Alright, you turn in your Bibles
to Philemon or Philemon Book of Philemon Titled the message Be Gracious,
a letter to Philemon. This is a letter written by the
Apostle Paul, by the divine inspiration of God Almighty, to Philemon
concerning his servant, Onesimus. In this scripture, we see God
being gracious and merciful the chosen lost sinners for Christ's
sake. We see Christ Jesus, our redeemer,
our mediator, our intercessor, that one who reconciled us to
God. The peacemaker, the prince of
peace, our only peace with God, Father. And we see God, the Holy
Spirit, that one spirit, one self, same spirit. We see that one spirit, the Holy
Spirit, working grace and peace in the hearts of these three
men, Philemon, Onesimus, and brother Paul. We see the servant Onesimus,
And he had wronged his master Philemon. Philemon was a dearly loved fellow
servant, fellow soldier in the gospel with brother Paul. Had
a church there in his home home. And Onesimus, his servant, had
wronged him. And we see ourselves in Onesimus, for we all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God, our master, our God, our creator. And we have robbed him. We've offended his holy justice.
And we have taken that which he so graciously has given and
wasted it. rebels at enmity with God. And after Onesimus had wronged
his good master Philemon, he ran. He fled. He tried to hide from Him. We also ran from God. In our natural born state, we
ran from God and we tried to hide from Him. especially when he showed us
that we are sin, that we are sin and we feared
his holy judgment that we have offended. For the penalty of sin is death
and God will not clear the guilty. He doesn't look on the outward
appearance. He's not a respecter of persons. He knows your heart. But by God's providence and his
purpose, by his free and sovereign grace in the Lord Jesus Christ, Onesimus was led to a prison
where Brother Paul was being held. And Brother Paul, that
spirit in him, he had to preach the gospel. So we see God again, sending
a preacher with his message to his elect
at their appointed time of love. And God affectionately called
Onesimus. He spoke to his heart. He gave him life and faith to
believe on the Son of God. God drew him by his irresistible
grace. In John 6, 44, Jesus said, no
man can come to me except the Father, which sent me draw him,
and I will raise him up at the last day. Because Christ is the
power, he's the power of God unto salvation. He's the way,
he is the truth, and he is the life. So we see Jesus in these
verses. He who came in the fashion of
a man to save man. his elect people from their sins. The Lord Jesus Christ, the only
begotten Son of God, who being in the form of God, thought it
not robbery to be equal with God, but he made of himself no
reputation. He humbled himself as a servant,
obedient to the Father, to his will, obedient to the law of
God. for us in our place, even unto
the death of the cross. All for God's glory and for the
saving of his elect. So let's start in verse three
with Philemon. It says, grace to you and peace
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This peace, we cannot, it's impossible
for man to make peace with God. You don't make peace with God. You can't. Peace, grace, truth, all the
blessings of God are in Jesus Christ, his son. His blood was shed for the remission
of sins, to make that peace for us. The Son of God in human flesh
came and broke down that middle wall of partition between us and God. He broke that wall
of partition in His flesh with His blood. And what separated us from God
is our sin. We were born spiritually dead
and bondage to sin. It's Christ who came and purged our sins away with
his blood. He appeased that holy justice
of God that we offended, the just for the ungodly, So making
peace. There's no peace without Christ.
In verse four, I thank my God making mention of the always
in my prayers. We don't know how to pray. And as Paul is interceding here
for Onesimus to Philemon. So Christ, our advocate, our
only advocate to the father. our mediator, our high priest
intercedes for us. The Spirit of God helps our infirmities,
makes intercession for us with groans and moanings that we couldn't
even utter. That Spirit, that Holy Spirit
of God. Verse five, hearing of thy love,
and faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus and toward all
saints that the communication of thy faith may become effectual
by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in
Christ Jesus." That faith, that God-given gift
of faith that he gives to all of his elect. All He calls, He
gives eternal life and faith to believe and to trust on His
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. A faith that works by love, a
faith that looks to the object, the author and finisher of our
faith, is Jesus Christ. Our faith looks to His, to His
faith, the faith of Jesus Christ. Our faith is weak. He's our strength. He's the faithful one. The only good thing in us is
that new man, that seed that God has put there. It's Christ in you revealed the
hope of glory. That's the only thing. There
is no good in man, no good in the flesh. There is nothing we
can do to please God. It's being in Christ Jesus. He
abides in us, we abide in him. In verse seven, for we have great
joy and consolation in our love because the bowels of the saints
are refreshed by thee, brother. 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 a one
as Paul the agent. And now as 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 on bows. What a beautiful picture of reconciliation. Reconciliation. Let's go look
in 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Let's start in verse 16. Wherefore henceforth know we
no man after the flesh. Yea, though we have known Christ
after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are
passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself
by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses
unto them. and have committed unto us the
word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors
for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you
in Christ's stead be reconciled to God, for he hath made him
to be sin for us. Who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him? God made Onesimus a new creation. in Christ Jesus, a new man, still
had that old nature. We all still have the old nature,
but it was crucified on the cross. We died in Christ Jesus, and
we were raised again, and our life is in him. He justified
us. He imputed his righteousness. That we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. And he gave us the ministry.
He gave us his word. He wrote it in our hearts. The gospel of God, the word of
God. The spirit of God in us. Teaching
us. You see how God is so gracious
and merciful. He sees us in his son. He sees us in his son. He has
made us one with Christ. As Christ is one with the father. All the brethren all that God.
Gave to him before the foundation of the world. All that he died
for. We're one body. One body, one
spirit. In Christ. How should we also
see one another? It's how God sees us. He sees
us in his son. Reconciled to God by Christ's
blood. He's the one that put your sins
away. He bore all those sins in his body. And that enmity, that peace that
he made, that enmity is gone. We no longer, that new man does
not hate God. But more importantly, God can
now look at you because your sins are gone. And he can call
you his son. The just for the ungodly. We're going down to verse 13. Whom I would have retained with
me talking about Onesimus, 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. Blessed are the peacemakers,
the Lord says, for they shall be called the children of God.
It's God who makes us willing to serve him. That new man in Christ Jesus,
you see Paul's humility here talking to Philemon. You see Christ's humility, his
meekness. He came to do his father's will,
not his own. He humbled himself, he poured
out himself. And it's not us. It is God which
works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2, 13 tells us so. It is the blood of Christ who
through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God. He purged your conscience from dead works that you might
serve the living God. There's a new creation in you. In verse 15, For perhaps he therefore departed
for a season that thou should receive him forever. Not now
as a servant, but above a servant, a brother, beloved, especially
to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh and in
the Lord. Turn to Zechariah, Zechariah
13, in verse seven, says a Waco sword
against my shepherd and against the man that is my fellow, saith
the Lord of hosts, smite the shepherd and the sheep shall
scatter, be scattered. And I will turn my hand upon
the little ones And it shall come to pass that in all the
land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and
die, but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the
third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver
is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall
call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, it is my people,
and they shall say, The Lord is my God. It's God's purpose. God saved
you on purpose. He loved you with an everlasting
love on purpose. In Christ Jesus, His Son. Your
surety. Your representative head. It's
God's providence. God separates and God joins together. It's God's will. We were scattered. We are scattered. We're scattered
to the four corners of the earth. In all nation and in every tongue.
That's why he says, go preach the gospel unto all men. God's got his people everywhere. We departed for a time, but those
God chose as his son before the foundation of the world, those
Christ shed his precious blood for and died for and redeemed,
he's not gonna leave you to yourself. You have an appointed time of
love just like Onesimus did, just like all of God's elect
do. And he shall call them and give them life and faith His
Holy Spirit shall apply Christ's effectual blood to them, and
they shall be saved by grace, free and sovereign grace of God.
Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness
and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will
dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Remember the prodigal
son. He departed for a while, and God brought him to his senses,
his self. And before he could even say,
I'm not worthy, he was already seen afar off. And he kissed Him. Christ arose from the grave.
He led captivity captive. He ascended on high. And he gave
gifts to men. God put him over everything. And he has all the privilege.
He is the firstborn among many brethren. The first. And he has made us sit with him
in heavenly places. but is more than a servant. As a brother, as a brother in Christ, as a
child of God, he has made us the sons of God and his beloved
son, one with Christ. And we belong
to God. We're not our own. We are his body. He is our head. And that's forever. That's forever. Nothing shall
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus,
our Lord. Not in this world, not in the
world to come. And Paul is telling Philemon,
by that spirit, Now the Holy Spirit in him. Old Nesmus is now your brother. He's no longer your servant. One spirit, one body, one God,
one gospel. Let's go over there to verse
17 of Philemon. Thou count me, therefore a partner. Receive him as myself. If he hath wronged thee, or oweth
thee any ought. Put that on mine account. Put that on my account. If he's
wronged you, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ took all the chosen
of God. He took all of our sins and made
them. He was made sin for us. He bore, he shed his blood. His one time sacrifice of himself
for the atonement for all the sins of all his elect. All God gave him for the foundation
of the world, he ransomed. He paid the full price. The sin,
the guilt, the shame, And he appeased the holy justice
of God for us in our place. He bore the wrath of God so that we might have peace with our Father. Complete atonement made. Justice satisfied. Judgment accomplished. Salvation
is done and it's all in the Lord. You didn't have a thing to do
with it. You didn't have a thing to do with it. You don't now
and you never will. He did it all for you. Did it
all for you. Christ paid it all. Just look
what God, by his free grace and mercy, did for us. Let's look over in Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10. Let's start, let's
go into verse 14. For by one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified, sanctified in him. who are of
the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. For after that he had
said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after
those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts
and in their minds and I will write them. And their sins and
their iniquities will I remember no more. Now we're remission
of these is, there is no more offering for sin. He only died
once. Having therefore, brethren, boldness
to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by new and
living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that
is to say his flesh, and having a high priest over the house
of God, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our
bodies washed with pure water. Water and blood came from Jesus'
pure side. Let us hold fast the profession
of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful. that promised
and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good
works. All we owed and all we can never,
ever repay, ever. It's impossible for man. Christ
put on his account. His blood paid the ransom. He suffered. He bled. And he died. And you know, by
God's grace, we were in him. We were in him. From eternity. When he died, we died in him. When he arose again, we arose
in him. He justified us. And our life is in Him. We belong
to Christ. Salvation is all of the Lord.
Christ bore all the sins of His elect. Christ bore all the wrath
of God for us in His own body on that cross. Our debt is paid
in full with Christ's own precious blood. Put that on my account. How many
times should we forgive one another? How much is God forgiving you
for Christ's sake? All right, let's go to verse
19. I, Paul, have written it with mine own hand. I will repay
it. Albeit, I do not say to thee
how thou owest unto me, even thine own self besides. Yea,
brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord. Refresh my bowels
in the Lord. Having confidence in thy obedience,
I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I
say. We are bought with that price.
We are bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. We were born totally depraved,
born in sin and bondage. Bondage to sin, bondage to Satan,
the fear of death, polluted in our own blood. But Christ passed
by you and he saw you, his elect, polluted in your own blood. And
he said, live. Only God can bring Something
that's dead to life. By God's grace and eternal election,
he chose you in his son and he predestinated you to be adopted. His adopted children in Christ. He called you by his word preached
just like Onesimus. And he made you a new creation
in him, born of the will of God, and you had nothing to offer. You had offended his holy justice,
and it is the power and the purpose of God and his son. It's for
Christ's sake. That water and that blood, it
flowed from his pure side. You were washed, sanctified,
cleansed and made new, born again by his grace, by His Holy Spirit
working in you, set apart, declared holy in Him. But without that shedding of
blood, without that shedding of Christ's blood, His is the
only blood, there would be no forgiveness of sins. He purged away your sins. He
was made a curse for you. Made sin for you. He justified
you. Saved you to the uttermost. There
is nothing left to do but to glory in Him and rest in Him. To trust Him. God doesn't change. His will doesn't change. And he tells us his will. Look
over in John chapter six, verse 39. And this is the father's
will, which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me,
I should lose nothing. but should raise it up again
at the last day. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that every one which seeth the son and believeth on
him may have everlasting life. And I will raise him up at the
last day." All that you have, you've received from God's hand. by His grace and His Son. And
we're His workmanship. That power, that power of God
that chose you, that power of God that redeemed you, that power
of God that called you, is the same power that keeps you, and
restrains you, and comforts you, convinces you of your sin, Convince
you that the righteousness is all in Christ Jesus. And that
judgment he's accomplished for you. That's the power of God. Christ
is the power of God. There is no power in your flesh.
There's no strength in your flesh to do anything. We are what we
are. By the grace of God Almighty.
That's all. Christ in you, the hope of glory. Let's go to. 1st Corinthians. Chapter 6. In verse 19. Says what know ye not that your
body is the temple of the Holy Ghost? which is in you, which
ye have of God, and ye are not your own, for ye are bought with
a price. Therefore, glorify God in your
body and in your spirit, which are God's. You belong to him. You're not going to do anything.
You can't do anything apart from him. It's His Spirit in you. Sin shall
not have dominion over you anymore. You are under grace. That God
that formed the world and everything in it, created you, created that
new being in you. Can He not keep you? Is He not
powerful enough to keep you? It's his purpose. He's ordained
your footsteps before he created the world that you should walk
in. You're not your own. Without him, we can do nothing.
But in him, Brother Paul told us, I can do all things through
Christ, which strengtheneth me. He's young with strength. So in conclusion, We are God's
workmanship, and he has ordained our steps. God's elect have been
predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son. Jesus
Christ, the firstborn among many brethren, he's given you that
divine nature. A new creation made you a new
creation in him. And by His Spirit in us, teaching
us and convicting us and comforting us, renewing us day by day, growing us in grace and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Don't we hunger
for that? Don't we hunger to know Him more,
more about our Savior? He who died and laid down his
life for us, that we may have life in him by his mighty power. And soon he is coming again,
and he will present us in resurrection glory, perfect, perfect in him
before the Father. Look what he's done for you.
So as Philemon, was gracious and forgiving to Onesimus for
Paul's sake. By that one self-same spirit
of God working in us all, led us by faith, looking to Christ,
be gracious and forgiving to one another for Christ's sake. Look to Christ Jesus alone, and
let the peace of God rule in your hearts. It's Christ in us,
the hope of glory. By God's irresistible grace and
mercies, I pray God will apply it to your new heart. Let's go to Lord in prayer.