Introduction: What are you going to do? Lose or Win? If you “HOLD ON” to anger and bitterness, you LOSE! But if you LET GO, you WIN! Which is it going to be? Thank God, He was willing to LET GO of our SIN DEBT by placing it on Himself; thus, paying it in full! (Rom. 6:23). Sometimes we forget that Jesus did not “HOLD ON” to our SHAME and GUILT but LET it GO! Listen to these liberating verses.

 

1. Choice #1: HOLD ON! (Eph. 4:26, 31) – “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath… Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.”

 

Do you remember the man named Philemon? By the way, Paul’s letter was written to him. What did he do? Actually, the better question is what was done to him? He had a trusted worker named Onesimus who stole from him quite a bit. Imagine how you would feel? You come home one day, and your truck, guns, and hidden cash are gone, plus your wife’s most expensive jewelry is missing—including diamonds, pearls, and rubies along with other valuable items. Now how angry would you be? Probably enough to SPIT BULLETS!!

 

Understandably, Philemon was bitten with a bitter spirit. But that resentment would ruin him if he HELD ON to it! Meanwhile, God was working on the other end by convicting Onesimus. Even though Paul was incarcerated in prison, he was really more free than most, although he was shackled with chains. Onesimus was walking in freedom but was haunted by guilt and tormented with shame. Nevertheless, God led him to the right person (Paul) at the right time to talk to. Guess what happened? Keep reading.

 

 

Back to Philemon. Onesimus comes face to face with God’s AMAZING GRACE! He was set free from the strongholds of sin and condemnation. After being forgiven, he had to make restitution. So the Lord mapped out a plan. He was to return to his boss, Philemon, with a letter from Paul who encouraged him to forgive—“LET it GO”! Even though he was done wrong, he had to make it right. And at the same time, even though Onesimus did the wrong, he had to get it right, which he did!

And guess what? Our Lord Jesus put all of this in His Word that we might learn from this example. What about all the millions and millions of people that have been helped by this biblical narrative? Does that include you?

 

Conclusion: Now then. Are you going to “HOLD ON”? Or “LET GO”?

Love y’all,

Dr. Randy Reese