Your love and faith

I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, - Philemon 1v4-5

I love this little book of Philemon. One can almost sense the friendship and closeness between Paul and Philemon. It is a perfect illustration of loving instruction, rebuke, and correction.

Philemon must have been quite a guy. I can’t wait to meet him. The church met in his home. I know from experience what that is like. That in itself can be interesting t say the least. I think it is an indication of his character that he was willing to open up his home as a place for believers to meet for worship.

When Paul starts the letter he begins by giving thanks for Philemon and reminding him that he prays for him regularly. Two things stick out from the very start. Paul remembers Philemon’s love and his faith. It is not just his love and faith toward the Lord, but also his love and faith toward al the saints.

I like this combination of love and faith. I can love Christ more because I have faith in Him and my faith increases the more I love him. The more I love others the more I will manifest my faith and the best way to be faithful is to love them more. That doesn’t mean that we overlook sin and faults, but it means that our faith allows us to deal with each other in a loving manner.

The rest of the letter Paul goes on to give Philemon an opportunity to show that wonderful combination of faith and love.