Light-work

The Onesimus Protocol

Onesimus was a first century slave belonging to Philemon of Colossae in Asia Minor. After having robbed his master, Onesimus fled to the anonymity of Rome. There he encountered and was converted by the Apostle Paul, who sent him back to his former master bearing a letter of appeal. In His letter (known to us as The Epistle of Philemon), Paul was struck by an irony suggested in the name, "Onesimus," which means "useful." He declared, "I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me" (Philemon 10-11). Where once "Useful" had been a galling liability to Philemon, now he had been transformed into an asset to both Paul and his friend, Philemon. What had changed? Character! Onesimus had become a new man in Christ.

Here are the characteristics that, according to Peter, define such a man (or woman). Seven qualities are listed first, followed by a description of the outcome for those who develop them: Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8).

The "outcome description" in the last sentence is an "if/then" statement. "If" these qualities are increasingly evident, "then" you are someone whose relationship with Jesus is making a positive difference in the lives of others. The implication is quite clear - the man who does NOT possess or has stopped growing these virtues is like an old abandoned jalopy in the desert, totally useless!

There is one difference between the jalopy and the useless believer. The condition of the latter is not permanent! Notice the phrase, "applying all diligence" in 2 Peter 1:5. It indicates that these seven virtues respond to elbow grease. The man who lacks self-control can make progress if he will work at it. The disreputable woman can become a lady of moral excellence, if she will apply herself to doing so.

There is one important caveat. A regimen of character development begins with a specific kind of faith, the belief that God has purified a man from his sin and enabled him to become a new man in Jesus. This kind of faith gives the believer the capacity to change, but the process is not automatic. The individual must supply diligence.

So here is a summary of the process of character development based on 2 Peter 1:5-8: When a man or woman comes to know God through faith in Jesus, he is provided with a resource kit. And in this kit is everything necessary to grow a whole host of character qualities, IF the individual will supply personal effort. As he directs his energies toward becoming morally pure, wise, self-controlled, persevering, godly, kind, and loving, he will make genuine progress and become the kind of person that others value having around. He will be like a tree that bears fruit.

The process of adding character building effort to a faith in Jesus is the protocol that made Onesimus look like his name. You can use this same protocol! Have you come to know God through faith in Jesus? Then you don't need anything except a commitment to work at growing noble character. Doing so will make you an "Onesimus" who is both useful AND fruitful.

It Takes Three to Change

Having discovered Mr. Wickham's true character, Lizzie laments, "How is such a man to be worked on?" The centerpiece of sliminess in Pride and Prejudice, Wickham eventually furnishes ample evidence his character is both corrupt and confirmed. The unassailable answer to Lizzie's rhetorical question hangs in the air with frank finality, "Impossible!"

Is this true for all? Is inner change beyond reach? The Bible is quite clear that redemption unlocks the power of genuine transformation. Paul names a den of disreputable characters in 1 Cor. 6:9-10, and then reminds the Corinthians, "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11). Notice the first occurrence of the word, "were." It indicates not just an occasional lapse but a steady state of moral failure. In their former condition, the Corinthians were a consistently sordid lot. But this was the black velvet against which the Gospel gleamed so brightly. Being washed, sanctified, and justified through Christ so altered them that, where once they were aptly described as thieves, or womanizers, or drunkards, NOW those labels no longer fit. With truth and over time, they had been made new from the inside out.

This kind of change is not merely external. But it will be evident in externals. Try to take a sample of the human soul and put it under a microscope. Find a device to which a man or woman can be wired up with probes to produce a print-out of his character. Like the wind which can only be observed by the things it affects, so is a man's character discerned through words and deeds. They are not the essence of but windows into a man's character.

Jesus was addressing the religious bigwigs of Israel who were confused on this distinction. He explained, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke 6:45). In the name of character transformation, we can fiddle with how someone expresses himself. We might succeed by maintaining, for a season, a favorable impression. But sooner or later, the true state of a man's character will be made evident in what he says.

Deeds also tell us about a man's character, sometimes providing an even clearer account of a man's heart than his words. In Paul's ministry on the island of Crete, he encountered a group whose declarations of allegiance were soundly contradicted by their actions. He observed, "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed" (Titus 1:16).

As a man is transformed from the inside out, those internal changes will be reflected by new speech and behavior patterns. So any attempt to form character must give attention to all three domains. It will address the ways that a heart must be renewed. It will teach how such a heart will speak. And, it will show the kinds of deeds that will flow from such a heart.

If you are going to teach children how to become men and woman of character, you must give attention to all three domains, heart, word, and deed. Focus purely on heart, and you will reap arrogant do-nothings. Focus merely on words and deeds and you will raise up hypocrites. Focus on heart as the source and noble speech and deeds as the outflow, and you serve them well.