by Mr G. D. Buss, A Vice-President of the Society

We read in Isaiah 55.11, ‘So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it’. This blessed truth of inspiration not only assures us that ‘Every word of God is pure’ (Proverbs 30.5), but also that being God’s Word it will have a profound effect in the hearts and lives of those to whom it comes with power. Indeed, inspiration is spoken of by Peter as ‘holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost’ (2 Peter 1.21) and ‘the Spirit of Christ which was in them’ (1 Peter 1.11). This being so, the ultimate aim of Divine inspiration is to bring sinners to repentance, and that it is the ‘Spirit of Christ’ which is in them governing the renewed man in the way of faith.

Thus, inspiration has a personal and a practical aspect, as the same Spirit Who penned the sacred Word moves in the hearts and lives of God’s children.

The short epistle which Paul was inspired to write to Philemon illustrates this principle very appropriately. Indeed, the epistle closes with the exhortation: ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit’ (Philemon 25). Noticeably the same words end the epistle of Paul to the Galatians, where another gospel other than the inspired Gospel had caused some to turn aside to legality.

In the epistle to Philemon we see three men who in different ways needed the Spirit of Christ.

Contentment

We have the Apostle Paul in a prison cell, yet not one word of complaint do we hear from his lips. Rather, he sees it as an opportunity to proclaim Christ in a place where otherwise His dear Name would never have been mentioned. He tells the church at Philippi: ‘I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content’ (Philippians 4.11). It was the Spirit of Christ in him who enabled him to confess: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me’ (Philippians 4.13). Paul believed that he was there for a purpose, for the honour and glory of his Master. This is also clearly seen in the case of the second man in the epistle, Onesimus.

Confession

Onesimus was among the band of prodigals. He had a godly master, Philemon, and we are not given any hint that he was mistreated in Philemon’s house. However, it would seem that Onesimus, his servant (or slave), wanted a different life to the godly life that Philemon exemplified. To Onesimus it was ‘greener over the fence’, especially when he thought of the great metropolis, Rome, where he anticipated that he could live a life free from the restraints which galled his natural instincts. So he fled to Rome, apparently taking some of his master’s money with him. Little did he anticipate that the God of his master was watching over his fleeing steps. In the providence of God, Onesimus came into contact with the Apostle Paul, perhaps moved by curiosity like Zacchaeus, and came under the sound of the truth and was brought to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But now comes the test of the reality of the change: Onesimus must return to Philemon and say ‘sorry’. To this end Paul sent him with this epistle to give to Philemon. The natural man, through pride, often finds the word ‘sorry’ hard to say. But real repentance is spoken of as ‘godly sorrow’ and ‘not to be repented of’ (2 Corinthians 7.10). So in a different circumstance to Paul, Onesimus needed the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Spirit of Christ to move him.

Consolation

But what of Philemon? Paul remarks on the great joy he had in the consolation that Philemon showed to others (Philemon 7). This brother now needed that grace to forgive Onesimus. Sadly an unforgiving spirit is all too common even among those who profess the Name of our Lord Jesus. How Paul exhorts Philemon ‘for love’s sake’ to receive Onesimus back as a brother beloved in the Lord (cf. Philemon 16), generously offering to repay the stolen money that had been taken. If we truly realise the stupendous love of God in Christ Jesus in forgiving us of our numerous trespasses, it should not be a question as to whether we should forgive those who have offended us. A forgiven sinner is a forgiving sinner!

Thus, the Word of God did not return unto Him void. He who moved Paul to write, moved the heart of each to walk in the precept of the inspired Word, and in so doing brought honour and glory to Him whose Word it is. May ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit’ (Philemon 25).

First published in Quarterly Record 649. Published online on 11 November 2024.