He Remembers we are Dust

Philemon 1:15-22

"Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good — no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask. And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers."

It's not very exact but somehow Paul seems to echo how God may respond to our hurts and hangups in relationships similar to Philemon's. "Welcome him as you would welcome me", "Charge it to me", "I will pay it back", "I trust in your obedience" — these are very encouraging words, that God is indeed the ultimate judge of individuals, we just do right and good anyway, regardless of what other people do to us. More importantly, we do just that because, no matter how many times we may have failed Him, we still "owe our very selves" to Him and He hopes "to be restored" to us "in answer to" our prayers/repentance.

1 Corinthians 6:11

"Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." — And to a certain extent we are still struggling, fighting the good fight within us. 

Forgiveness is such a Christlike act (hence the saying "to forgive is divine") that God desires for us to build into our character, because it is that very same Amazing Grace He demonstrated in the death of His Son, Jesus, Who suffered the ultimate injustice in our hands.

~31.08.2013