Philemon’s
godly life and the love he bore towards God and the fellow-believers made Paul
joyful and thankful. There is a reputation of godliness and diligence, which
should precede those who are true Disciples of Christ. It is not a status,
achieved through personal boasting, advertising of one’s virtues or self-promotion
of any kind! The Pharisees of Jesus’ day were bent on attracting attention to
their spirituality through such means. It is rather that which God brings forth
in us and others are able to communicate, having experienced for themselves the
reality of the fruit, which the faithful servant abundantly bears unto the Lord.
There can be no pretence about this. It cannot be a strummed up ‘character
reference’, without supporting ‘documentation’! The enduring quality of the
individual’s life, his loving interaction with peers and the longevity of his
service and diligence, become the ‘unwritten’ documents, which underpin the
claims of godliness others may proffer about him! Though some may appear in the shorter term to
bear such fruit, it is over the longer period of service in Christ, that such
fruit and the reality of it is validated and verified. A tree may bear good
fruit for one season, but if after that it fails to raise a crop, or its fruit
is stunted and sickly, it will hardly be sought after. A good tree and one
worthy of commendation, on the other hand, is one which continues to bear good
fruit, season after season, and is reliable for the quality and quantity of its
produce. Clearly as Christians also, it is not a matter of merely having some spiritual
fruit, some of the time, but rather, as God’s Word exhorts, that it should be
plentiful and remain - that is be more permanent in nature. This is how godly reputation
is formed. It cannot be the result of a single effort, just a season of
well-doing followed by periods of indifference and fits of tepidity, nor a
resting of previous ‘laurels’ of achievement, without present signs. It must stem
from ongoing, active and evident, submission to the ways of God in love and
faith, and from assiduousness to fulfil the law of Christ towards others, which
is the law of love. Such a fruitful life brings great rejoicing to those who
lead, and great inspiration to all who follow Christ!
http://www.pentecostalfamilychurch.com.au/devotion
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