“For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;”(Philemon 1:15, KJV)
The Letter of Philemon was written alongside Colossians, both sent to the church at Colossae. Colossians is a doctrinal letter that reveals Christ in His fullness, while Philemon is a personal letter that illustrates what belonging to Christ looks like—namely, forgiveness.
Onesimus was a servant in Philemon’s household, where the church at Colossae gathered. He had been “unprofitable” (v. 11) and had likely run away, leaving behind some offense (v. 15). By God's providence, his path crossed with Paul’s in Rome, and through the apostle’s preaching, Onesimus was born again—"My son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds" (v. 10). This letter was more than a simple recommendation; it was an appeal for Onesimus to be received not as a fugitive but as a Christian brother. Under Roman law, Philemon had the right to punish him, even with death, but Paul urged him to see the situation through the lens of grace.
Grace was at work in Paul’s imprisonment. Grace led Onesimus to Paul. Grace brought conviction and salvation. And now, grace was calling Philemon to forgive and receive him—not merely as a servant, but as a beloved brother (v. 16). Paul even suggests that God had orchestrated it all:
"For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved..."
Paul expected Philemon and the church at Colossae to extend the same grace that had transformed Onesimus. And so it is today—we never know when God’s grace is at work in someone’s life. They may be lost in sin, running from their past, yet even in their rebellion, God is moving, leading them to a place where grace can abound. When that grace brings repentance, we must respond in kind, forgiving as we have been forgiven.
Consider, too, how grace led Paul to house arrest in Rome. It wasn’t just Onesimus who believed, but many others as well:
"And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him."(Acts 28:30-31, KJV)
Perhaps God's grace places us in difficult circumstances not just for our own sake but for others. It may be to teach us eternal truths, as with Paul’s prison epistles, or to bring the gospel to those who would never hear it otherwise. Whether in life's losses or its gains, in our pains or our comforts, grace is always at work.
Are you in Paul’s position, awaiting God’s purpose in difficulty? Are you Onesimus, needing to return and make things right? Or are you Philemon, called to extend grace to someone who has wronged you?
Whatever your role, don’t spoil the beautiful work of grace with an out-of-tune heart. Instead, embrace it. Trust that God is orchestrating every detail. That situation you thought was a setback? That person who hurt you? Perhaps—just perhaps—this is all grace at work.
And if it is grace, let’s respond to it with grace.
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