We continue our series in Philemon and our sermon for today will concentrate on vv.15-16. And I read
For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant[a] but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
In our lives as individuals, how do we respond or react when things do not go well for us as expected or as planned? Does our Christian beliefs come in at all? Or in moments of disappointments, our beliefs vanish. My question really is that how do you approach life. Do you have a narrow view of life living for the here and now or you have a bigger perspective about life? That brings me to the sermon title for this morning “The Big Picture.”
I will address these from three main points: Living In Light Of God’s Sovereignty Over Life, Living In Light Of God’s Sovereignty Over Salvation and Living In Light of Eternity. These three are the bigger picture I want us to attend to.
What Is The Big Picture?
The big picture is defined simply as “the entire perspective on a situation or issue”
For the Christian Scripture must undergird the entire perspective on any situation or issue. It means that any perspective we hold on matters must square up with Scripture. You cannot call yourself a Christian and be holding and practising contrary views to what Scripture teaches. Our perspectives must be consistent with what Scripture teaches.
Here are some of the most basic perspectives we must hold about life. We believe there is God; we believe God has revealed himself to humanity through Jesus Christ; we believe the problem of this world is a problem of sin; we believe only faith in Christ can save us from our sins; we believe in the equality of all human beings; we believe in the sanctity of life; we believe in sexual purity; we believe in life after death and a future judgement where God will judge all. We believe in the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ that he is the only way to God the Father: “I am lthe way, and mthe truth, and nthe life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6)
The last time I spoke, we saw Paul mediating peace between Philemon and Onesimus. We looked at the manner he went about it and how he modelled Christ’s example (vv.8-9). While Paul tries to broker peace or bring reconciliation between Philemon and Onesimus, he presented what I see as a Christian perspective. He calls on Philemon to look at the bigger picture. We will now attempt to look at some things Paul brings Philemon’s attention to.
Living In Light Of God’s Sovereignty
Paul explains the events that has happened from the Christian perspective of the Sovereignty of God. “For this perhaps is why he was parted from you…” (v.15). This is what we could call a purpose clause: Paul is explaining what happened. And he points to a greater goal: “that you may have him forever…as a beloved brother.”
Paul’s explanation of the events in Philemon points to the Sovereignty of God.
What’s the Sovereignty of God?
The Sovereignty of God is the biblical teaching that all things are under God’s rule and control, and that nothing happens without His direction or permission. God works not just some things but all things according to the counsel of His own will (see Eph. 1:11). His purposes are all-inclusive and never thwarted (see Isa. 46:11); nothing takes Him by surprise. The sovereignty of God is not merely that God has the power and right to govern all things, but that He does so, always and without exception (theopedia.com/Sovereingty of God).
In the Sovereignty of God, we affirm God is in control of events of life including the very minute details of our lives. In the Christian worldview, there are no coincidences, chances, probabilities, accidents, luck and untimely deaths. No, we affirm God is Sovereign over all events. And God was Sovereignly working for a greater good in Onesimus and Philemon’s life.
How do you explain events in your life and more broadly, how do you explain world events? Are things that happen around us and in our own life’s haphazard events? Mere coincidences? No. God is in control of all things. God works all things towards the greater purpose of his will. The popular Scripture Romans 8:28 comes in here: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” We must never assume that this Scripture means everything will go well. No, it simply means that God will use every situation to conform us to the image of Christ. Verse 29: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
Do remember our first and second reading? Joseph told his brothers: “And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God…” (Genesis 45:7-8). In Genesis 50:20 also, he told his brothers: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Onesimus run away. Paul’s explains it as the sovereignty of God at work? Is God responsible for Onesimus’ running away from his master? Absolutely no. Whatever sins Onesimus committed against Philemon, he is solely liable and responsible. Yet God used the events to work out his purposes.
Notice how Paul uses the word “perhaps”: This is important because though Paul is explaining the events considering God’s sovereignty, he doesn’t speak as though he indeed knows about the counsel of God on this matter. But then looking at the turn of events, on hindsight he can deduce that God was at work.
Dear brothers and sisters, from the testimony of Scriptures, you and I can take comfort in the Sovereignty of God. Nothing can happen to us that is at the blind side of God.
Living In Light Of God’s Sovereignty In Salvation
The common thing binding all the characters in this letter we noted in one of the series is that they are all brothers and sisters made possible by the salvation of Christ (Philemon 1:1-2).
The relationship shared amongst them is in Christ. Now all of them encountered Christ in a different way. Paul encountered Christ on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians (Acts 9; Acts 22), Timothy encountered Christ through his grandmother and mother’s teachings (2Timothy 1:5) and Philemon and Onesimus all encountered Christ through Paul’s ministry (Philemon 1:10;19).
Our focus mainly is on Onesimus. His salvation happened when he fled the house of his Master Philemon. Notice that from the opening of Philemon, we understand there was a church in Philemon’s house. (v.2) How is it that Onesimus did not get saved in Philemon’s house but got saved when he was in exile? I don’t know the answer, but I can say with Paul that,
15For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a bondservant[a] but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
From the previous point, I make a further point that the salvation of sinners is the sovereign work of God by his spirit. Nobody can determine when a sinner will be saved. Only God knows when he will bring his own to salvation. And indeed he will bring his own to salvation. In his discourse with Nicodemus, Jesus described this sovereign act of salvation
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit (John 3:8)
To be born of the Spirit is what is popularly called born again. It means the spirit of God changes our hearts and we come to believe in Christ for salvation. In the discourse with Nicodemous, one thing was clear; everyone that is naturally born is born into sin and has to experience this rebirth before they can be reconciled to God. Salvation is solely a work of God. A work we contributed nothing to: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God. Not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8).
Have you experienced this new life I am talking about? Can you indeed say you have been reconciled to God? Settle this matter before you leave here. You may ask, but how? I will answer: Believe! Believe in Christ! Repent! Turn away from your sins and turn to Jesus in faith.
Living In Light of Eternity
Look at the contrast presented in two phrases in verse 15: “for a while…back forever.” This contrast is important. In my preparation, I saw the sense in the contrast “for a while and back forever” but I was finding difficulty in crafting or putting the words together that will express my understanding at the moment. And often when I encounter such situations in my preparations, I just get up and pace up and down trying to figure out and construct the right words or phrase.
But this time while doing that, I picked my phone and just opened to my facebook app randomly, and as if by providence, the first words I saw on a friends post was like light shining in darkness. It was a quote of Paul Washer. And it read
“Why would we want fame, when God promises us glory”
This was it! I crafted the words I was looking for in that quote— “temporal and permanent.” Fame is temporal. Glory is eternal. I
Look closely at the text. (15For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever). It does present us with two categories of looking at things: “temporal and permanent”.
So what Paul is saying is that, Onesimus running away was only temporal. His coming back was permanent. Friends, this appears to be a consistent pattern of a Christian worldview as captured in Scripture. Events of this life have a temporal and permanent effect to it. Life here is transient. There is eternal life after this. Life here is fleeting. But there is an everlasting life after here. This is a consistent view of Scripture. The temporal and the permanent. These are biblical categories:
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18)
since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you (1 Peter 1:23-25).
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth (Colossians 3:1-2).
The Christian worldview is not myopic. We are not shortsighted. We look at events in our life with a sense of eternity. And that is what Paul is bringing to Philemon’s attention concerning Onesimus. How is Philemon going to have Onesimus back forever. Think about it. This letter was written 2000 years ago. Paul, Philemon, Onesimus are all dead and gone. How then does Paul tell Philemon he will have Onesimus forever.
That is where the picture of eternity comes in. Now that Onesimus has been saved and become a brother to Philemon, in eternity, they will continue to be brothers.
Blood and earthly relationships between siblings, parents and spouses are temporal relationships if they are not believers. Very soon we will all die and be parted from one another in eternity. The only relationships that will last even in eternity is the relationship between believers. All of us who have come to faith in Christ Jesus will one day spend eternity together in the presence of God. That is the sense in which Philemon is having Onesimus back forever: look at the last phrase of verse 16: “both in the flesh and in the Lord” This speaks of a bond of brotherhood that is both natural and eternal.
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