2. Forgiveness brings reconciliation: (1:16):
Forgiveness brings reconciliation. We have to forgive even our enemies. Forgiveness builds the fellowship. Un-forgiveness keeps the pain alive. Un-forgiveness keeps the sore open and never allows it to heal, produces bitterness, resentment and robs the joy of living. But in forgiveness, we experience abundant joy and satisfaction. The forgiveness of Jesus Christ brought us the reconciliation with Father. Through Jesus’s death, we have received a spiritual reconciliation with God, a social reconciliation with man to man, a cosmological reconciliation with nature and a psychological reconciliation with a transformation of heart and mind.
3. Forgiveness gives great honour and respect: (1:17):
The forgiveness of Philemon for Onesimus brought the partnership and friendship with Paul once again to new heights. This itself is a great honour. When we forgive others despite the pain and sufferings, our heavenly Lord will outpour on us with great blessings.
4. Forgiveness is costly, but gives far reaching benefits: (1:19-21):
For Philemon forgiveness was costly. He had to treat his own run-away slave as his brother in the Lord and perhaps as an elder in the church that meets in his house. If forgiveness is costly, not to forgive is all the more costly. Apostle Paul asked Philemon to charge all that Onesimus owes to Philemon to Paul’s account. It was something of IOU on behalf of Onesimus. Certainly forgiveness is costly, but it has incomprehensible, far reaching effects. God has sent His own son as a ransom for our sins. If we do not exercise the forgiveness, the judgement of God would be upon us. When we forgive others we have a complete new thought and mind towards that person. Paul knew that Philemon would do much more than what he asks. This should be the attitude of every believer.
5. Forgiveness brings transformation : When we are saved, our lives are transformed. Philemon was transformed from a slave to a fellow brother.
Jesus said: You are no longer slaves, I call you as my friends (Jn.15:15). Our forgiven lives would experience His newness, His refreshment, His cleansing, His healing in our lives. For Onesimus, his bitterness towards the slave master has gone, the master loves him, calls him his brother. He is made to sit at par with Philemon and other people.
(2 Cor.5:17) If anyone is in Christ, He is new creation.
- Mere information about Jesus cannot transform a person from self-centeredness to selflessness (5:15). Only conversion could effect that and this was what Paul experienced, this is what Onesimus experienced. This would be your experience and my experience.
Therefore, the old life should have no hold on us today. ‘I am crucified with Christ” (Gal 2:20).
No one was more able to reflect on that transformation than Paul who switched from a persecutor of Christ to a proclaimer of Christ (Acts 9:5,20-22). Paul believed the message of the gospel and was identified by faith with Christ. To be in Christ is to be a new creation. This new creation is brought about by the Holy Spirit, the Agent of regeneration (Titus 3:5) and the Giver of divine birth (Jn. 3:3,6-8). God’s new creative work begins to work in every one who believes in Christ. The old life of slavery to self and sin has gone. The new life of devotion to Christ means that one has new attitudes and actions (2 Cor. 5:14-15; Rom 6:4; Eph 4:23-5:2).
The new attitudes and actions can be summarised as following:
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- New thoughts: A transformed person will have new thoughts and ideas. His old thinking of sinning or grieving others, are gone.
- New dynamics: The person is dynamic, humble and simple living and high thinking. He is not affected by disappointments or desperations.
- New motivation: A transformed person will have new motivation to live for Christ.
- New direction: He changed his direction. Before his conversion his direction was towards the worldly passions, but now his direction is godly.
- New looks and make up: His looks are makeup are different. People would appreciate him.
- New deeds (works): He always does something beneficial to others and to the society at large. He is proactive in his works.
- New living: His living is completely transformed. He is a new creation in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is full of joy, happiness because his life is secure in the Lord Jesus Christ. He has a new relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
All these qualities or attitudes can be seen in the person who is transformed and experienced the Salvation.
Ex: A butterfly is beautiful to look with magnificent colours. Children try to catch them. But if we look at its previous life “a caterpillar” which is so ugly, crawling on the ground. You get nausea when it comes inside our houses. But God has transformed such ugly caterpillar into a beautiful, colourful, flying butterfly. This is what God can do in our lives. We were full of sin, ugly, nauseating, wicked like a caterpillar. But when we came to Christ, He forgave all our sins and gave us the Salvation. Our lives are transformed beautifully like a butterfly. This is what New Creation.