Together in the Faith: A Study in the Book of Philemon (Back Together)

By Margy Hill and Leroy Hill

God is all about relationship; our relationship with Him, and our relationship with others. The Bible offers us great wisdom and instruction, teaching us how to develop and enjoy healthy relationships. If we had to pick one book of the Bible that offered us all we needed to know on the topic, Philemon would certainly win the prize. The book is just a mere 25 verses, but within this short letter, lies a wealth of truth and insight presented to help us love others as God has loved us.As we come to the book of Philemon, we discover that Onesimus, Philemon's slave, ran away. The Bible does not tell us why, but what it does tell us is that Onesimus ended up with Paul. Given the information provided, God used Paul to win Onesimus to Christ and now he is asking Philemon to take him back, not as a slave, but as a brother in Christ.As we have journeyed together in the faith, Philippians taught us how to "strive" together for Christ, Colossians taught us how to be "held" together in Christ and now Philemon, teaches us how to get "back together" when conflict arises. The kingdom of God takes a serious hit when injured soldiers stay wounded and retreat from the battle. The wall of self-protection keeps them isolated and insulated from the Body of Christ. The fruit of restoration and reconciliation is within reach, but the enemy triumphs, leaving a deadly trail of unforgiveness and bitter hearts. These are people with hard hearts that are unwilling to risk the unconditional love that God is asking all of His children to walk in. There are so many wounded sisters in the church who have been hurt by another believer. Instead of conflicts being resolved, often Christians decide to dissolve the relationship. Believers miss the opportunity to grow and mature when they are unwilling to work through the challenges that relationships bring. Philemon is filled with lessons that God desires to use to teach us how to love like He loves.May the precious truths we have already learned, and those we are about to discover, be deeply rooted in our hearts so that love and unity will triumph as we continue to walk together in the faith. To God be the glory!

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1517143195
• ISBN13: 9781517143190
• Release Date: September 2015
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 50 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.0" x 0.1" x 8.5"