DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TRUE GRACE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – TRUE GRACE

"But if he (Onesimus) has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account." (Philemon 18)

The Apostle Paul wrote this personal letter to Philemon. Philemon was a leader in the church at Colossae who allowed the believers to meet in his house. He was apparently a rather wealthy man who owned slaves.

One of his slaves, named Onesimus, ran away from Philemon's estate and found his way to Rome where he came under the ministry of the Apostle Paul and he found new life in Christ. As a part of his obedience to clear his past, Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon to make things right.

It may be that when Onesimus ran away, he stole some of Philemon's property, and owed restoration money to Philemon. As an act of grace, Paul offered to pay whatever Onesimus owed. This is grace in action – paying the debt of someone else out of one's own resources without expectation of being repaid.

This is a beautiful picture of the grace of the Lord Jesus. Because we had violated God's standard of holiness, we had a debt we owed, but Jesus paid that debt when He took our sins in His own body on the cross. It reminds me of that great Messianic prophecy in the Book of Isaiah where the prophet said, "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:4-6). Jesus took all the punishment for sin that should have been mine. That is pure grace – unmerited favor. "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23b).

I am so glad for people like Paul in my life who have supplied grace when I could not provide for myself. But most of all, I am glad for the grace of Jesus that provided payment for my great debt of sin which I could not pay.

Love, Dad