As we open this epistle, bible students will immediately recognize the familiar tone and feel of Paul’s greeting to Philemon. Paul’s mention of prayer and thanksgiving, living out our faith, and the joy and love he received from its recipient is a common start to his letters, giving even further credence to the fact that he was indeed the author of this text.
As we look more closely at this greeting, we see there’s quite a bit for us to pull out and apply to our lives.
First, Paul begins with “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers.” In studying Colossians we learned that thankfulness this is at the foundation of genuine worship (see: And Whatever You Do), and again we see Paul’s example of being thankful to God in all circumstances. We simply cannot pray, worship, or praise God rightly without a spirit of gratitude, especially when we consider all He’s done for us. (Ref: 1 Thes. 5;18, Eph. 5:20)
Paul continues, “I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints.” Here we see the second lesson for us today. People are watching how we live out our faith. Do they see a love for others and a faith in the Lord Jesus that is attractive, potent, and authentic? Does our daily walk provide a living witness to our verbal testimony? Philemon’s surely did, and this should remind us to be cognitive of how others may perceive our behavior and how it reflects on our Lord. (Ref: Matt. 5:16, Eph. 4:29, 1 John 4:8)
He then says, “and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” Our third lesson is that living out our faith in action is not only important to help the lost find Christ, but also to help the saved grow in the full knowledge of God. Our witness, testimony and actions can lead someone into a deeper relationship with the Lord… or drive them away. So many unsaved people say that being hurt by a Christian or a church is the reason they don’t believe the gospel. While this does not relieve them of their accountability to God, we must not contribute to their unbelief with poor behavior, attitude, or ethics. We share our faith not only in word, but also in deed, and our ability to point people to the cross is intimately tied to how they see us living out what we say. (Ref: Matt 18:6, James 1:22)
Paul closes his greeting with, “For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” Finally, our fourth lesson is how our actions should bless others. Through Philemon’s love, Paul, imprisoned for his faith, found much joy and comfort and the hearts of other believers had been refreshed. In being kind, giving, merciful, gracious, and forgiving, we exhibit the love Christ has shown us. Sometimes a warm text message, phone call, or invitation to chat over coffee is all it takes to refresh a hurting soul. The Christian life involves living with and serving others, and as the Spirit leads, let’s take that simple step to show a brother or sister that we love and care about them, thereby being the hands and feet of Jesus. (Ref: Luke 6:38, Eph. 4:32,1 Pet. 4:8)
To recap, the four “action items” we can take away from this passage are:
- Maintain a heart of thanksgiving and gratitude; it is the anchor of true worship
- Live out your faith so that others see it in action, not just words
- Let your actions reflect your testimony, pointing people to Christ and inviting them to a deeper relationship with Him
- Comfort and bless others with love, kindness, and generosity
Through His unimageable love, Christ saved us in order that we might glorify God every day. It’s not always easy, and when we stumble, grace abounds, but the purpose of our life is to honor Christ in everything we do and say, living out an active faith that blesses and refreshes those around us.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10