KEY SCRIPTURE: Philemon 6

That the communication of thy faith may become effectual BY the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

RELEVANCE

We all know the story of Philemon and Onesimus. It's the only personal letter preserved in the Bible and is vitally important to us regarding practical faith. 

Philemon was a Christian employer, a prominent church member at Colosse, a friend of the Apostle Paul, and beholden to Paul in a sense for bringing him to Christ.  Onesimus, Philemon's runaway slave, was saved in Rome during his escape journey while Paul was in the Rome prison. His heart and actions have now changed. 

The letter concerns Paul convincing Philemon to forgive and accept Onesimus back into his service, not only as a slave/employee but also as a brother-in-Christ.

Is that a big ask?

At the centre of the letter, Paul introduces the concept of 'effectual faith ', a term he uses six times in five letters he wrote for the New Testament, indicating its profound importance to him. 

The Hebrew words for Effectual are energés, energeō, and energeia, all meaning similar—at work, active, effective, productive of due results. As a lively priesthood full of the Holy Ghost, our faith should be effectual. 

• Paul used the term in 1 Corinthians 16:9 regarding a great and effectual door, through which there were many adversaries. Adversaries come against lively, advancing Christians. 

• In 2 Corinthians 1:6, he refers to our afflictions becoming effectual—when we endure them. 

• In Ephesians 3:7, he speaks of himself being made a minister by the effectual working of God's power. 

• In Ephesians 4:16, Paul speaks of the effectual working of the whole Body; when it is fitly joined together with each part supplying their bit according to the pattern, how the Body increases in love. 

• James 5:16, the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous—getting results. 

• Philemon 6. Effectual faith

Faith must be effective, both in terms of our belief and hope and in inspiring others to come to Christ. 

However, it's interesting to see how Paul drafted the sentence: that the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Paul requested that Philemon indulge himself in deep contemplation until he arrived at a particular understanding—acknowledging that the good Christian life he now enjoys, the Holy Saviour he now worships, the fellowship of the commonwealth of believers he entered upon salvation, the character changes, the righteous altering of his mind and heart, the peace in his home, and the joy in his life are all due to someone else, Jesus Christ, taking him on as a servant and future son. Only Jesus elevated him in the new Kingdom—much like Paul is asking Philemon to do with Onesimus now. 

As Paul writes to his good friend, he hits the target of effective faith, a living faith that affects others, even a runaway slave. This means his faith may not be as effective as it could have been without this confirmation. 

Paul suggested that Philemon think about the good things wrought within him. Once he acknowledged that his total reliance must be on his Saviour to maintain those blessings, he would come to appreciate Onesimus' new standing in his life. 

When we acknowledge every good thing that is in us in Christ Jesus, we also recognise that nothing except following is our own doing. The gifts were already awaiting pick up. The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance—are for us to gloat on either. Those seeds of the Holy Spirit are placed in our good soil by the Father, the husbandman.

Everything that brings spiritual joy now and transports us beyond death is provided by someone else. What can we brag about? 

How do you communicate your faith? Through partiality—hates, preferences and dislikes? Secret pride? Do you boast about your things or how well you've done or will do? Or maybe through a hot/cold life of continual anger and apologies? These all communicate your faith.  

Or is your faith declared through the spirit of meekness and humility, putting on the character and faith of Jesus and the love that people cannot resist?  

Prayer

Dear Lord, is my faith worth anything if It is not communicated effectually? Please help me continually acknowledge that every good thing in me is from Jesus Christ, my Lord. If I can do that, my faith will be communicated according to your Holy Word.  

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