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Paul opens his letter to Philemon by expressing his gratitude to God for the genuineness of Philemon’s faith. Paul’s prayer for Philemon is that his faith will be put into practice in every situation, so that right there Christ and his kingdom will become visible. Paul has seen this happen before, and he expresses his confidence that he will see it again, especially in the matter that has caused him to write this letter to Philemon.

In Paul's letter to Philemon, the apostle makes an appeal on behalf of Philemon's slave, Onesimus. It is not just what the appeal is but how it is constructed that matters most. Here we see Christian theology in practice as Paul grounds his appeal for Onesimus in light of the reconciliation that Christ has won for his people.

The Christian life is not usually an easy life. We follow the crucified Savior so it should not be a surprise when our lives reflect a similar reality. But resurrection is our hope, keeping us encouraged to press onward in our discipleship.

The Christian community, the church of Jesus, is the place where God intends his glory to be visible today. Christian disciples are formed in this community, through the various ways in which God is made known to them. Everyone has an essential role to play for the benefit of the whole family of faith.

How quickly Christians can lose sight of the gospel! Paul was stunned to see how his converts in Galatia were drawing tighter boundaries around the people of God, limiting the freedom that Christ had won for them. He reminds Christian who they truly are: members of God's one family through whom he intends to manifest his blessings into the world.

Christians are to be disciples of Jesus more than anything else. Although we can learn much about Jesus from other Christians, it is Jesus we follow, and it is his fruit we are to manifest. Our task is to remain with Christ, abiding in his love, and joyfully obeying his commands.

Jesus promised that everyone who believed in him would be empowered by his Spirit to advance the blessings of his kingdom throughout the world. That promise was fulfilled when Jesus entered his glory in surprising fashion As the good news of his kingdom spread, his followers found that they were empowered by the Spirit of Christ to proclaim the same message of salvation through Jesus alone.

Christians have been given the Holy Spirit to make them witnesses of Jesus and his kingdom. We have been transferred out of the kingdom of death and brought into the kingdom of life. But we are often tempted to go back and to submit to the slavery from which we have been delivered. The only way forward is to discern the voice of the Spirit, and to go his way, wherever he might take us.

Jesus promised that when the Holy Spirit came upon his disciples, they would be his witnesses, representatives of his own presence in the world. To be Jesus’s witnesses, then, we must depend upon his Spirit whom he has given to us. We must learn how to rely upon the Spirit’s help so that everyone may know about God’s love.

A Christian is a person who possesses the Spirit of God. And to have God’s Holy Spirit is to be assured that God will transform a person, making him or her the image of God that they were always meant to be. Holiness is the Christian’s destiny, but it is also the Christian’s duty to prioritize and to cultivate over a lifetime of discipleship.