The Deaf Devo from The Deaf Missions in Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States "Jesus' Sacrifice" Bible Reading: Philemon 8-18 for Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017Philemon 8 Therefore, I would not hesitate, in union with the Messiah, to direct you to do the thing you ought to do. 9 But since I Sha’ul, am the kind of person I am, an old man and now for the Messiah Yeshua’s sake a prisoner besides, I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. 10 My request to you concerns my son, of whom I became the father while here in prison, Onesimus. 11 His name means “useful,” and although he was once useless to you, he has now become most useful — not only to you but also to me; 12 so that in returning him to you I am sending a part of my very heart. 13 I would dearly have loved to keep him with me, in order for him to serve me in your place while I am in prison because of the Good News. 14 But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do for me may be voluntary and not forced.
15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a brief period was so that you could have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave but as more than a slave, as a dear brother. And that he is, especially to me. But how much dearer he must be to you, both humanly and in union with the Lord!
17 So if you are in fellowship with me, receive him as you would me. 18 And if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me.
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When Paul was in prison, he wrote letters to his friends. Philemon was one of Paul's friends. Onesimus was Paul's friend, too. Onesimus had been Philemon's slave, but he had run away.
In our Bible verses, we learn that while Onesimus was with Paul, he became a Christian. Paul wanted Onesimus to do the right thing and return to his master. So Paul wrote a letter to Philemon. He asked Philemon to accept Onesimus back - not as a slave, but as a brother in Christ. Paul told Philemon, "...accept Onesimus back...If he has done any wrong to you or owes you anything, charge that to me" (verse 17b-18).
That story reminds me of what Jesus did for us. We do bad things, and we are slaves to sin. But God does not want us to be punished for our sins and spend eternity separated from Him. That's why Jesus came to earth and accepted our punishment. He died on the cross so that we can be saved.
I hope you have accepted Jesus' sacrifice for your sins![Donna J. Howard]
"[Jesus] came to take away all sin by offering himself as a sacrifice."[Hebrews 9:2]
PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to die for me. In His name. Amen.
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