How To Forgive (Contd) - Philemon 8-18 Series

Philemon 1:1-25 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. 6 I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints. 8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul--an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus-- 10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. 12 I am sending him--who is my very heart--back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good-- 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. 17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back--not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20 I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask. 22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 24 And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Introduction

Beware of Satan’s scheming

If you were the devil and you wanted to destroy Agape Bible Church, what would be the most effective strategy? What sort of a scheme would work best? I can tell you the one he used on the church in Corinth - unforgiveness. Satan knows he cannot destroy a church just by sin – that will not work because of forgiveness and redemption. The only way to really destroy a church is to con them into refusing to forgive one another. So he tried that in Corinth, but Paul did not fall for it.

2 Corinthians 2:10 …I have forgiven … 11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Paul saw right through what Satan was trying to pull and he destroyed Satan’s whole plan by forgiving the sinner.

So Satan lost that battle, but he did not give up the strategy. It remains one of Satan’s most effective schemes. And so we have spent several weeks trying to learn from God’s Word how to keep ourselves from being outwitted by the enemy in this matter of forgiveness.

Winning this war is not easy, because Satan attacks from a lot of different angles. He knows how to entrap people in anger and vengeance. One of the main ways is by getting you to condemn yourself and doubt God’s forgiveness. He is called the accuser of the brethren (Rev.12:10). He works night and day to make you doubt what the Bible says and convince you that you are still guilty and that God is still unhappy with you. He does that so you will feel distant from God. He does it to make you timid, rather than bold in prayer. He works at getting you to base your beliefs on your feelings rather than God’s Word. And most of all he does it to make God look bad. He distorts your conception of God’s nature so you will not feel loved and forgiven by Him, and then you will not be as loving and forgiving toward others.