“Five Bullets from Philemon!”

Onesimus was the fugitive slave who ran to Rome Onesimus was the fugitive slave who ran to Rome. He made a break for freedom from his master Philemon…

“We are all his Onesimi to my thinking.” Martin Luther

These five bullets (principles) are not only true in the life of Onesimus but true also in our lives.

to summarize five key points from the epistle to Philemon Purpose: to summarize five key points from the epistle to Philemon

I We Are Spiritual FUGITIVES A. Self Management

Onesimus reasoned he could manage his own life better than Philemon could. He would be his own boss… Left his master to be master of his own fate. Such thinking is as old as the Garden of Eden…

Isaiah 53:6 “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

I We Are Spiritual FUGIVTIVES A. Self Management B. No Need for a Savior

Jeremiah 5:5 “So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.”

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

Everyone of us at one time or another were or are, Richard Kimbles or spiritual runaways.

II Our Penalty is SEVERE A. Running Away is Serious B. Consequences of Our Defection

Romans 6:16 “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey – whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

Romans 8:5 “Those who live according to the sinful [flesh] have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”

Romans 6:20-23 “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have

Romans 6:20-23 become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

III Love Makes Its APPEAL A. Loving a Runaway B. God Took the Initiative

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

IV Our Debt Covered by ANOTHER A. Onesimus Was Not Innocent B. God Can’t Overlook Our Indebtedness

1 John 2:1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (NASB)

1 Peter 1:18-19 “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

V Rightful Owner Accepts Us BACK A. Admitted Speculation B. Do Know How God Responds

Luke 15:7 “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Conclusion and Summary Do you see the Onesimus in you? Are you conscious of the runaway slave in your past or present? Can you picture yourself as a fugitive?…

If you are a Christian, realize you were forgiven and restored by a love that made an appeal before you asked for it. Your debt was covered before you knew you had a debt!