our series looking at various portraits of grace, both in the Old Testament as well as the New. Well, today, tucked away in one of the shortest books in all the New Testament, we find a name that shines gospel light, and that name is Onesimus. Onesimus was a slave. And he was not just any slave, he was a runaway slave. He was a man whose very name meant useful or profitable. Yet, as we shall see, his life was anything but useful or profitable. Well, here in this particular portrait of grace, we will find in this particular individual that he is no polished saint. Onesimus is no hero of the faith and certainly Onesimus is not a shining example of human virtue. Now what we will find this morning in our Scripture in this particular book is that Onesimus was a fugitive. He was a failure. He was an individual who was full of disgrace, yet it is out of such clay. It is out of such clay that the master potter shapes his vessels of mercy. Onesimus stands in Scripture as a portrait of what God's grace can do. Oh, listen, the hand of providence, we shall see, reached him. The Spirit of God drew him and, beloved, the gospel of Christ transformed him. Oh, Onesimus, he ran from his master's house. but he could not run from the master of the universe. And so when we open this letter, we read the letter of Philemon, we need to understand that this is not just some ancient epistle. This is not some ancient letter that just Paul wrote to another individual. No, listen, we are beholding a living testimony. that the same grace that sought Peter in his failure and the same grace that reclaimed Mark. Oh, listen, it's the same grace that finds a runaway slave by the name of Onesimus. So I want us together to read just a few verses from this book, the book of Philemon. We'll begin reading in verse number eight. Paul writes to Philemon and he says, Though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love's sake I'd rather appeal to you, being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. I am sending him back. You therefore receive him that is my own heart, whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary. For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave. a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. I, Paul, am writing with my own hand, I will repay, not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord, refresh my heart in the Lord. Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you knowing that you will do even more than I say. But meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you." There are four things I want us to notice this morning in our text. The first thing I want you to notice with me is Onesimus' fall, his fall. Now, how did this fall reveal itself? What did Onesimus do to brand him in such shame? Well, the text tells us very plainly that Onesimus, he ran. He abandoned his master, Philemon. Verse 15, Paul just simply states that Onesimus departed. He departed. Now notice that this is a much more gentle word than the word departed that Luke used in Acts chapter 15 when Mark departed from Paul and Barnabas. Remember, we saw that last week, how that in Acts chapter 15, the word departed that Luke used was a very harsh word. Mark, in other words, deserted Paul and those other missionaries. Well, that's a different word in the Greek than this word departed in Philemon, verse 15, where it's a more gentle word. And so Paul does not write to Philemon and say, hey, Onesimus, he betrayed you. He robbed you. He stole from you, even though likely he did steal from his master's house. Paul simply says he departed. He separated himself from you. He left you. He parted ways with you. And so Paul uses a very polite word, to betray yet a very tragic truth, and that truth was this, Onesimus ran. Onesimus abandoned his master. You say, what's the big deal? Well, it's a very big deal, especially in Roman society in those days. This was not a small crime whatsoever. And let me just pause for a second and just tell you that the slavery that we're talking about here in Philemon is a different kind of slavery that we know of, of chattel slavery, slavery that is based upon a person's race. This is not the situation here in Philemon. No, listen, Roman servitude, while still a form of slavery, while still a form of bondage, was often tied not to race but to debt or to poverty. For example, if a man's business went belly up. He went under, and that man still owed a lot of debt, and he still owed the taxes to Rome. This man has a choice. He can sell himself into a wealthier household so that he and his family can survive. Now he might serve for a set period until his debts are paid, but according to how big his debts are will determine how long he'll serve that household. But many of those slaves, many of those servants were educated individuals. They would manage households. they would, in some cases, run their master's businesses. Now, again, it could still be very harsh, but this is not chattel slavery based upon race. But as I said earlier, Roman law dealt very harshly with runaways. As a matter of fact, a fugitive could be flogged for running away, or they could be branded with the letter F upon their forehead, which stands for fugitive. And then even in extreme cases, they could be crucified along the side of the road as a warning to other slaves, you better not run away from your master. Because to run away was to rob your master of what was his. And so here is Onesimus, he slips away from Colossae. And according to verses 18 and 19, he likely stole money from his master on his way out. He vanishes into the crowds of Rome. And so here is this fugitive, this runaway slave. He has traveled to the world's largest city in the world. Historians say about this time in their history, they would have about a million people. So he thought he could run and hide, and he thought that somehow if he escaped Philemon's household, if he escaped his master, that he would be free. But that's not the truth. The truth is, beloved, he found himself in deeper chains than ever before. But is this not the very picture of sin? Is this not the very picture of sinful humanity? Have we not also ran from our master, our good master? I mean, think about what Isaiah talked about. In Isaiah 53, verse six, he said, what? Oh, we like sheep. Have what? Gone astray. We departed. We turned everyone to His own way, and that's what sin does. Sin is desertion, rebellion. Sin is running from God. I mean, listen, when you look at it, you see this even in the Garden of Eden. Right? Adam and Eve walked with God every day in the cool of the day. But something happened when they sinned. What did they do? They fled from the presence of the Lord. At least they tried to depart from the presence of the Lord. And humanity, ever since that fall, ever since their fleeing and departing, humanity has been on a constant run from God. And so we can rightly say that sin makes runaways of us all. We run from God's will. In our sinful state, we run from God's Word. In our natural, sinful, unconverted state, we run and depart from God's ways. And listen, every step we take away from God, just makes us even more enslaved to sin. Every step you take away from God, you may think you are getting yourself free, but you are enslaving yourself even more to sin's chains. Oh, listen, beloved, the story of Onesimus is the story of every sinner running from their master. thinking that they are free, but in reality, they are enslaved all the more. And so we see the fall of Onesimus. He was a runaway slave. Notice the second thing, he had a ruined reputation. We see in the first part of verse 11, Paul says, who was once profitable to you. Now here Paul is speaking about Onesimus' past. Again, his very name meant useful. But here Paul says he was once profitable. And so the man who was called useful, he was at one point useless. And my soul, what a cutting statement. And it's a cutting statement because it's a true statement of what sin can do in the life of an individual. Sin always ruins. Sin ruins character. Sin will ruin your testimony. Sin will ruin even your reputation. I mean, my soul, we think about Samson. We think about the meaning of his name. Samson, his name meant sunshine. Now, did he live a life that was like a sunshiny day? No, he did not. Samson, because of sin, was blinded. He was bound. He was grinding grain in the enemy territory of Gaza. His life was anything but sunshine. And we also think about Judas. His name means praise, but yet this is the same Judas that betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ for 30 pieces of silver, and he died in total despair and lostness. Sin always ruins. Young people, listen to me this morning. Sin will ruin you. It can ruin you. Sin never builds up. It always tears down. Sin, beloved, it shatters what was once whole. It stains what was once pure. It weakens what was once strong. Let's notice not only the fall, let's notice his encounter. Let's notice his encounter. And thank God that the story does not end in his fall. Now Onesimus found grace. He found grace, but the amazing thing is that he found it not in a synagogue. He did not find grace in a church. Notice he found grace in a prison cell. He found grace in a prison cell. Verse 10 tells us, I appeal to you for my son, Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in chains. And so here, beloved, is a miracle of grace. It's a miracle of providence. Onesimus fled from Philemon's house in Colossae. He travels over 1,000 miles to the city of Rome where there are masses and masses of people. Oh, listen, he thought he could travel to the world's largest city. get lost in the crowd, so to speak, but in reality, he ran straight into the arms of grace. And who did he meet there in Rome? He met a Christian, but not just any Christian. He met a preacher. but not just any preacher. He met none other than the apostle Paul. And here is the amazing thing. Philemon, Onesimus' master, had been led to Christ by Paul some years earlier when Paul was ministering in Ephesus. You talk about a small world. So the very man that Onesimus ran away from, lo and behold, Paul led that man to the Lord. And so this is why Paul could look Philemon in the eye and say, you owe me your very self. It was me that led you to Christ. It was me that led the missionary journey to the Gentiles, and you are a Gentile. You come to faith in Jesus Christ. You owe me your very self. But out of a million people there in Rome, Onesimus crosses paths with the very man who introduced his master to the Lord Jesus Christ. Philemon was a believer. Now, how did Onesimus meet Paul? in that vast city there in Rome, where there are two thoughts, two common thoughts. Some believe that Onesimus, somewhere along the way in his travels there in Rome, broke the law. And he did some type of a petty crime, and because of that crime, he was able to spend some time in prison. Or in that same facility where Paul was staying. Others think that he sought out Paul. because he knew that Paul was a friend of his master Philemon. Now, I kind of go either way on this. I don't know exactly the reason how they met one another, but here's what I do know, and that is in Onesimus' meeting with the apostle Paul, It was not a luck or chance meeting. It was not happenstance that these two men met each other and Paul led Onesimus to the Lord Jesus Christ in salvation. Oh, listen, notice a gospel transformation, a gospel transformation. So we notice it's not luck that they met. No, this was the sovereign hand of God, the sovereign providence of God bringing a runaway slave face to face to the gospel of Christ. In Philemon verse 11 again, we find these words, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. Now, we've already talked about how Paul described Onesimus. as being once unprofitable, but Paul now goes on and says, but now is profitable to you and to me. And so notice that the same verse that marks his ruin is the same exact verse that marks his redemption. And beloved, listen to me, that is the power of the gospel. That's the power of salvation. And notice that Paul is not merely speaking about an improved Onesimus. No, Paul does not say that. Paul is speaking about a new Onesimus. He's speaking about a transformation that has taken place. He's talking about a new man. It reminds us of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. He's a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. That was Onesimus. So what we learn here, beloved, is that the gospel does not polish up the old life. That's not the gospel. There are many people who believe and are deceived into thinking, if I can just fix myself, if I will just go to church a little bit more, if I will give, if I will do sinful things less, then I'll just polish up the old man and I'll be good, the Lord will accept me. But that's not the gospel. Now listen, the gospel, beloved, does not polish up the old life. The gospel gives new life. It does not reform the slave of sin. The gospel remakes him into a son or a daughter of God. And so Paul could look at Onesimus and say, he is my son, my very heart. Think about that. A runaway slave is now a spiritual child of the apostle Paul. He is now in the family of Onesimus. of God. That, beloved, is grace...grace that intercepts us in our rebellion, grace that hunts us down when we are trying to hide, grace that meets us where we are at and makes us what we are not. That's grace. And listen to me, sinner. If you are here and are not in Christ, if you have never bowed your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, listen to me. You cannot outrun grace. Maybe somebody's here this morning and you are running. You're running from conviction. You're trying your best to outrun Christ. But listen, you may outrun your parents. You may even outrun your parents' prayers. You may outrun your pastors. But you cannot outrun the precious hound of heaven. Old Spurgeon said, we must all stand in debt and in awe that the hound of heaven chased us down. I'm thankful that the hound of heaven got a hold of me. Amen? The truth is, every one of you that are born again, that's exactly what's happened to you. The Holy Spirit of God got a hold of you. But that is Onesimus' story. He ran, but grace ran faster. He fled, but mercy overtook him. He hid, but Christ found him. Oh, listen, that same grace pursues us, not only at our conversion, but throughout our everyday life. Love of the Psalmist said, Surely goodness, our grace and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Notice thirdly, we see Onesimus' return. Beloved, salvation is never the end of the story. Onesimus was sent back and he is not just heading back, beloved, as a fugitive. As we shall see, he is heading back as a family member. Notice in verse 12 that he is restored in Christ. Verse 12 tells us, I am sending him back. Paul says, I'm sending Onesimus back. You therefore receive him that is my own heart and my soul." What a scene this must have been. Onesimus, he left Colossae as a fugitive, but he returned carrying the letter that was written by the Apostle Paul himself, the very letter that we call the Book of Philemon. But can you just imagine all the emotions that Onesimus had as he made his way back to Colossae from Rome? I mean, just imagine the trembling in his hands. Just imagine, beloved, the pressure on his shoulders as he began to cross those familiar paths that led to his master's house. But yet, beloved, understand that Onesimus did not return empty-handed. No, he came with Paul's commendation. And more than that, he was clothed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. So we could say that Onesimus did not come empty-handed, he had the letter of Paul. But neither did Onesimus come empty-hearted, because Christ had birthed him into the kingdom of God." But this is why Paul writes, receive him as my own heart. In other words, the Apostle Paul equates this runaway with his very soul. And so we learn here this morning that grace not only forgives, it restores relationships. It restores those relationships that were once torn apart. It reconciles those who were at odds with one another. And notice that Paul does not say, receive him as a servant. Or receive him as a slave. When he comes back to you, just receive him as a servant. No, he says, receive him as my heart. Philemon, you receive him the same way you would receive me if I come to your front door. That's how you are to receive Onesimus. So we learn, beloved, that grace knits together what sin had torn apart. Notice in verse 16, we see that he is received not just for a season, but forever. Verse 16 tells us, no longer as a slave, But more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord." Do you hear that, Christian? Do you hear that, church? Paul said, hey, you receive him no longer as a slave. but more than a slave, as a beloved brother in Christ. That, my dear friends, is the language of transformation. That is the language of gospel transformation. Paul is telling Philemon that Onesimus is no longer merely property, He's telling Philemon that he is family. He is a beloved brother. Onesimus is no longer a servant in chains. He is a brother in Christ. Now listen. In the day in which Paul lived in that Roman society, they could not imagine such a scenario. They could not fathom how a runaway slave could be redeemed, could be received, rather, in that master's home. But that's exactly what takes place here. I mean, to the Roman society, they saw a servant or a slave as just some type of expendable commodity. They saw that slave as property But in the church of Jesus Christ, He's a brother, He's family. But don't you just love how grace obliterates those old categories of slave and free, Jew and Gentile, rich and poor. As a matter of fact, Paul says this in Galatians chapter 3 verse 28, He said, there's neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither rich nor poor. There's neither slave nor free, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Again, this is a miracle of grace. Paul says, receive him, not temporarily, not for a season, but receive him forever. Listen, this is the gospel. Listen, when Christ saves us, He does not merely just erase our record. Now, that would be wonderful in and of itself. No, He not only erases our record, but He receives us as family. As family. Christ does not just say, hey, you are pardoned. No, Christ declares, you are mine. You are my child." Oh listen, Onesimus walked back into Philemon's house expecting judgment. But he was sent carrying Paul's letter of grace. And so it is with us, church. We walk toward the throne of God with shame in our hands, but we carry in our hearts the letter of Christ's blood saying, receive him as my own. Beloved, listen, we're no longer enemies. We're heirs. We're no longer slaves. We are sons and daughters of God. We no longer have been cast out. We have been brought in forever. Notice fourthly, and lastly, we see his legacy. Here we see, beloved, the beauty of grace shining here in verse number 11. We see he who was once useless, now useful. Once again, let's read verse 11. It says, who was once unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me." Now, this one verse, and we've read this three or four times already this morning, is really the banner verse that stretches over the banner of Onesimus' life. The man whose name meant useful had lived a life anything but, but in Christ, the name fit the man. As a matter of fact, Paul himself points to this change in Colossians chapter 4 verse 9. He commands Onesimus or he commends Onesimus as a faithful and beloved brother who is one of you. Oh, listen, no longer hiding in shame, Onesimus was now honored in Scripture by the lips of the Apostle Paul. And church history tells us that the story does not end with Paul's commendation. Church history tells us that Onesimus later on became a leader in the early church. He became an elder at the church in Ephesus. And so here is this runaway slave who has now been entrusted to be a shepherd of Christ's sheep. But you mark down that transformation, you mark down his legacy. Listen, once he was a liability, now he's an asset. He was at once a thief, now he is a trusted brother and a dependable disciple. It's a miracle of grace. And listen to me, never underestimate what grace can do for any life. Never underestimate that. Sometimes we might have the mindset, well, that family member is just too far gone. We don't know that. Notice in Luke chapter 19 verse 10, grace redeems the runaway. Jesus said, for the son of man has come to seek and save that which is lost. Frank Onesimus was not looking for God when he ran away from his master's house. He was not looking for the Lord. He was not fleeing Philemon's house because he somehow had a repentant heart. No, he fleed his master's house because he had a rebellious heart, but he was not seeking after God in his fleeing. But here, beloved, is the miracle of grace. Christ was seeking Him. Christ was seeking Him. Think about it. He fled to Rome, trying to disappear in the masses and the crowds there, but He could not. Onesimus, beloved, may have ran from his master, but he could not outrun the master of the universe. And is it not true of us all? The same thing is true of us all, that the scripture is very clear. In Romans 3, verse 10, that there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none who understands. There is none who seeks after God. Listen, left to ourselves, we do not seek after God. Left to ourselves, we seek and chase sin. We do not seek His face. We do not seek His favor. We try to seek our own way. Like Adam and Eve hiding from God amongst the trees. And like Onesimus slipping away from his master, we are all runaways by nature. But praise God, the gospel is about Christ seeking us. Jesus said, the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost. And so the gospel is not about man's pursuit of God, The gospel is God's pursuit of man. That's the gospel. Listen, beloved, we were that one little lost lamb that the good shepherd was searching for and found. We were that lost coin that Jesus talked about that was searched by the woman, and we were the prodigal son who was welcomed by the loving Father. That's grace. Grace seeks, grace saves, and grace transforms. And if grace could chase down a runaway slave in Rome, it can chase you down wherever you are. And dear sinner friend, listen to me. We see in Onesimus, we see the picture of every lost sinner. Onesimus ran from his good master. So did we. So did we. Think about how good God was to Adam and Eve. Gave them everything that literally was a paradise for them. But yet they, in essence, departed from that. They ran from that. They chose disobedience. And every person born in Adam has that same mindset toward God. We run away from the things of God, and if it was not for God coming to us, We would never be born again. We would never believe. Oh, listen, we deserted the one who made us, the one who blessed us, but the God who sought Onesimus in Rome has sought us in the Lord Jesus Christ. And just as Paul called Onesimus, my son begotten in my chains, so God calls us his children through the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there on that cross, Jesus took our rebellion. He took our shame. He took our sin. He died in our place. And if you're here and without Christ, I plead with you to run to Him, cling to Him. You are not beyond redemption. Grace is greater than all our sin. And dear Christian, when's the last time you thanked the Lord that you were pursued and that you were chased down? And God used various means and various circumstances to bring you to a point of conversion. When's the last time you thanked Him for that? Well, when I pray, would you pray with me? Just a prayer of thanks. Let's pray together.