“If he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my
account.” (v.18)
The book of Philemon contains a one-on-one appeal. Onesimus was
a runaway slave who had escaped from his Christian master Philemon. Onesimus
met Paul in Rome and became a follower of Christ. They agreed that it was right
for him to return to his master. Paul wrote a letter to Philemon (the letter
that bears his name), asking him to receive Onesimus as a brother, and assuring
him that he himself would pay any debt Onesimus owed.
This is a beautiful picture of what happens when one turns to Christ for salvation. As sinners, we
owed an enormous debt, but Jesus put that on His account. Because of His sinless
life, He has unlimited resources of righteousness to spend. And by dying in our place,
He paid the penalty for our sin. Now we can draw on this payment by faith. As
Martin Luther put it, "We are all His Onesimi." If we put our trust in
Christ as our Savior, our sins are put to His account and we are free for all
eternity. Praise God!
Christ paid the debt He didn't owe, to satisfy the debt we couldn't
pay.
The Truth
“Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.”
