Scripture:
Philemon 1:18-19 (NIV)
If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
Devotional:
Have you ever owed someone something and you had no hopes of being able to pay it back? In fact you can’t pay it back even if you wanted to. OK another question. Has someone ever stepped in and paid it back for you? Maybe you were invited somewhere but couldn’t afford it but someone else covered it for you?
Paul implores Philemon to receive Onesimus back, not just as a slave, but as a brother. Paul goes farther and pledges to make good all that Onesimus owes. There was no way the Onesimus could ever repay Philemon. After all he was a runaway slave. He only had the grace and mercy that Paul gave and implored Philemon to give.
The truth is that you do have a debt that you cannot repay. The only way it will be satisfied is through death. The good news is that there is a “Paul” standing there imploring that you be received back into the “family.” We can never atone for our sins. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Christ paid the debt for each and every one of us. God receives us back not as sinners but with righteousness. Romans 3:22-24:
We are restored because Christ paid the price for our inequities.
Philemon 1:18-19 (NIV)
If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
Devotional:
Have you ever owed someone something and you had no hopes of being able to pay it back? In fact you can’t pay it back even if you wanted to. OK another question. Has someone ever stepped in and paid it back for you? Maybe you were invited somewhere but couldn’t afford it but someone else covered it for you?
Paul implores Philemon to receive Onesimus back, not just as a slave, but as a brother. Paul goes farther and pledges to make good all that Onesimus owes. There was no way the Onesimus could ever repay Philemon. After all he was a runaway slave. He only had the grace and mercy that Paul gave and implored Philemon to give.
The truth is that you do have a debt that you cannot repay. The only way it will be satisfied is through death. The good news is that there is a “Paul” standing there imploring that you be received back into the “family.” We can never atone for our sins. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Christ paid the debt for each and every one of us. God receives us back not as sinners but with righteousness. Romans 3:22-24:
This righteousness is given
through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference
between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
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