Ambition of Forgiveness
Philemon 19-25
Studying through this small book in the New Testament we have seen great truths and have been challenged as we all face opportunities to offer and possibly even receive forgiveness.
· First we looked at “The Ability of Forgiveness.” During this look we focused on The Principle Part of Forgiveness- Principle 1: Forgive those who sin against us. (Matthew 6:12; Matthew 18:21-22). Principle 2: Forgive and be forgiven. (Matthew 6:14; Luke 6:37) Principle 3: Don’t forgive and you won’t be forgiven. (Matthew 6:15; Mark 11:25). Also we saw the The Parable Part of Forgiveness- The Prodigal Son - Forgiving like God (Luke 15:18-20) and The Unforgiving Servant - Unforgiving like Man (Matthew 18:26-30). And last The Personal Part of Forgiveness
· Our second message took a look at The Attribute of Forgiveness and how it Labors; Loves; Participates; and Refreshes.
· Our third message tuned in on The Activity of Forgiveness and how it brings Reception; Restoration; and Restitution.
This is our fourth and final message from Philemon ... "The Ambition of Forgiveness." Let me begin by sharing a few real life stories with you:
Story 1: Heaviness of Hatred (Restitution)
Each week Kevin Tunell was required to mail a dollar to a family he’d rather forget. They sued him for $1.5 million but settled for $936, to be paid a dollar at a time. The family expects the payment each Friday so Tunell won’t forget what happened on the first Friday of 1982.That the day their daughter was killed. Tunnell was convicted of manslaughter and drunken driving. He was seventeen. She was eighteen. Tunell served a court sentence. He also spent seven years campaigning against drunk driving, six years more than his sentence required. But he keeps forgetting to send the dollar. The weekly restitution is to last until the year 2000. Eighteen years. Tunell make the out to the victim, mails it to her family, and the money is deposited in a scholarship fund. The family has taken him to court four times for failure to comply. After the most recent appearance, Tunell spent thirty days in jail. He insists that he’s not defying the order but rather is haunted by the girl’s death and tormented by the reminders. He offered the family two boxes of checks covering the payments until the year 2001, one year more than required. They refused. It’s not the money they seek but penance. Quoting the mother, "We want to receive the check every week on time. He must understand we are going to pursue this until August of the year 2000. We will go back to court every month if we have to." (Max Lucado, In the Grip of Grace)
Story 2: The Dynamic in Forgiveness (Restoration)
Bishop Donald Tippett was in his office one day when two young men dropped in, hoping to establish an alibi for their planned robbery. When the bishop took a phone call in another room, the young men feared he had sized them up and was about to report them. They attacked him with brass knuckles, doing permanent damage to his left eye. When the two men came to trial, Tippet pleaded for a reduced sentence. He visited them regularly in prison. After the young men were released, the bishop helped one of them financially to further his education and eventually saw him become (of all things!) an ophthalmologist. Tippet expressed his forgiveness of these men by persevering in returning good for evil.
Paul writes with an ambition or a motive of forgiveness and nothing more. There are no "ulterior motives" involved ... just the forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration of the one who needs forgiving.
I. The Debt
Philemon 19; “I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay; not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides.”
Paul mentioning his own handwriting is doing so for emphasis. Paul most of the time used a scribe but in this instant the need of urgency was so great he did the writing himself. Paul was taking a very personal interest in this relationship between Philemon and Onesimus.
A debt was owed on both accounts.
· Onesimus owed a physical debt ... Philemon a spiritual debt.
· Onesimus owed a temporal debt ... Philemon an eternal debt.
Not only was Onesimus saved because of the ministry of Paul but Philemon was probably as well. Remember, Paul while establishing these new churches usually did so at his own cost. He worked another job; probably as a tentmaker we are told, to meet his financial needs. He was never a burden to the church. Philemon owed Paul for his work in the ministry…
The point is, in light of our debt owed to God ... we ought to forgive one another and others.
II. The Blessing
Philemon 1:20; “Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord.”
Paul had already told Philemon of the refreshment he had been to others.
Philemon 1:7; “For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.”
Paul wanted to receive a blessing of joy because of Philemon forgiving Onesimus. I often wonder how many times our unforgiveness towards others is a hindrance to someone coming to faith in the Lord.
Have you thought about being a blessing to others, by forgiving those who have offended you? Others are watching us!
Are we a blessing to others in our forgiveness or a hindrance in our unforgiveness? The invested interest is reconciliation and unity. When we, as a part of God’s church forgive others, it pronounces a blessing in that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing.
III. The Obedience
Philemon 21; “Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.”
Paul is saying he has confidence in Philemon obeying and forgiving. Paul has not commanded forgiveness, but has requested forgiveness through the positive reinforcement of encouragement.
John 14:15; “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
Obligation may be the point of our obedience but it ought to be love. We love God because through Christ he has forgiven us, therefore we should love forgiveness and become obedient in it.
Colossians 3:12-13; “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”
· Whose we are ... forgiven of God.
· What we wear ... dressed in forgiveness.
· What we do ... forgive as forgiven.
Paul says I am confident you will forgive out of your desire to obey.
IV. The Accountability
Philemon 22; “But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.”
Paul was holding Philemon accountable. His desire is to return to Philemon and the church and when he came Philemon would have to explain what he did. Would Philemon forgive or not forgive? Paul was exercising a bit of spiritual authority.
Today most do not like accountability. We enjoy the free willing of doing what I want and when I want. But in the kingdom of God there is always accountability.
Hebrews 13:17; “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
I wear a lot of different hats. I am a husband, a father, a chaplain, a pastor and many other things and titles. What encourages me and motivates me is that I understand that one day I will stand before God and give account to God, not for my sins because praise God they have been paid for, but for what kind of a husband I was to Teena; what kind of father I was to Ryan and Lindsey; how I served those under my care as a chaplain and a pastor.
Romans 14:12; “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Paul saw himself accountable for Philemon’s life action as well as Onesimus’.
If we all saw it this way, maybe, just maybe, there would be more forgiveness.
V. The Fellowship
Philemon 23; “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.”
Paul reminds Philemon in a round about way ... that he like Paul is a part of a greater fellowship ... the Church.
Five others knew of the situation Philemon was faced with and they expected what Paul expected. They expected forgiveness and the fellowship that would be produced from it.
· We are not alone ... we are a part of one another.
· We cannot act independently of each other.
· We are responsible to each other to help create the atmosphere of forgiveness.
Fellowship with God and His family ... moves us to forgive.
Close
Philemon 1:25; “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”
God’s grace is how He forgives us. Grace is the fertile ground from which forgiveness grows out of. Grace motivates us to forgive. Grace is dispensed in forgiveness.
What resides in your "spirit" will either allow you to venture into the process of forgiveness or keep you imprisoned in the hurt and pain of being offended.
