“We are the Lord’s slaves after having become the Lord’s freemen. He delivers us from the slavery of sin, and then he introduces us to his service. And lo, we find it so blessed that we insist on our ears being bored, and our being made his slaves forever. Now obedience is the slavery of love.” – R. M. Edgar
The most common view of morality in our culture is probably the one that says we can do whatever we like as long as we don’t hurt anyone else. This is, of course, accurate as far as it goes. If you are going to engage in some kind of destructive behavior, the rest of us would be happiest if you only harm yourself. But is that the whole story?
Refusing to forgive is like taking poison in the hope that it kills somebody else. I’m not sure who first said that, but if you think about it, it’s true. Philemon is about forgiveness.
For many, day-to-day life is an area completely separated from beliefs or values that might be called “religious” or “spiritual”. Many now consider it an absolute virtue to “not let their personal faith affect how they do their job.” The Bible makes no such distinction. If Jesus is Lord at all, His influence will be felt in all our relationships and responsibilities.
Central Reflections 