These verses from the short New Testament book of Ephesians are bubbling with enthusiasm from Paul. He is trying his best to raise the same enthusiasm in his readers. Paul completely understood all that Jesus had done for him. He understood forgiveness and how much he needed to be forgiven.
These verses are taken from a long chapter which includes the farewell speech that Joshua gave to the people of Israel. He knew he was getting old and had fulfilled his earthly mission. But he took the opportunity to remind the people of all that God had done for them.
If someone asked you to describe God, would this description fit your explanation of who He is? All the way through the Old Testament, we read of the Israelites turning to God, confessing their sins, and then forgetting Him and turning towards idols, or committing adultery or just complaining again.
Each time we say Lord, I am sorry, I have done it again Please forgive me! Father God replies Done what again? I do not remember. In Isaiah 43:25, we read I am he who blots out your transgression, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
God is always ready to forgive a repentant sinner. Often sinners are not repentant. We do not fully understand the laws of God, and consequently we do not put much emphasis on the need to be pure as God is pure. Be holy as I am holy, says God.
God was trying from the beginning to teach mankind that wrong-doing has bad consequences. The word sin in our verse for today is the Hebrew word avon and means to distort or bend. How many of us distort the truth when we are retelling things that have happened to us?
Forgiveness is a major theme of the Bible. This verse, spoken by Jesus follows His teaching on how to pray when His disciples wanted to know more about praying as Jesus did. They recognised that Jesus was not just using words, but was in a real relationship with His Father.
Paul closes his letter with these verses and he is sending greetings from those who are with him, either in prison or visiting him regularly. Wherever Paul went he had fellow workers. Jesus sent out His disciples two by two. Paul constantly had other believers around him wherever he went.
I feel that the Lord wants us to note this confidence that God will answer prayer. Paul is sure he will be out of prison very soon. Paul never tells his readers that life will be easy. But he insists that through every trial, if we pray God will respond.
I am sure that Philemon would enjoy a visit from Paul and look forward to the lessons he would learn from him. Maybe he would think: Oh great, I do not need to prepare any messages while Paul is here. He will preach and I will learn insights about faith!
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