A debt paid once and for all - Wesley Wright

Wesley Wright

Lighthouse Bible Church

Sunday, August 24, 2025

 

PHI 1:8-25

Title: A debt paid once and for all

 

We spent last week talking about a man named Philemon and the folks meeting in a church run from his home.

 

Paul — a prisoner of Jesus Christ — gave a series of greetings to brethren and commended Philemon for his love and faith toward those who love the Lord Jesus.

 

Today, we’ll talk about a man named Onesimus and the way that Paul viewed him.

 

Paul (v. 8-9) made references to his age and his status as a man who was in prison for Christ’s sake to make an appeal for Onesimus.

 

Onesimus was a slave who at another point in time belonged to Philemon.

 

Paul uses the term “child” in verse 10, which denotes their closeness.

 

1CO 4:11-16

 

Similarly, Paul called Timothy his “son” in the faith. 1TI 1:1-4

 

Titus, too:

TIT 1:1-4

 

Onesimus was a literal slave at a prior point, and Paul sends him back to Onesimus (verse 12).

 

We weren’t slaves in the same way as Onesimus, but we were slaves to sin, and thus were absolutely hopeless.

 

 

JOH 8:34-37

 

ROM 6:16-22

 

1CO 6:9-11

 

In verse 15, Paul surmises that Onesimus might have left Philemon to the end that Philemon might recognize his changed status.

 

Onesimus would return not as a mere slave, but as a brother, the letter says (v. 16) — a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, the same way Paul, Philemon and Timothy are.

 

We have a very different status, too, to the glory of God. Instead of being slaves to sin, we have freedom in Christ.

 

1CO 7:20-25

 

GAL 5:1-4

 

GAL 5:16-26

 

EPH 1:5-12

 

EPH 5:6-16

 

1TI 1:12-17

 

1PE 2:13-20

 

Paul asks Philemon receive Onesimus in the same way that he would receive Paul.

 

He is willing to pay any debt that Onesimus owes (v. 18-19), which would free him from other obligations.

 

The same way that Onesimus would be free after Paul’s paid the debt associated with him, we are free in Christ.

 

We are free from the due consequences of our sin because of Christ.

 

2CO 5:14-21

 

HEB 9:11-15

HEB 9:23-28

 

In v. 20, Paul lets the reader know paying this debt would refresh him, same word as verse 7. Notice “prisoner” a little further down?

 

At one point, we were slaves to sin. We have liberty, eternal life and more today via our belief in Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

We have a responsibility to point people to Christ, who is the only One that can serve as a perfect sacrifice for our sin.

 

Praise the Lord that we can today serve of the One whom we obey, instead of sin. We are servants of righteousness, same as Onesimus became.