Transformed lives through the Gospel

Paul appeals to the transformation because of God's love. That takes place in the life of everyone who is converted to faith in Christ. He is going to appeal for love, on the basis of the transforming power of Christ in the life of a Christian. Note what he says of Onesimus: formerly, he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you, and to me (Philemon 1:11). It is said that Onesimus's name in Greek means useful. The man's name was useful as a slave, maybe it was given to him by his master. The problem was he was not useful. Not only did he run away, Paul at least is referring to that, costing time and labor, or opportunity cost in the workplace; he probably had a reputation for sloth. Paul is not saying that he was a great worker before. No, he probably had been an indifferent worker at best. But you see, Paul wants Philemon to know that he has been changed by the power of the gospel and he is living up to that aspiration that was put into his name. Paul is not sending back the former, useless slave; he is sending back a new man whose life in Christ has made him responsible and productive. While he was with Paul in Rome the slave had performed valuable services, and had done so out of a willing and faithful heart. Should this transformation not affect the way that Philemon thinks about him, now that Christ is in him by the Holy Spirit? Should that not induce him to receive Onesimus in love? Paul notes here what is generally true of faith in Jesus Christ: that because of the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, Christians begin to live a new, productive, responsible life. We are not saved by that, but we are certainly saved to it, and we are born again with the Holy Spirit, and there is a change in our lives. This is true of every Christian. Note how Paul puts it in Ephesians 4:28: let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor doing honest work with his own hands, that he may have something to share with anyone in need. What you will often see, particularly in adult converts, is that the Lord will transform them first in their worst place and the thing by which they were most wicked, but now become most useful to the Lord so that the transformation would be more gloriously known. That is so often the case, and it seems to be the case with Onesimus.

Every Christian can and should experience a practical, but supernatural, reworking of our lives, from self-service to service of others in a loving way, and we become oh, so useful. To have a Christian employee is to have someone who offers up his or her labor to the Lord first, and who gives you his or her prayers. Here then is Paul's argument:  that because of this transformation that Christ produces in his people radically upon conversion, but then also progressively throughout life, Christians are freed to love one another and we do not have the obligation to manipulate each other. I am not saying we do not supervise Christian workers; we must still exercise prudence. But we see someone and we are able to say, that person is in union with Christ, the Holy Spirit is working in power. I am able to trust what God is doing over time, and I am able to love that person. I can minister instead of manipulate. And here is one way to have a happier, healthier marriage: to grow in the Lord and let your spouse see and experience that the Holy Spirit is working in your life.  I do not have to criticize so quickly and I do not have to respond in certain ways if I have problems with my wife. If you are a husband, the Bible says love her, and you do well. The Holy Spirit is working in her life, the Holy Spirit's working in his life. And you see, the knowledge of the transformation of God's grace promotes a policy of love in the lives and among the people who are saved by Christ. We can love one another, trusting God's faithfulness in another person's life, and practicing Peter's principle that love covers a multitude of sins.¹

Richard D. Phillips