Prisoner of________?

Philemon. Along with Paul's prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians), Paul drops a post card in the mail to Philemon. Paul wrote Philemon to implore him to forgive and receive his runaway slave, Onesimus, back as a new brother in Christ. Onesimus was Philemon's slave and he apparently had helped himself to some of his master's possessions (v.18), and then fled to Rome. This escape was punishable by death. When a slave ran away, the master would register the name and description with the officials, and the slave would be posted on the "most wanted" list. So Onesimus, like most escapees would do, fled to Rome to get lost in the crowd. Somehow his path crossed the Apostle Paul's, and Paul led him to Christ (v.10). Now Onesimus is faced with doing the right thing by returning back to his master. So Paul takes up the pen and writes a wonderful letter of intercession on Onesimus' behalf and implores Philemon to forgive him and receive him as a brother in Christ. This little letter is a powerful lesson on forgiveness and restoration. Now some lessons of application for us:

1. Like Onesimus, we stand guilty of crimes before God, and we then run seeking freedom in the wrong places. But it's only in Christ where we find true freedom.

2. (v.1) Paul opens the letter identifying himself as a prisoner, not as a prisoner of Rome, but as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. Everyone is a prisoner of someone or something. Some are imprisoned by passion or pride or popularity, power, addictions, or even by an unforgiving spirit, hate and bitterness. And some are even imprisoned by success. What about you?

3. Forgiveness is most Christ-like when it is given to the undeserving.

4. The Gospel reconciles people not only to God but also to one another.

As you examine your heart, are there people you need to forgive, regardless of the wrong they have done to you? What steps could you take today, in Christ, toward forgiveness and healing?