A Public Plea to forgive someone - Philemon

Imagine getting a letter from a great Christian man delivered to you while you are in church. As the church leadership reads the letter you see that God is using the letter from Paul to convict you to take back a man who has done you wrong. What do you do? Can you imagine the pressure from this letter as it is read in the church. Paul puts Philemon on the hot seat and asked him to forgive the run-away slave, Onesimus. Onesimus ran away from Philemon and apparently even stoled from him or did him some harm. God is about giving us an opportunity to act like Him. Paul was willing to act like Christ and stand in the place of Onesimus. Paul was willing to pay whatever harm Onesimus had caused. Now he wants to Philemon to practice God's part ... forgiveness. We are to act in forgiveness toward those who offend us. Paul, in this little letter gives us an example of how that is done and why it is done. It is love at its best and it is forgiveness based upon that love. Forgive in public - God will reward that.