Sharing Your Faith [Devotional]

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Philemon 6

We don’t talk about this verse often but perhaps we should. I was reluctant to pull it out because I know that as a writer and a teacher, I must also be a doer. Unless you’re outspoken and naturally bold, this verse will be one of the hardest things to do. Please notice, however, that the verse does not say that you need to go on a street corner or in a subway platform to proclaim the Gospel (more power to those who can do that) loudly and boldly.

Paul is praying for Philemon to be active in sharing his faith. That’s it. It’s obviously open for interpretation what "active" actually means. Twice a day, twenty times a week? I think if we play the numbers game we’re missing a critical point.

You see, sharing our faith helps us grow. Why? As the rest of the verse states, we are able to get a good handle of the good things we have in Christ. If we don’t know answers to objections, we get to go back and explore to find answers. We hone our theology and our arguments. We get to explore the mystery of Christ more closely.

The only "downside" to sharing our faith is the fear of rejection that many of us have. Fear and rejection certainly exist. So does God. Now, given these two basic statements, which do you think is more powerful?

Amen and merry Christmas to all sinners saved by the grace of God by Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Or as God says in His sciptures by the prophet Paul concerning Salvation in Christ Jesus His only begotten Son;

Ephesians 2

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

We love Him because He first loved us and celebrate His first Advent in the flesh as we Christians will at His second Advent as King of Israel.

(Phile 1:5-7) “Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; {6} That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. {7} For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.”

AS much as i would like to use this for street preaching, the context lends itself much to more to his sharing of the faith by means of his graciousness to the saints, as one that had a church in his house. Unique love for the brethren is a primary mark of regeneration, one that we need more more today, instead of the world (and that includes me). “Kindly affectioned”, “Fervent charity” are words used to exhort us to such, and bu such the world will take notice. The Amish look better everyday, insofar as being a community, and if Christians were marked for their zealous love toward each other, and above all for God and His holiness, our words, which are to be preached, would have far greater impact.

i believe part how Philemon’s love will share the faith is by what the apostle is about to require of him, which is to receive back an escaped and converted servant (intimating Philemon was wealthy), “Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord? If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.” (Phm 1:16,17)

This would be radical, esp. in the Roman empire, in which 1 out of 3 were thought to be slaves, and much or most of the church consisted of such, and escaped ones were hunted down and marked by Rome, but the requirement of reception as a brother, and no longer as a servant (If Philemon would be in fellowship with Paul) is consistent with Paul’s counsel to slaves to obtain freedom if available in 2 Cor. 7:21.

Such love is consistent with outward preaching:

(Acts 8:4) “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”

(1 Th 1:8) “For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.”

Note:

The N.T. does not condemn slavery nor command it, but exhorts servants to please their masters in all things (as it does for wives towards towards their husbands), and like as toward the Gov., this means lawful things. But it also requires masters to serve with the same fear toward God (Eph. 6:8,9) and treat those under them with equal pay and fairness (Col. 4:1). And as slavery can be regulated to allow it’s existence, yet it is not required, and obedience to the full Christian ethos of love would one day, when other factors allowed it, work toward the abolition of the institution being more consistent with it.

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