Word of Encouragement (9/2/2021)
Let’s continue our reflection on Paul’s prayer in Phlm. 1:4-7: “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.”
After giving thanks for Philemon, Paul prays for him in this way: “...I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” We learn that faith is something to be shared. This goes directly against what people say these days about religion that it is a private affair and we should keep it to ourselves. Some try to reduce the freedom of religion to the freedom of worship. They say that it’s OK for religious people to do whatever they want within the four walls of their place of worship, but they should not bring it into public space and try to proselytize.
But the Christian faith does not just belong to the private sphere. Yes, the Christian faith is deeply personal because we are dealing with a God who knows us better than we do, who is “more inward” than we are to ourselves. But it is also public in nature. Its message is called “the gospel of Jesus Christ.” As many of you know, the word, “gospel,” means good news; it is something to be broadcast far and wide. The Greek word for “gospel” was used by the Roman Empire to announce the inauguration of a new emperor’s reign. Those who heard the gospel of the Roman Empire had to choose between accepting it or rejecting it. Those who rejected it had to face the ire of the new regime. As you can see, “gospel” was a very public affair! If the gospel of Jesus Christ is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16), how can we keep it to ourselves? We must share it diligently and faithfully.
But faith is not just public in nature; it is also corporate. Therefore, we are to share it with our fellow saints as well. This corporate aspect is what Paul’s prayer focuses on. So, in praying for Philemon, Paul prays that the sharing of his faith would become effective. Effective unto what? John Gill says,
“The grace of faith itself cannot be communicated from one to another; a believing parent cannot communicate it to his children, nor a master to his servants, nor a minister to his hearers; but an account of it, of its actings and exercises, of the joy of it, and of the peace a soul is filled with through believing, may be given to the mutual comfort and edification of saints; and it may be shown forth to others by the fruits of it, works of righteousness.”
In this particular prayer, Paul desires Philemon’s faith to be effective “for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” Again, John Gill explains what this means well:
“...every good thing that is in the saints, or among them, should be acknowledged to come to them in and through Christ Jesus, in whom all fulness of grace dwells, and from whom all is imparted; and that every good thing that is communicated, or done in faith, which is effectual to any good purpose, should be owned as done by the grace and strength of Christ, and be done to his saints, as if done to himself [e.g., ‘Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,’ Eph. 5:22], and be directed to his glory.”
Do you feel like your Christian life is a private affair, even in the church? You don’t want your fellow saints to “meddle” in your spiritual life as you don’t “meddle” in theirs? Our job as fellow members is not to meddle in one another’s lives with a critical and judgmental spirit; our job is to care for one another as members of the household of God. Paul reminds us that we need to “share” our faith with one another—that is, to talk about what we believe and strive to live accordingly. When we do that, God can use it to bring to our awareness and enjoyment “every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ”—in ourselves as well as in our fellow saints—His powerful and efficacious work to sanctify us, cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in us, and conform us to Christ in all that we do. What a wonderful privilege! Let us share our faith with one another faithfully, diligently, and frequently!