The letter to Philemon is the apostle Paul’s shortest letter, tucked away before the book of Hebrews. The letter itself is delightful, and full of compassion and companionship. Amongst other things, Paul gently encourages his friend Philemon, a man of some standing, to share his faith more effectively

Verse 6 reads: “and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.”

.What is interesting is that, as we share our faith we grow in our knowledge of “every good thing” that we have in Christ.

One barrier to our sharing our faith is our lack of understanding. We think we cannot answer objections that people may have. Paul starts the other way around! He encourages Philemon to share his faith so that he will grow in understanding.

The Lord Jesus said something similar in John 7.17; “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.” Here, He puts obedience before understanding. As we obey what Christ teaches, we will find our understanding of scripture grows.

This is so helpful. So often Christianity is considered to be something intellectual, leaving some of us at a perceived disadvantage. But the order of the New Testament is that we obey Christ, and share our faith, so that we can grow in understanding. Given Christ’s wonderful love for us, why would we not wish to obey Him, and share our faith?

David the Psalmist writes these words: “you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23.5)

“When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident” (Psalm 27.2-3)

I came across a new hermitage being built in the UK. Interesting! It is sensible to have opportunity for mediation and space to be alone with God.

But these familiar scriptures describe victory in the midst of trouble and fearlessness when surrounded by enemies. This can be the experience for Christians born into a world at best indifferent, at worst antagonistic, to the message we proclaim and to the Christ we seek to honour.

Our normal experience is to be in a minority. It is in that situation that our light shines brightest and our hope can overflow in blessings to others.

I occasionally hear this phrase. Whilst I might baulk at the use of ‘forgetting’ in relation to God, there is a powerful truth here.

The writer to the Hebrews, quoting the prophet Jeremiah, promises that God will remember their sins no more. This is not mere divine carelessness, were there such a thing! This is the wonderful promise that God will deal with our sins so comprehensively that they cannot and will not be recalled. The hymn goes:

Oh, wonder of all wonders,
That through Thy death for me,
My open sins, my secret sins,
Can all forgiven be.

The glorious miracle of Christ’s death and resurrection means that our sins are put away, dealt with, buried, gone forever.

That we have received forgiveness motivates us and inspires us to forgive others. Christ Himself explained this in Matt 18.21-35, the parable of the unforgiving servant. The sum of money forgiven is impossibly huge, a deliberate hyperbole, to communicate the truth and power and reality of divine forgiveness. How foolish for one forgiven so much to hold any claim over another.

The apostle Paul takes a different angle; “Love keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor 13.5). Jesus Christ manifested this love towards those around Him. He never referred to past wrongs; never recalled them as an embarrassment; never recalled a past sin to gain advantage over another.

This is a simple command. But it is not easy. We feel vulnerable when we are unable to gain advantage over someone else. We like to feel in control of our situations. True love, motivated by real faith, enables us to ‘forgive and forget,’ choosing not to recall past wrongs, confident in our own forgiveness, and able to leave our lives truly in God’s hands.