James 5

The Ministry of Reconciliation {James 5}

8:30 AM

Today's Passage: James 5

Do you know of anyone whose faith-walk is not at all what it used to be? They used to be in church whenever the doors where open faithfully serving whenever and wherever they could. Giving to help others less fortunate, until one day you happened to noticed that they were gone from the halls of the church.

For some it seemed a slow-fade, excuses kept mounting up. The desire to serve, to attend even fellowships waned, until finally they didn't want to even talk about God's Word, or have anything to do with our faith.

What do you do when you come across someone like that?

Whenever I think of chapter five in the Book of James, I immediately think of the passage on prayer found in James 5:13-18, and I was prepared today to head there and write another article on prayer, but it was James' closing words that grabbed my attention this time:

"My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,  let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." James 5:19-20
 I've always loved the Book of James for it's so practical, and here in the last chapter he seems to be throwing in some eclectic thoughts as he seeks to wrap up his letter, which is why suddenly the thought  struck me, "why does he close so abruptly with this encouragement to go after those who have wandered from the faith?" 

 I don't think it was by accident that James writes these verses right after he writes on the power of fervent prayer,(James 5:13-18) do you? I believe James knew that that was where our ministry of reconciliation begins!

Father, Give me a heart of compassion that sees the wanderers as You see them. Give me a heart willing to leave my creature comforts to go after them to win them back to You. Give me a brave heart, that's ready to face rejection and still not be willing to give up on them. Go before me and give me the words needed to win them back to your truth and grace.  Help me Jesus, be "all-in" in Your ministry of reconciliation. Amen

 The great news is Jesus' whole ministry was a ministry of reconciliation for He Himself declared, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:13). Therefore, we know we have our Savior's heart when we set out to win others back to Him. 

 Paul pretty much spells it up for us in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 

 Isn't that amazing!? That our Father, Lord and Savior would entrust us with the ministry and message of reconciliation?

 Oh beloved, there is a lost and hurting world out there and He has entrusted us with His message of reconciliation! O may we be about our Father's business, for His word promises us in Proverbs 11:30, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever wins souls is wise."

 Blessings, 
sue

1 John 2

Reconciliation (Philemon 1-25)

9:00 PM




Paul writes this brief letter to Philemon, a Christian brother, asking him to forgive and take back Onesimus (his former slave). Onesimus had run away from Philemon and apparently he had stolen from him. But now he has become a Christian and is helping Paul in prison.

As Paul greets Philemon showing his love and respect, he also appeals on behalf of “his spiritual son” Onesimus:

“I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.” (12-14)

Paul’s appeal is powerful because he stood beside a guilty man and said to the owner of the slave, “I know this man is a criminal and deserves punishment. Yet this slave is now of my family, so if you punish him punish me also. I stand beside him to take his punishment.” This is what Jesus does for us before our master, God the Father!

“My little children (believers, dear ones), I am writing you these things so that you will not sin and violate God’s law. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [who will intercede for us] with the Father: Jesus Christ the righteous [the upright, the just One, who conforms to the Father’s will in every way—purpose, thought, and action]. 2 And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature—our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2)

“Here we see how Paul lays himself out for poor Onesimus, and with all his means pleads his cause with his master, and so sets himself as if he were Onesimus, and had himself done wrong to Philemon. Even as Christ did for us with God the Father, thus also does Paul for Onesimus with Philemon. We are all his Onesimi, to my thinking.” (Luther)

Now that Onesimus is in Christ he is not a slave of sin anymore, just as we were, too:

“For we too once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various sinful desires and pleasures, spending and wasting our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.” (Titus 3:3)

In Christ Onesimus is now a useful person -by the fact: Onesimus means profitable, useful- (1:11)

 “It is significant to note that Paul claims that in Christ the useless person has been made useful.” (Barclay)

When Paul said to Philemon, “charge the wrong of Onesimus to my account,” (18-19) he essentially did for Onesimus what Jesus did for us in taking our sins to His account:

“ He personally carried our sins in His body on the [a]cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been [b]healed.” (2 Peter 2:24)

 Paul mentioned one more thing. “Philemon, remember that I have a lot of credit on your account, because you owe me even your own self besides.” Paul could afford to pay Onesimus’ expenses because there was a sense in which Philemon owed Paul his salvation!
Onesimus was obligated to return to his master. When we wrong somebody, we must do our best to set it right. We must make an effort for reconciliation!

“So if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and while there you remember that your brother has something [such as a grievance or legitimate complaint] against you, 24 leave your offering there at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come and present your offering.” (Mat. 5:23-24)

 Being made a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) does not end our responsibility to make restitution; it increases our obligation, even when restitution is difficult.

When Paul mentioned: “Knowing that you will do even more than I say” (21), he writes with confidence and hope, knowing through Philemon’s testimony (4-7), that he was a generous man. So that is why Paul could expect that Philemon would take Onesimus back, not as his slave but as a brother in Christ! (Gal. 3:28-29)

“Philemon was Paul’s son in the faith, yet he entreated him as a brother. Onesimus was a poor slave, yet Paul besought for him as if seeking some great thing for himself. Christians should do what may give joy to the hearts of one another. From the world they expect trouble; they should find comfort and joy in one another.” M. Henry

When I try to put myself in Philemon’s place I ask myself: “Would I have accepted Onesimus back into my house liberally, with joy and in total forgiveness?

“Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave [a]you.” (Ephesians 4:32 AMP)
“… bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive.” (Colossians 3:13 AMP)

I pray my Heavenly Father for this to become a reality in my life!
Mari