Glorious Names

Old Testament Reading: Amos 7:10-12

New Testament Reading: John 9:35-41

Message: Fellow Prisoners of Grace – Philemon 23-25

[23] Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, [24] and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
Throughout this brief letter, the apostle Paul has demonstrated an interest in Philemon not only doing the right thing regarding the freedom of his runaway servant, Onesimus, but doing the right thing with a free heart. Paul made this appeal as a prisoner of Christ Jesus.

The apostle was not alone in owning that title. He mentions Epaphras as one of his associates who is his “fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus.” Epaphras, at one point a minister in Colossae, sent his greetings here. So did Mark, the author of the gospel and early companion of Paul and Barnabas. Aristarchus and Demas, believers from Thessalonica, were also on this list, as well as Luke, the physician and gospel writer.

This little letter was very pointed. These men would not have added their names in these final verses if they did not agree with Paul's message. They too were fellow prisoners of the only man who could possibly be the Jewish Messiah.

The baby born in Bethlehem grew up in Galilee and died and rose again in Jerusalem. He was not only a man. He was the Son of God, and He had the power of an indestructible life. To be His prisoner is to be free. Free people are not in bondage to their property.

That is at least the theory, but even free people struggle. Paul says later of Demas in 2 Timothy 4:10, “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” Let's not be too hard on Demas. You and I also struggle with covetousness, which, we are told in Colossians 3:5, “is idolatry.” We can covet people as well as possessions. When we covet, we are not acting as prisoners of grace. You will either be a prisoner of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ or a prisoner of your idolatries.

[25] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

My prayer for you, and I hope, your prayer for me, is that we would be fellow prisoners of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The story of grace is imprisoning and freeing at the same time. To trust in the One and Only possible Messiah, the Son of God and Son of David, who willingly came, suffered, and died for us, rising from the dead for our justification, is to be captured by His love. When we are imprisoned by His grace, we can finally be free of lesser lords, like money, power, and fleshly pleasures. This good work of God brings life to your spirit, so that you can now say that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is with your spirit, and seek to see that grace visit some other person's spirit. That kind of change is worth celebrating. Do you believe that freedom Christ has set you free? Join the list of all the prisoners of the grace of Jesus, and rejoice that His grace captured not only Onesimus, but also Philemon.