Philemon: Fixing Fellowship pt 7
The Gospel is about reconciliation. God being reconciled to humanity through the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. But how often do we think about how this ‘Gospel reconciliation’ impacts our relationships with each other? The apostle Paul challenged his dear friend Philemon to be reconciled to his former slave, Onesimus, who ran away from him. In Paul’s encouragement to Philemon to forgive his former slave, we see an amazing picture of how the Gospel transforms our relationships — especially with those who have wronged us.
12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you.
Reflection: This verse gives a us a wonderful insight into the nature of Christian fellowship. We are bound together in Christ by the Holy Spirit. We see this in our own churches as we say goodbye to people as they move. It is why leaving a church is such a painful experience. We are one. When one hurts, we all do. Paul wants Philemon to see this as he sends Onesimus. He is reminding him that the bond that he shares with Philemon is the same as the bond he shares with Onesimus. And it is all because of the Gospel.
Take a moment to think about the people in your church family. As you think about each person, give thanks to God for them and ask God to grow you in your love for them.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank you for my church community. May you show me more and more the beauty of our fellowship.
Angus is one of the pastors at Orange Presbyterian Church. He and Steph have three children, a puppy and a veggie garden.
This devotion first appeared in the Bible Society’s Daily Bible Devotions, February 2023
More Reflections.
Often, we build something up so much in our minds, that the experience we want becomes almost unattainable. We romanticise what we think it will be like and we think “If I can just do this one thing or tick this one experience off my bucket list, then I will be able to feel a sense of fulfilment that I wouldn’t necessarily have had otherwise”.