Why Do You Do the Right Thing?

DAY 333
9-2-10
PHILEMON


Good Morning!

Paul wrote a personal note to his Christian friend Philemon asking him to take back his runaway slave who had become a Christian also. This unique situation – so foreign to our contemporary experience – teaches us the proper motivation for doing the right thing.

In Philemon 8-9 Paul wrote, “Although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love.” Paul had the apostolic authority to command Philemon to do the right thing, but he chose to let him do it on his own accord for a more noble reason – love.

Why do you do the right thing? Because you are afraid of hell? Because you can’t get out of it? Because someone is making you or watching you? Because you feel guilty? As we grow and mature, our motivation for doing what is right must be the same as God’s motivation for saving us from sin… "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16-17)

Barry