A Living Lesson on Forgiveness

You gotta treat this like the way Christ treated you. Same principle that he put in Ephesians 432 Colossians 313 forgive as you have been forgiven and that's basically the background of this come with a surprising amount of written information, you may find yourself waiting through a huge amount of technical data when all you want are the nuts and bolts directions. You don't need more theoretical you want the practical, well you may know a lot of what we call the technical information about forgiveness the biblical commands to forgive others, but if you're looking for a real-life example of how to forgive you come to the right place. Stay with us today on grace to you as John MacArthur considers a living lesson on forgiveness. Part of his current series titled the New Testament beginning to end, and now here's John other priority or forgiveness is not only given in Scripture and principal. It's not only given in Scripture. In the parable, but it is given in Scripture in personal terms, and it's in the book of Philemon.

Let's read the first three verses, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved brother and fellow worker and to Appia, our sister, and to our campus. Our fellow soldier and to the church in your house. Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

And so it is then from Paul along with the greetings of Timothy to Philemon. Further, verse two addresses the letter to Althea our sister that no doubt is his wife. I think the King James is Appia our beloved, the better reading is Appia our sister or sister in Christ, and again this is most certainly Philemon's wife and also a friend of Paul.

Then he says and to our campus. Our fellow soldier. Most likely this is their son, their son, our campus and older son and a noble Christian who had come alongside Paul in the spiritual battle somewhere valiantly in that war and is commended for his spiritual life over and Colossians 417. Our campus is mentioned again. Philemon is never mentioned anywhere else, and neither is Appia, but our campus is mentioned there.

As Paul writes to the Colossian church, he says to our campus. Take heed to the ministry which you received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.

So this young man was in the ministry. We don't know to what extent are and what specific but here was a father and a mother with the church in their house and the son who was in the ministry. He had served no doubt in Colossae and had served also in Laodicea as the note at the end of the letter to the Colossians indicates this little family is very important in the life of Paul, and with the issue of forgiveness.

At stake becomes an opportunity for Paul to make a very important point. The Holy Spirit wants him to make the end of verse to the church in your house up all the letter read there.

It was a private letter but he wanted to read so that the whole church would hold Philemon accountable for this and so that they would all learn the lesson of forgiveness and so they were all know how to treat the forgiven man now I need a note for you when you go back in ancient times, most churches would have met in a home if they were not meeting outdoors church buildings didn't start until the third century they were meeting in homes.

This was very typical.

Still, there are places in the world where churches even today.

Still, median homes, there's nothing necessarily sacred about that. But church buildings didn't really develop until about the third century of the oldest known church is been found in eastern Syria in a place called Dürer Europa's and they believe it takes around 232 A.D. that would be in the third century.

So at this time before church buildings were built as such their meeting in homes and here was a house church in his house in verse three we find the standard greeting and I can spend a lot of time on it. He says Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. There is the typical standard Christian greeting, grace the means of salvation. Peace.

The result of salvation and may I also note, I can't resist saying that when it says from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ, the union of those two together would be blasphemous if Jesus were a man, or an angel. Can you understand that this must be understood as an affirmation of the deity of Jesus Christ. If Jesus were a man to make that kind of combination would be blasphemous if Jesus were an angel to make that kind of combination would be blasphemous for it is saying that grace which saves and peace, which is the result of it calms as its source from God and the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore they must be divine both investors. Paul introduce his letter, the only one of his prison letters to an individual has been much written about the purpose of this letter. I don't want to spend long time but I will give you little feel for how this letter has been approached. Some think the purpose of this letter is to demonstrate the nature of Christian love and certainly that is present here. Some suggest that the purpose is to reveal the working of God's providence and certainly there is that element.

Some suggest, is an example of proper manners and Christian courtesy. There are no commands. There is nothing offensive just the pleadings of love and certainly that's true. Some think it's purpose is to give principles for the maintenance of good Christian relations. Some suggest that the purpose of the letters to reveal the effect of conversion on culture and society. Some believe in many believe this that it's an attack on the institution of slavery and the purpose of Philemon was to tear down slavery. Well, certainly the principles of Philemon will have an effect upon the abuses of slavish relationships. No question about that, but it must be noted because this last one is the most popular approach seemingly no place in Scripture.

Is there any effort ever made to abolish slavery and at no time did any prophets or preachers or teachers are apostles of the New Testament ever attacked slavery, but any call to righteous living.

Any call to holy love will eliminate the abuses that are in any social system. In fact, quite the contrary. There are throughout the New Testament. Many many texts where slavery becomes a model of Christian principle. Slavery becomes a picture, as it were, of how we are related to God as his slaves and his servants and repeatedly whether Ephesians 6 or Colossians 4 or first Timothy six wanted to her first Peter 218.

Slaves are told to be obedient, submissive and loyal and faithful to their masters. The matter how they act, and masters are told to treat their slaves would love an equity and kindness and fairness matter what they might do so while nothing attacks the institution of slavery. Everything in Christian principle attacks the abuses of any social system including slavery.

Slavery was so much a part of the Roman Empire. The whole society was built on it. By the time of Christ. Slavery was in this early what we think it is today. It had been modified. There had been some laws passed and in very many cases, slaves were treated very well. In fact, if you read any of the ancient literature around the time of Christ. You will find that most writers will say a man was better off, a slave that he was a runaway slave very often better off, a slave that he was even a free man because as a slave, he was assured of care and food and a place to sleep and if he had a good and kind master life was very prosperous for him slaves. By the time of Christ could be fully educated in every discipline. Many of them in fact, when in the medical professions. Slaves could take the benefit of owning their own property and developing their own economics and their own economy slaves could leave their estates to their own children, so by the time of Christ. Slavery had moved away from many of the earlier abuses, though those abuses still in some cases did occur will see that even in the book of James, where some Christians who must've been a slaves or servants were treated in a very unkind and physically abusive way, but slavery was changing and the Christian gospel coming into that world and the Christian preachers were not about to change the focus on to a social issue from a spiritual one.

You can only imagine that if Jesus and the apostles had begun to attack slavery.

What would've happened in the Roman Empire. 60 million slaves were bowling would've been an unbelievable situation. Society would've been thrown into such chaos and disarray and even you can imagine that when the such such a rebellion would've begun. Slaves would've been crushed and massacred savagely so there was some reason in the changing mood of the Roman Empire to see some hope for abolishing slavery and that hope would come through change hearts. The seeds of the end of slavery were sown in the Roman Empire by the Christian gospel and eventually slavery died just as everywhere in the world. Slavery has died. When the Christian gospel came. It certainly was true in America. Eventually Christianity as he introduces a new relationship between a man and a man relationship in which external differences don't matter and we are one in Christ you are Gentile slave or free, there is neither Greek nor Jew said Paul circumcision on circumcision barbarian or Scythian, slave or free man. This does not attack the institution of slavery. In fact does the very opposite of that. It tells a slave to go back to his master and be the kind of slave he ought to be to a faithful and loving master its theme then is forgiveness that is its message. That is its intent. Story behind the letter makes that absolutely clear to me read you the story were going to make just a few comments on it. Verse four I thank my God always always making mention of you in my prayers because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you, for Christ sake, for I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you brother. Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do that which is proper yet for love's sake, I rather appeal to you.

Since I am such a person is called the agent and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I appeal to you for my child whom I have begotten in my imprisonment own estimates who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me and I sent them back to you in person that is sending my very heart whom I wish to keep with me that in your behalf. You might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel but without your consent. I didn't want to do anything that your goodness should not be as it were, by compulsion but of your own free will.

Or perhaps he was for this reason parted from you for a while that you should have him back forever. No longer is a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you both in the flesh and in the Lord, if then you regard me a partner except a measure would meet.

But if he is wrong you in any way or owes you anything charge that to my account. There, this is an incredible story. Philemon was led to Christ by Paul, probably during Paul's three years in Ephesus. As I said, though he lived in Colossae he met Paul he had a slave in the slaves name was Owen Nessa, Miss and the relationship of these two people Philemon and known estimates is really the context of this call to forgiveness. The story is fascinating. Years had passed since Philemon's conversion.

Paul is now a prisoner in Rome.

Philemon is active in ministry and his churches got the church meeting in his house.

He's busy serving refreshing the brother and by his usefulness is slave own estimates, not a believer probably felt the heat of a believing family off. He and his wife having been converted and are As their son Nessim is decided that he would be better off to runaway even though his family that he was employed by was a good family and so he ran away as the text indicates when he ran away, took some money he stole from his master now. Slavery was changing, but it wasn't changing so much that a slave could steal wasn't changing so much that a slave could run away somewhat tell us that in some places the death penalty for such activity was still in place and that slave could lose his life. Others would say the punishment was a severe imprisonment or even physical corporal punishment. Nessim was had committed by all Roman law a crime a felony. A major crime had left and tried to hide. Sometimes when a slave ran away and was caught they would put an F burn and if into his head, F4 fugitive us fugitive.

Some of them we know in history were crucified, some were tortured, running away was a serious offense. He ran where I would suppose you would think he would run.

He ran to Rome because that was the biggest city. The estimate as the population was about 870,000 at this time and he thought he could hide himself in the underworld of Rome and try to survive. We talk about street people. Today we talk about the homeless. He would be one of them he would be living in the underground sleeping and back alleys, holes in the ground. One study of the sacred treasury of the Romans for the years 81 to 49. That would be BC included taxes for manumission. Manumission means the releasing of slaves. Slavery was changing so fast that people were releasing their slaves every time they release the slave 5% of the value of that slave had to be paid to the government in finding this ancient study of the years 81 to 49 and using the amount of money that is recorded in the records. The conclusion is that in that 30 year. 500,000 slaves were freed just in that 30 year period.

The records of Augustine Caesar show that when Masters died. Typically, slaves were freed wholesale if a master died all his slaves were free. This became such a problem. You got 500,000 slaves and they all are moving toward the cities, but it been freed. You got people dying in frame all their slaves and the number is so great that the that the government made a lot in the time of Caesar addresses the law was that when a man died he could never freed more than a certain percentage of his slaves if he had five you get free want to be attending it free to why because there was a glut of homeless, unemployed running all over the place in the Roman Empire. Even though slaves again. Most of the rights of freemen, even though they could be educated in all fields, even though they had better living conditions than the freemen when they stayed in the place where they were employed by their master, they had better food and better close they were treated better.

They were part of a family. They were used to teach the children provide medical care for the children. They took care of the finances they were allowed to marry, they were allowed to own property. They could develop their own life. They were allowed in every religion.

Still, many of them ran the dream of freedom. The ended up in a worse situation. Who knows what kind of mess will Nessim us was in by the amazing providence of God. Think of it in a city of somewhere around 870,000, or nearly a million people. He ran into the apostle Paul. Now you got to imagine that he had some personal needs right and maybe he knew that Paul was preaching there and he wanted to hear this man preach it even though Paul was a prisoner.

He must've had some access such an imprisonment. It may have taken different forms which gave Paul not only access to his friends, which are shown having some relation to them. But even to unbelievers all persuaded on Nessim was to become a Christian and he was converted his life was transformed. Not only that, he became a help to Paul tells us, as we noted in the text that he became a very encouraging servant to Paul in his confinement.

Maybe he cooked meals for them and brought them to give them proper nourishment may be provided information to him. We don't know.

But as much as Paul loved him as much. As Paul wanted to keep you Paul knew there was some had to be settled. He was a criminal. This man in the relationship between on estimates and Philemon was not right and you know Philemon was still holding this bitterness against a very close friend for on estimates even though a slave would've been a household slave and a very close companion on estimates was at fault. Philemon was a good Christian master Philemon had been greatly wronged by on estimates because financially he had stolen from, and also losing your employee like that would mean you'd have to hire someone else and you have to pay another price for another one.

So Paul knew he had to go back yet to go back with an attitude of repentance and had to go back and ask Philemon for forgiveness and the opportunity posed itself to send them back why Paul finished Colossians, and he had finished Ephesians and he was going to send them back to those two churches with a man named to check us so it was just the perfect opportunity to send Philemon's runaway slave in Colossians chapter 4 just a note as to all my affairs. He says to Chuck as our beloved brother and faithful servant and fell upon serving the Lord will bring you information, then verse nine and with him on estimates so we sending to chickens with these two letters and with on estimates and others riskier because Philemon would have the right to punish on estimates. Paul decides to send them back anyway, but not without a letter so we send this letter and what it basically says is you gotta forgive this guy you gotta be willing to be merciful. You gotta treat this slave. The way Christ treated you. Same principle that he put in Ephesians 432 Colossians 313 forgive as you have been forgiven and that's basically the background of this story what's going to happen when he goes back well the rest of the book from verse four on splits into three parts of just mention it splits into three parts. The first part versus 4 to 7 basically deals with the spiritual character of one who forgives what kind of person is a forgiving person to see that in verses 4 to 7 then the second part of the book is the spiritual action of one who forgives first look at the character of her. Forgive her and then we look at the action of a forgive her versus 818 and then from verses 19 to 25 is the spiritual motivation of one who forgives. By the time were done with this book. Your know what forgiving person is like in character in action and in motivation and this is essential. You are never more like God. Then when you forget and you have been forgiven, and therefore because of the forgiveness of God in Christ you want to forgive one another and if you don't forgive one another.

Then God relationally is going to keep his distance from you and put his hand of chastening on you, rather than his hand a blessed yes yourself the question of all of the subjects that Paul could've written about why in the world to depict the subject of forgiveness. This is this just this little isolated kind of kind of odd, out of sync, obtuse, tangential little letter stuck in the middle of these great sweeping epistles to talk to one guy about forgiving one slave why all this class again I say because it never is a believer, more like God more like Christ.

And when he or she forgive because that's the nature of God and the nature of Christ, which is most wonderfully applied to us in salvation. We read throughout the New Testament only be like Christ be like Christ walk like he walked.

Remember Jesus Christ be followers of me as I am of Christ. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ. What is that meat were to be like Christ. What does it mean to be like Christ will for sure it means to be what forgiving because that's how we know him as the one who forgave us all our sins. The character of God's forgiveness is seen in the parable of the prodigal son eager lavish loving forgiveness and the severity of chastening for one who doesn't forget is seen in the parable of the king and the servant. This is a central theme in all of Scripture. Father, we thank you that we've just been able to introduce this wonderful little book and we do believe that you're going to transform us so that we become more like Jesus Christ, who forgave us all our sins and to set the pattern for us to forgive each other. Lord, I'm sure that even as we are in this moment of prayer looking into our own hearts, we can identify someone that we need to forgive someone who is wronged us, someone who has been unkind, unfair someone who has made life difficult and painful someone who has cheated us stolen from us, something precious, tangible or intangible someone who has misrepresented us. But Lord we need to forgive father make us to be forgiving as we go through this little book. May we develop the character the action motivation.

Those who forgive pray in Christ. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us. Today's lesson is part of a series that highlights influential sermons from John's decades of pulpit ministry.

The series is titled the New Testament beginning to end. John, you said before that the Christian is never more like God than when he or she practices what you talked about today. Forgiveness still to that man or woman who's listening now.

I'm sure that it's not always clear how to forgive someone who's offended them, especially if the person in the wrong is not even asking for forgiveness. Look, let's make it simple. When a relationship is destroyed. Don't care what relationship it is. I don't care what the reason is when a relationship is destroyed.

It is always at the end because of an inability to forgive. That's what ins relationships any kind of relationship where there is forgiveness there is reconciliation restoration. There's nothing more devastating in the life of a person, then the lack of forgiveness not only because that relationship where that none forgiveness exists is permanently violated, but because that lack of forgiveness creates bitterness and resentment that eats away at the person who won't forgive. I wrote a book some years ago called the freedom and power of forgiveness.

That's exactly right.

Forgiveness is freeing lack of forgiveness is bondage. Forgiveness is powerful. It's not weak you're not weak when you forgive.

Forgiveness is a powerful powerful agent that creates goodwill demonstrates love that produces reconciliation, restoration, well-being, peace, joy. I would love to get a copy of this book to every listener of grace to you, you, it should be a manual for your life and the relationship so you're going to experience it's available, reasonably priced, the freedom and power of forgiveness and by the way, this is a full-length book you're gonna work through what the Bible says about forgiveness at every level and there is even a section on the atonement of Christ and one on the unpardonable sin so call us contact us and get a copy of the freedom and power of forgiveness. Do it today. Yes, do that, friend. Whether you are struggling with a strained relationship yourself for your looking for, encouraging counsel to offer a friend. This book can help. It's a great book order the freedom and power of forgiveness. When you contact us today to pick up your copy, call toll-free 855 grace or you can shop online@jidety.org the title the book again the freedom and power of forgiveness.

And like many of John's books. It's also available in Spanish to order a copy for yourself for one to give a friend go to TTY.org or call us at 855 grace and when you visit TTY.org take advantage of the various opportunities to listen to John's verse by verse teaching you can download more than 3500 sermons free of charge in audio or transcript format.

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All of that and much more is available for free@tty.org now for John MacArthur and the entire staff on Phil Johnson with a question for you. What is faith. John MacArthur considers that critical subject.

Tomorrow, with another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on wasting