three and that’s the gracious greetings and believe me this epistle this if you want to find out how to write a letter look at Phim this gives all the principles on how to write a letter because what he does in this letter he actually is very gracious and very kind and notice what it says first of all Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus and and Timothy our Brethren to philimon our beloved brother and fellow worker and to AIA our sister and arpus our fellow Soldier and to the church in your house grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ now this first passage sets the tone for the whole book that phiman was a faithful Christian and it appears that he had a church in his house a church composed of mostly his own family and servants he was privileged actually to possess a wife a beloved wife AIA uh it says our sister but most likely it was his wife and then a son arpus who was a fellow Soldier so his children walked in their parents’ footsteps and were members that met in philemon’s house now we heard of arpus back in when we were in Colossians where it says there in Colossians 4:17 so say to arpus take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord that you will fulfill it now when I was back there we that probably was a mild warning to him not to quit but fulfill the ministry and purpose that God called you and most likely that Ministry was he was the fill and Pastor for the church at colosi also we know that he was no uh Slappy person because of what is said about him in phiman that he was a fellow Soldier he was a tough person when it came to spiritual things he understood what it mean to be a Christian in a difficult time now the church that he had was in his house Church buildings really didn’t appear until the 3r century so this was the norm in the beginning and many times they had to have a church house or a place to meet so nobody knew they were meeting there because they were always dogged and under the persecution and remember for a church to exist any church to exist it must have Unity it must have oversight of Elders and mercy Min the mercy Ministry of deacons it must have instruction from the word of God In Prayer it must have Fellowship it must have evangelism and it is assumed that all these things were taking place in this house church and notice in verse number one Paul does not describe himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ as usual he describes himself as a prisoner of Jesus Christ not a prisoner of Rome so it says that Paul a prisoner of Christ Jesus and Timothy our brother so he aligns himself with the weakness and Powerless like onimus he’s appealing to philimon by subtly inferring that he is enduring imprisonment for the sake of the Gospel I’m going to ask you phiman to do something less difficult the Apostle Paul was in prison because he was he has been preaching the gospel of Christ he’s in prison for the sake of Christ and he is a prisoner Who belongs to Christ Timothy has mentioned here in the beginning uh of the letter because he worked closely with the Apostle Paul in Ministry and was his close companion Timothy remember was the next generation of pastors he was being raised up by Paul to take the Baton and be that next Generation to carry on the church and its Ministry so both Paul and Timothy and philimon experienced the reality of the newness that comes when one repents of sins and believes in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord they all were rescued by Jesus Christ as Colossians 13 says for he rescued us from the domain of Darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son so along with them the reality of the newness of the Christian Life is that you and I who have believed are citizens of two kingdoms one an Earthly and one a spiritual and to those who have received God’s grace through faith in Christ have become citizens of the kingdom of God however even though we have been rescued from the domain of darkness and because of the light of the Glorious gospel that had Shone in our hearts we still live at the same time in both the Earthly and the spiritual and even though presently we live in these two spheres the spiritual must always have the upper hand in the Earthly SP sphere in other words fleshly responses must be weakened and spiritual responses must be strengthened so what we understand of the word of God makes us live and act and speak and think differently so as we learn to live in both Realms the gospel continues to instruct us concerning the new position we presently hold and that position is we are children of God we have Royal Blood running through our veins and therefore we are to live de differently in the world no one no one can be faithful until he has Faith saving Faith always sanctifies and the Sanctified want to be saintly they want to be faithful they want to be obedient yet not perfectly but that’s what their desire is now this is the difference between those who profess to know Christ and those who actually possess salvation there are several things faithful Brethren the faithful Brethren really continually receive if you are in the family of God if you notice in verse number three of pH phiman the first thing we receive is manifold Grace faithful Saints and faithful Brethren have been given manifold Grace it says grace to you that’s the first thing that’s why it sets the foundation of this epistle Saving Grace by his his grace he has proved he has provided Redemption by the sacrifice of himself and by his grace he has called guilty Sinners and made them into Saints for you have been saved by grace through faith Ephesians tells us and then there is living grace it is God’s gift to make Saints gracious and saintly and faithful and then there is also serving Grace it is God’s gift to make Saints useful and productive Servants of the Lord where it says in Peter as each one has received a special gift employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God also if you in the family of God Saints and faith faithful Brethren have been granted multifaceted peace look at verse number number three of philimon it tells us there grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ so with Grace comes peace and peace is the sensation of of hostility against God that is gone Freedom From Fear of damnation Liberation from guilt that Saints are at peace with the God of Peace and the objective peace of God is that blessed condition when God is our friend and We Know It And It Is Well With Us in time and it’s also well with us in eternity see that’s the kind of peace that God gives us and both of those kinds of of Peace are mediated by Christ Jesus himself so if a person is at peace with God almighty of whom who else could they be afraid of no one Romans tells us if God is for you who can be against you the Gospel of Jesus Christ plunders the evil one’s domain because the strong man the devil is overcome and captive souls are removed from his domain into the kingdom of God that’s what God does he rescues us and why is this concept of peace with God important it is important because Satan wants Christians to think that the fight of Holiness is worthless and hopeless and it is too Monumental and an impossible task to even accomplish the truth is that every Christian is totally at peace with God and so cannot truly be shaken by any satanic satanic tactic if the Christian stands upon the peace of God so peace in in the Christian sense connotes Messianic salvation and that is the Salvation that Christ provides From Slavery to sin and death the peace that comes with true salvation is better understood in really several forms that it takes in the Christian Life and the first form form that that it takes is Christians experience peace with God The Firm awareness that there is nothing between a Believer and God but the peace brought about by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ Romans 5 says therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ Our Lord so without this peace with God Christians cannot do anything peace with God makes them ready for service and battle so the Christian must be confident about his relationship with God regarding this concept if I am to have any doubt about my salvation I shall not be able to fight the enemy I shall have to spend the whole of my time struggling with myself see Christians must have clarity about their sins being forgiven their souls being reconciled to God and the spirit of God now working sanctification in them and if they are to stand in the day of Temptation they must have this peace a second secondly peace besides peace with God chrisan Christians also experience the peace of God satisfied in God and his work the Christian feels a Tranquility of God in their hearts it’s like the Apostle Paul when he mentions this piece in the in the epistle to the Ephesians he says be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made to known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus see this the Tranquility of God transcends all Understanding God’s peace is a a is a person is like a person a platoon sergeant in a sense a special Warfare Warrior guarding the entrance to your mind and heart and soul PR venting any enemies that would promote any kind of anxiety by to entering your mind it’s that kind of peace and then thirdly the peace obtained through the gospel has one more form that’s peace with others Christians are aware that their struggles are not against flesh and blood we do not fight one another and for this reason reason Paul can say in Romans if possible so far as it depends on you be at peace with all men see that’s our responsibility as Believers if we are jealous and envious and selfish concerned only about ourselves and heedless of the welfare of others our position is really hopeless we’re stuck in self-pity so if you are also in the family of God we have a new position and that new position is this it says in our passage of scripture from God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ the source of these blessings come from God himself this grace and peace is from God and each person of the godhead the Father the Son the holy spirit is involved in bringing Believers the grace in which they stand every day the source of this change is new standing in God the father in fact as I mentioned before once a person has come to Christ the person can truly for the first time call God their father because Jesus has Pro uh really appeased the father’s wrath toward the believing sinner they are forgiven because what Jesus Christ has done in his work Jesus is the believer’s new Lord the he is the believer’s new master and Bears all the Believers punishment on the cross reconciling the believer to God and bringing peace in their heart and in their mind and in their life and in their relationships so the work of Jesus enables New Birth and Believers amazingly become the children of God as the Gospel of John tells us but as many as received him to them he gave the right to become children of God even to those who believe in his name so Christians are children of God and therefore have a new father the father of the Lord Jesus Christ now I stress all that all these doctrinal truths for this reason that Grace and peace are the foundation of Paul’s argument or his appeal to philimon that is human forgiveness and Recon reconciliation form the proper response to Divine acts of Grace in a person’s life other words anything that happens in your life is a Divine Act of Grace how am I going to respond to it you may not be able to change your circumstances but you sure can respond to it in a way that honors God and shows you’re redeemed now we do we always do that always perfectly every time the first time no we fall on our face all the time but when we get up from falling on our face we realize we didn’t do that right and now we need to do it the right way so we need to take the doctrines that we’re learning and put them into daily practice whatever comes our way and some things that are comes our way are very hard life is not easy life is difficult but when one becomes a Christian the Lord enlarges our heart when he cleanses it to take care of other people the Christian no longer should walk on the other side of the street when there is another human being in need especially if they’re of the household of faith and the key word in phimon you know what the key word is the key word is receive accept and welcome in verse number 12 I sent him back to you in person Paul says in verse number 15 for perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while that you would have him back forever and then of course in verse 17 if then you regard me as a partner accept him as you would me so now we see Paul secondly from his gracious greeting he shows an appreciation to philimon of his refreshing love in verse number 4 to7 we see the appreciation of refreshing love phiman was a brother in Christ and he was one to the Lord by the Apostle Paul where it says that in verse number 19 the last part of the verse it says not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self as well Paul suddenly mentions them you know what I’m the one God used to bring you to Christ she has a little bit Authority there in that so Paul offers up a prayer of Thanksgiving uh for f he says I thank my god making mention of you in my prayer verse number four and what does he mentioned he mentions and he’s thankful for philemon’s love and faith that it’s practical it’s everyday love and faith it’s not just love and faith you talk about or you hope you have it’s love and faith that actually is lived out on the human level on the street level notice what it says in verse 5 because I hear of your love and the faith which you have toward who toward the lord Jesus and toward all the saints so love and faith toward God and his people is an identifying Mark of God’s presence in those who have come to experience God’s salvation that’s for all of us to see if that is there in our life and when when we do see genuine evidence of the transforming results of the Gospel in ourselves and even in other people no matter who they are or were our response should always be be thankfulness Paul is thankful that he didn’t just lead fiman in a prayer and that was it never saw him again never heard about him he saw the transforming work of God in philemon’s life he was different and he was appealing to him in his difference now if you notice in verse number six the prayer is for philimon to have practical experimental experimental knowledge to put into practice about all the good the Christians are to do notice what it says in verse 5 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective you see that word effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake so something happened that when we become Believers God puts a goodness in us that was not there before we know what is good we know it what is right it becomes very clear to us what is right and he is reminding phiman that he has this goodness in him so when people believe in Christ really they become identified with one another in an intimate Association and incur both the benefits and responsibilities of communion with one another right we benit from having relationships with one another but in that relationship and those relationships we have in the church we also have responsibilities that go with it we don’t abuse people we don’t tear people apart with our words we pray for people we want the best and the the best goodness God can give them that’s why we ask God to bless people so God was would be near to them and help them in all their situations and all their difficulties but God uses the church to do that none of us are exempt from that that and from what we read about philimon he is about the fundamental responsibilities of a Believer so is Paul as it says in uh Galatians 6 so then while we have opportunity what does it say let us do good to all people especially to those who are the household of faith see we have a responsibility that the goodness that God puts in US by God Transforming Our Minds to know what his good and acceptable and perfect will is that that understanding comes with responsibility we we have no right as husbands and wives to abuse each other we have no right as parents and children to abuse them or to abuse employers or to abuse employees or neighbors or whatever it may be that is off the table for believers our job is to do them good do them good and believe me you do that and you will have opportunities to share Christ with him so Fellowship remember is the body life of the church it is the sense of people belonging to one another in the body of Christ phan’s Fellowship of faith is not inactive but energetic Fellowship it’s this Fellowship in which he lives out every single day and Paul Paul is saying I prayed that Fellowship would not stop and because of philemon’s love and faith in carrying out his Christian responsibilties the Apostle Paul says right here in our verse he says this in verse number seven he says I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love because the hearts of the Saints have been refreshed through the brother isn’t when you’re good to people that’s refreshing to people right that’s refreshing that this ver word refresh that is stressed here in our text it’s really Fan’s love had refreshed the people of God when they heard from philimon they wanted to their their ears they perked up because of his character because of his the history of his life they perked up this word really means that the people of God at the deepest and most significant level of their being is refreshed deep in their soul they’re refreshed when you’re around someone like that you want to be around someone like that and the stress is being make sure you’re someone like that or at least you’re growing to be someone like that being lovingly helpful to people giving when there is need being hospitable to others refreshes the Saints and Phim was was known from colosi all the way to Rome he was well known for this and this Fellowship first starts with God receiving us we receiving God through Christ and then us receiving one another that always is the progression that t it takes with Christians because we’re why we’re we’re very selfish we’re self-centered people we’re born that way so it takes a long time for us to notice someone else that well man that person is really struggling which what I do you know but when you become a Christian the lights go on and you be begin to see the struggles and how you need to pray for someone or or meet their need or whatever you need to do come along them read scripture to them do a Bible study whatever you need to do it could be just on the Physical Realm you’re ready to do it so if phiman does learn to do everything good every good thing he will be glad to comply with Paul’s request that he do a specific good thing in regard to onimus the runaway slave now that’s what we come to next and that is Paul’s really utmost desire in his mind in writing this epistle to appeal to philimon on behalf of onimus and so we have now an appeal of Grace and that’s what you need to do sometimes we need to appeal to people right now remember this whole epistle has been very very gracious and kind and uplifting and refreshing and so now it doesn’t end here onimus in verse 8-6 onimus is a runaway slave but remember he wronged phiman he was a thief filiman no longer needed him because he was disloyal and distrustful and he deserted him now when somebody does something like that to you what do you how do you respond to that you know you how you respond you cut him out boom cut him out right I don’t want to have any contact with a person who’s not going to be honest or not going to be loyal or is going to leave at the first sign of trouble so it tells us in verse number 11 it says who formerly was useless to you so that’s who he was if I Lan uh knew that onimus was useless now why should phiman accept and forgive him based on his past you probably shouldn’t at least the flesh don’t want to do it you know in Roman law there was something known as the advocacy the advocacy clause and this was the Clause a runaway slave could return to his master and be protected if he first went to the Master’s friend and secured support for his cause and that person became an advocate a mediator and appealed to the slave owner for Grace well what happens the Apostle Paul becomes a mediator between who onimus and filiman so Paul appeals as a mediator and how does he do it he does it in Christian Love Now Paul could have rightfully pulled rank as an apostle as a senior Apostle in order and really actually order philimon to receive onesimus instead of instead he doesn’t do that and it records that in Scripture it records what he does he logically pleaded with phiman about this runaway slave so Paul casts away any trappings of superiority and humbles himself he Grace allowed the right for appeal you know what if it wasn’t for Grace we would have no appeal before God either so that means in verse number eight through 10 notice what it how it’s recorded here it says therefore though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what I I what is proper yet for Love’s sake I rather appeal to you since I am such a person as Paul the Aged and now also a prisoner of Christ I appeal to you for my child onimus now we’re getting down to very personal thing things with Paul what does he do is he appeals to phimon about him and what does he say he says this on onesimus has come to faith in Christ in verse number 10 I appeal to you for my child onimus who whom I have begotten in my imprisonment he became a Believer and was willing to make things right with the one who he had wronged he was converted to Christ Christ under the preaching of the gospel of Christ under Paul’s preaching he had to hear it right faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ also he says that onimus is now useful to you and me verse number 11 who formerly was useless to you but now is useful both to you and me and you know what’s so interesting there’s a play on words here that Paul uses that actually the name on this means useful it means profitable it means beneficial so Paul is very keen in what he’s doing here also he now regards onesimus as a spiritual brother verse 16 no longer 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 and then also on n is is now very profitable to both of us verse 16 again especially to me but now much more to you both in the flesh physically and spiritually so what does Paul do he says I’m um a fimon I’m I’m appealing to that your inner goodness that God placed there that’s what I’m doing and that’s what he does and he what does he do he says please accept onesimus back as a newly transformed brother in Christ and please please please please do this of your own free will not because me as an apostle is writing this letter and notice how he records it in verse number 12 he says I have sent him back to you in person that is sending my very heart verse 13 whom I wish to keep who I wish to keep with me so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel but without your consent I did not want to do anything so that your goodness would not be in effect by compulsion but of your own free will for perhaps for perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while that you would have him back again forever there’s the Divine Purpose of God in that passage to take a Lost Sinner and bring them into the family of God and God orchestrates all these things that it would happen and by the way if you notice in verse number nine this is what Paul says I’m old I may not see tomorrow and then he says and I’m a prisoner I’m not going anywhere I can’t travel to you but he does say at the end of the book please set up a room for me that I make come but he never did that’s what he says in verse number n so what does Paul the mediator do next well what is you know what he does he asks fire to forgive him that’s what he does all right please accept there’s that word again accept onimus and forgive him so the last thing is he he’s asking for acceptance that’s what he does look at verse number 17 if then you regard me as a partner accept him as you would me verse 18 but if he has wronged you in any way he or owes you anything here’s where we know he stole something from phiman charge it to my account so we see the principle of restitution here in scripture and then verse 19 I Paul am writing this with my own hand and I will repay you not to mention that you owe me even your own self as well yes brother verse 20 let me benefit from you in the Lord and here’s this word again refresh my heart in Christ fiman just keep doing to me what you do to everybody do to me what you do to ever refresh my heart in my old age and in my imprisonment so that’s what he does re he re he actually appeals to his redeemed self his newness in Christ Jesus which really shows how different he was from probably before he was a Believer and then in verse number 21 having confidence in your obedience I write to you since I know that you will do even more than what I ask you know what do you do with a person who does more than what you ask it means they’re not just following rules they’re doing they’re into their job and they’re looking at their jobs that I’m putting my signature on this I’m going to do this to the best of my ability I’m going to go far beyond what I’m supposed to do that’s character and that’s what the spirit of God does with people that’s what he does with people so Paul said to Fan if you he owes anything from you from what he stolen all pay it and he what what does Paul do he settles the debt between the offender onus and the offended fiman that is what a mediator does so what’s philemon’s response philimon received the runaway slave with forgiveness and counted him as a member of his own family for the sake of Paul he took him back and this time as more than a slave but as a Christian brother but think of it this for a moment can you see in this story your life you were once an unprofitable sinner a slave to sin but you trusted Christ and became a profitable servant of righteousness and goodness also God has received you into his family with forgiveness for the sake of his son see Jesus was the mediator for you and I to plead our case one mediator between man and God the man Christ Jesus and then in first John it says if anyone sins we have an advocate a mediator with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he himself is the propitiation the satisfaction for our sin and not for ours only but for all those of the world of the whole world Jesus Christ settled the debt of sin in order to make everything right between you and God God the Father put the sin on Christ and he placed on your account the righteousness of Christ re received with forgiveness and brought into the family of God so have you trusted in Christ as your own Lord and Savior have you done that or are you still that runaway slave still under the Judgment of God because you have offended him with your many sins that’s will you remain until you come to Christ but if you have trusted Christ as your lord and savior then thank him today for putting his electing love upon you for dying for you for bringing you into a proper relationship with God for forgiving you of all your sin dead and now we have a good master and then he P he ends the book with just the final greeting so this epistle that’s why I thought to do it in just one lump because if you chop it off I think you missed the message is really a book about salvation and how God works and how God breaks down barriers how God overcomes circumstances how God creates situations in which everything comes together so a person comes to Christ no matter who they are where they are so that means we as a church need to be praying for our kids need to be praying for our neighbors need to be praying for people that God in his Sovereign election would move things Heaven and Earth so the gospel to go to go to to that particular person and the Lord would bring them to himself and make him from a take him from a slave of sin to a member of the family of God that’s what it’s about