빌레몬은 바울로부터 복음을 들었고, 사면복권 받아 새 생명을 얻었으며, 하나님의 놀라우신 은혜를 많이 받았습니다. 빌레몬에게는 오네시모라는 노예가 있었는데 어느 날 귀중품을 갖고 도망하였습니다. 오네시모는 로마에까지 도망하였고 거기서 사도바울을 만나 복음을 듣고 구원받게 되었습니다. 바울은 그를 주인 빌레몬에게 보내며 편지를 써 보냈습니다. 그 편지가 바로 성경의 빌레몬서입니다. 빌레몬서는 우리를 용서와 감사와 사랑의 삶으로 인도하며 상호 간에 축복받을 수 있는 길로 인도합니다. 바울은 예수 그리스도를 통해 사면복권 받은 우리 모두를 그리스도와 세상 다른 사람에게 빚진 자라 하였습니다. 주님께 일만 달란트 탕감받은 빌레몬은 백 데나리온 빚진 그의 종 오네시모를 그리스도 안에서 한 형제로 용납함이 당연한 것입니다. 우리 모두는 복음에 빚진 자입니다. 작게는 우리들에게 복음을 전한 분들에게 이며, 크게는 그리스도께 대해서입니다. 따라서 복음에 빚진 자 된 우리들은 마땅히 겸손해야 하며, 그 빚을 다 갚을 수는 없지만, 그 받은바 크신 사랑을 이웃과 더불어 나눌 수 있어야 하겠습니다.

3. 창조주 하나님은 우리 각 사람을 향한 평생 계획을 갖고 계십니다.

바울과 빌레몬, 빌레몬과 오네시모, 오네시모와 바울, 바울과 로마서 16장의 사람들.....모든 것이 우연인 것처럼 보일수 있으나 그것은 우연이 아니었습니다. 하나님의 섭리 속에 이루어지는 만남이었습니다. 이것을 보면 인생은 만남의 축복이 중요합니다. 누구를 만나느냐에 따라 성공과 실패가 결정되고 운명이 결정되는 것입니다. 그러므로 지금 여러분이 만나는 주변 사람들을 중요하게 여겨야 합니다. 그리고 지금 경험하는 인생의 사건들을 의미 있게 다루십시오. 왜냐하면 내가 지금 만나는 사람들과 사건들은 하나님의 계획과 섭리 속에 있기 때문입니다. 주어진 삶 속의 만남과 되어지는 일들은 주께서 우리 인생의 주인 되어 인도하시는 큰 그림 속에 있습니다. 우연히 벌어지는 일인 듯 보이나 합력하여 선을 이뤄가고 있는 중입니다. 그러므로 지금 만나고 있는 사람들을 소중히 여기시고 지금 눈앞에 있는 일들을 주님의 눈으로 바라보시기 바랍니다.

우리 각 사람에게도 용서해야 할 오네시모들이 있습니다. 용서는 쉬운 일이 아니지만 중요한 일입니다. 그래서 주님께서는 “우리가 우리에게 죄지은 자를 용서해 준 것 같이 우리의 죄를 용서해주옵시고”라 기도하라 하셨습니다. 그러나 세상에서 가장 힘들고 쉽지 않은 것이 바로 용서입니다. 하나님은 용서가 힘들고 어렵다는 것을 너무나 잘 알고 계시지만 그럼에도 불구하고 우리에게 용서할 것을 명령하고 계십니다. 왜 그럴까요? 그 이유는 하나님 자신을 위해서가 아니라 바로 우리 자신을 위해서입니다. 우리가 용서하지 못하고 살아가면 우선 마음에 평안함이 사라집니다. 구원의 기쁨이 사라집니다. 기도의 줄이 막힙니다. 원수 마귀가 그 미움의 생각을 타고 틈을 타기 시작합니다. 마음이 병들고 나중에는 육체가 병들기 시작합니다. 그러므로 성경은 끊임없이 용서하라고 말씀하십니다.

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Gratitude and Forgiveness are Paths to Being the Source of Blessings.

Seeing patients on oxygen respirators in the hospital, I realized that even breathing is not something to be taken for granted, but something to be grateful for. We live with the help of many others. We should be grateful, knowing that even a single meal reaches our table through the hard work of so many people. There are many who cultivate agricultural products, supply them, and prepare them until they are served. In particular, the Creator God, who creates and grows various vegetables, fruits, and grains, reveals His existence and His works. However, most people, instead of offering thanks to God, ignore Him or regard Him as a liar. This is called bae-eun-mang-deok (背恩忘德) in a four-character idiom, meaning ingratitude or to bite the hand that feeds you. If resentment or ingratitude prevails instead of thanksgiving, disaster is bound to follow.

1. Knowing ‘who God is and who you are’ is the foundation of knowledge.

If one lives without this foundation of knowledge, becoming ungrateful, the internal disaster of depression spreads like a fog, and disasters in all aspects of life continue without end.

Specifically, the fundamental problem of all humanity is the fact that, due to original sin—a rebellion against God alongside Adam—humanity was condemned to eternal hellfire. In this state, everyone lives a physical life once and then departs, and it is crucial to remember that this period is given as the unique opportunity to accept the gospel (Good News) of Christ and receive pardon and restoration. To hear the gospel proclaimed through the church and evangelists during the span of our physical lives is a great grace from God. If you accept the gospel, realize that a life where "I am my own master" is the result of original sin, repent, and receive Jesus Christ (Revelation 3:20) as your Lord and Savior (John 1:12), you receive pardon and restoration, become a child of God, and obtain eternal life. Those who receive new life grow through the church, live as evangelists, and then migrate to their eternal home, the new heavens and new earth, to live forever. In this way, a person who becomes a Christian has, through the atoning grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, received pardon and restoration from eternal hellfire, becoming indebted to the gospel. As those who are indebted, the basic principle we should adopt is the life described by Paul in Romans 12:1. It is to dedicate the rest of your life to the Lord, who is carrying out the work of salvation.

2. The new life of a saved person is a life of forgiveness, gratitude, and love.

Philemon heard the gospel from Paul, received pardon and restoration, obtained new life, and received much of God's wonderful grace. Philemon had a slave named Onesimus, who one day ran away with valuables. Onesimus fled all the way to Rome, where he met the Apostle Paul, heard the gospel, and was saved. Paul sent him back to his owner Philemon with a letter. That letter is the Book of Philemon in the Bible. The Book of Philemon guides us into a life of forgiveness, gratitude, and love, and leads us to a path where we can mutually receive blessings. Paul said that all of us who have received pardon and restoration through Jesus Christ are indebted to Christ and to other people in the world. It is natural for Philemon, who was forgiven a debt of ten thousand talents by the Lord, to accept Onesimus, his slave who owed him a hundred denarii, as a brother in Christ. We are all indebted to the gospel. On a small scale, to those who shared the gospel with us, and on a larger scale, to Christ Himself. Therefore, we who are indebted to the gospel must be humble, and although we cannot repay the entire debt, we must be able to share the great love we have received with our neighbors.

3. The Creator God has a lifelong plan for each of us.

Paul and Philemon, Philemon and Onesimus, Onesimus and Paul, Paul and the people in Romans chapter 16... all might seem like coincidences, but they were not. These were encounters brought about by God's providence. This shows that the blessing of encounters is important in life. Success or failure and destiny are determined by whom you meet. Therefore, you should value the people you meet around you now. And treat the events of your life that you are currently experiencing with meaning. This is because the people and events I encounter now are within God's plan and providence. The encounters and occurrences in our given lives are within the grand picture where the Lord is the Master, guiding our lives. Though they may seem to happen by chance, they are working together for good. Therefore, cherish the people you are currently meeting and look at the tasks before you with the Lord's eyes.

Each of us also has "Onesimuses" whom we need to forgive. Forgiveness is not easy, but it is important. That is why the Lord instructed us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” However, forgiveness is one of the hardest and most difficult things in the world. God knows very well that forgiveness is hard and difficult, yet He commands us to forgive. Why is that? The reason is not for God Himself, but for our own sake. If we live without forgiving, first and foremost, peace of mind disappears. The joy of salvation vanishes. The line of prayer is blocked. The enemy, the devil, begins to exploit that thought of hatred and find an opening. The mind becomes ill, and eventually the body begins to sicken. Therefore, the Scriptures continually tell us to forgive.

Missionary Jun-suk Park. YouTube channel: Jesusfamily tv. Website: jesusfamily.net, CP: 010-2683-8290