Salvation For All
God offered Onesimus saving grace, as we saw yesterday, and today I want to answer the question: who may be saved? The answer is: anyone may be saved.
Salvation is for the rich and the poor. It’s for the young and the old. It’s for black, white, coloured and every other race. It’s for you and for me, and for each person who we will ever come across in our lives.
And we know this in our heads, but often it doesn’t reach our hearts! Verse 10 of Paul’s letter to Philemon said this: “I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains” (Philemon 1:10 NIV11). In the original Greek, the name of Onesimus came right at the end of this sentence. It actually read like this: “I appeal to you, concerning a son of mine, who became my son while I was in chains—Onesimus.”
When Philemon read that line he would have stopped dead in his tracks when he got there to the end of the sentence. He would have done a double take! Because in his mind, the last person who he ever thought worthy of God’s love was this nasty little slave who had abandoned him.
Salvation for All
God’s salvation is for all. Nobody can say I’m too much of a wretch for God to save. And hear this, nobody can say that so-and-so is too much of a wretch for God to save! I hope you know this today.
We live in a land where there is much tension between people. Racial tension, tribal tension, cultural differences. It’s hard for us, at times, to see all people as God’s children, worth saving.
In fact a little while back I was speaking to somebody who had been deeply hurt. This person was struggling to forgive the person who had hurt their family so badly. In our conversation this person said to me: “I can’t see how this man is worthy of God’s forgiveness.” And I remember saying – “he’s not. But then neither am I. And neither are you. God’s grace is not based on our worthiness, it’s based on HIS love!”
There’s a verse in the Psalms that says “Lord, if you kept a record of sins, who could stand?” So who is worthy of salvation? Not one of us! But who is offered salvation? Every one of us.
A wretch like me, and a wretch like you, and a wretch like Onesimus, and a wretch like anybody can come to God in repentance and find salvation!!!!
Rejoice in Grace
Last week we spoke about being Philemon-like in our faith. But let’s not be shocked like he probably was, when an Onesimus-type is saved by grace. Let’s rejoice! Because like us, they didn’t deserve God’s grace but he gave it to them.
And friends if you feel unworthy. Feel like you’ve gone too far. Feel like God couldn’t love you.
Think again.
In the words of a song my friend Darren wrote… No matter how far You’ve run, turn around and see God’s Son! His love is bigger than your biggest wrong.
Salvation is for ALL. Even for wretches like you, like me, and like Onesimus.
