That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Philemon 6
Sometimes we can pick out other Christians in a crowd, if we are looking for them. Something that I often do – and you probably do to – when I am in a crowd of people, such as on a busy street, a crowded mall, or in the audience at a community event, is look around to see if I can identify the Christians. Some are easy to spot, such as a ‘Christ died for our sins’ bumper sticker on the car ahead of us in the traffic, or the lady reading her Bible on a park bench. Some are easy to rule out, such as those who engage in profane talk or those who dress immodestly or who dress according to the mandates of a particular religion. But with most people, it is really difficult to tell because any Christians among them don’t look or act any different from anyone else. They might be folks with a wonderful grasp of Bible truth, or folks who have a testimony of being like Christ in their homes and workplaces. But we won’t know.. not unless they let us know. And that is what our text is telling us about.
Paul speaks of the communication of Philemon’s faith. This was a man who let everybody he encountered know that he was a Christian. Did he tell them? Not necessarily, although that was probably included. Paul said Philemon acknowledged every good thing that was in him in Christ Jesus. Simply put, he acted like a Christian; he acted out the things that made him a Christian. He witnessed to the saving power of Christ. He displayed the attributes of Christ in showing mercy and love, honesty and faithfulness. He demonstrated the power of the Holy Spirit in living for and serving the Lord his God.
Do people around us know that we are Christians? How can they tell? Like Philemon, we must communicate our faith. No, that does not mean standing up and shouting Gospel texts on the bus, or carrying a Gospel text sandwich board all the time. No, it means that, like Philemon, we show by our life what God has transformed us into for His glory. Outwardly, we dress in a manner that is not shameful. We speak respectfully without resorting to the world’s profane language. We avoid places where sinful behaviour is prominent, so that nobody would ever ask us, ‘If you are a Christian, what are you doing here?’ We are truthful and honest and kind and fair, just as the Lord Jesus would be in that situation. And there would be nothing fake about our behaviour, because we would be living out that which exists within.
The expression ‘every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus’ describes why others can identify us as Christians. The world looks and acts like the world because they lack all of those good things that God has given to us in Christ Jesus. If God has given us all these good things, let us display them as we communicate our faith. -Jim MacIntosh