Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19990221.htm

PHILEMON: DESTROYING INSTITUTIONAL EVIL WITH INDIVIDUAL GRACIOUSNESS
Part II: Continuing To Overcome Evil In Institutions By Exampling Courageous, Personal Repentance
(Philemon 18, 10-11, 12, 15-16)
  1. Introduction
    1. Many believers are concerned about the depth of evil in the institutions around them. For example, not only does the Supreme Court sanction abortion-on-demand, the Editor of a local newspaper, the Winsted Voice, recently tried to suggest that abortion-on-demand is good to hold down society's murder rate! In other words, this editor suggests murdering the unborn holds down murder of society in general!
    2. Since we believers are to make disciples of all nations according to Acts 1:8, that commission eventually faces and counters such institutional evils. The only question is how to do so effectively and uprightly!
    3. The second part of Paul's Epistle to Philemon shows how we can example courageous, personal repentance of personal evil that is reflected in society's institutions to counter evil in them as follows:
  2. Continuing To Overcome Evil In Institutions By Exampling Courageous, Personal Repentance.
    1. When Paul wrote his epistle to Philemon, Onesimus, whom Paul had led to Christ, was in danger of being crucified by fellow believer, Master Philemon for being a thieving, runaway slave:
      1. Onesimus had run from his Christian master after having apparently stolen from him, ending up in Rome where Paul had led him to Christ, Philemon 10-11, 15-16, 18.
      2. Philemon, Onesimus' master, could legally have crucified Onesimus for such a crime, J. B. Lightfoot, Colossians and Philemon, p. 314.
    2. Paul sought to overcome the evil retribution often practiced on slaves in such cases by getting Onesimus to example courageous, personal repentance before Philemon and the whole Christian community:
      1. First, Paul had not only led Onesimus to faith in Christ, but urged him to do what another slave might never do -- return to his rightful master under Roman law though it might cause his being crucified, 12.
      2. Second, Onesimus had heeded Paul due to no capacity on Paul's part to force him to return, but due to his own conscience as a personal act of great courage.
        1. The fact that we have this personal letter of Paul's in the canon, the only such personal Pauline letter in Scripture, shows that it had made a landmark impact on the issue of slavery in the Early Christian Church. As such, the letter must have reached its destination!
        2. Recalling that Paul was a prisoner who was incapable of forcing Onesimus to return to his master, we know Onesimus returned courageously at potentially great personal sacrifice, cf. Philemon 1, 12.
      3. Third, Onesimus returned intent on living a repentant life as a brother in Christ to Philemon, 10f, 15f.
      4. Fourth, Onesimus returned intent on trusting God to use Paul in his behalf to take care of the issue of his having stolen goods he could not apparently repay, Philemon 18-19. He came back in faith!
    3. The fact that this letter is in the canon as a landmark guide on handling runaway slaves who believe reveals that Onesimus' courageous, repentant return to Philemon was influential in Philemon's withholding punishment on Onesimus. That meant that it also stopped the usual evil retribution against this slave.
Lesson: Institutional evils can be countered through Christians (1) in God's power (2) facing their own sins that mirror such institutional evils, and (2) repenting of them (3) in the courage, personal self-sacrifice and faith in God needed to acco mplish such repentance. (4) This action, when seen by those in evil instutions influences them to practice similar personal introspection and repentance.

Application: (1) If we are bothered by seeing evil in an institution, the FIRST action should be SELF EXAMINATION and REPENTANCE of beams in our own eyes. (3) Once THAT occurs, we can see clearly to take out the evil speck that is in the eye of th e institution, cf. Mtt. 7:1-2, 3-5.

Illustration: If we hate the Voice Editor for his view on abortion and social murder, we practice MURDER in God's eyes according to 1 Jn. 3:15a! That makes us no better than the editor or those who practice abortion-on-demand in God's eyes! Thus, we must repent of our HATRED and work for the Voice Editor's salvation as a prerequisite to responding to his problematic editorial!