Devotional: Christ, My Advocate (Philemon 1:17-18)

There’s a story in the book of Philemon that has always struck me as a beautiful picture of what Jesus does for us. It’s a short letter, easily missed, where Paul writes on behalf of a man named Onesimus. Onesimus was a runaway slave who had wronged his master, Philemon. But after meeting Paul and turning his life to Jesus, Onesimus now needed to face his past. Paul steps in as his advocate, asking Philemon to receive Onesimus back, not as a slave, but as a brother in Christ.

One line that particularly stands out is when Paul writes to Philemon, "If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to me" (Philemon 1:18). I can’t help but think of what Jesus has done for me. When I reflect on my own life, I see how I, too, have been like Onesimus—running, lost, and with a debt I could never repay. Yet Jesus, like Paul, steps in and says to God, “Put that on my account.”

It’s the same truth we find in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake, [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” What a mystery this is. Jesus took all of my sin, all of my guilt, and bore it on the cross. Like Paul offering to take Onesimus’ debt, Jesus took mine. I didn’t deserve it. In fact, I still can’t wrap my mind around why He would do that. But He did. He bore my sin, my failures, and my shortcomings, and took them as if they were His own.

This is echoed in other places in the Bible, like Isaiah 53, where we’re told that Jesus “bore our griefs” and “carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). Jesus willingly took on what I could never carry, paying the price for all the ways I’ve fallen short.

But it doesn’t stop there. Not only does Jesus take my sin upon Himself, but He presents me to the Father as if I were Him. This is the other part of what Paul writes in Philemon. He says to Philemon, “Receive him as you would receive me” (Philemon 1:17). This, too, reflects what Jesus has done. When I stand before God, He no longer sees me in my brokenness or rebellion. He sees Jesus.

In John 17:23, Jesus prays that the world would know that God the Father loves us even as He loves His Son. That’s a staggering thought! When God looks at me, He sees His Son’s righteousness, not my sin. Ephesians 1:6 tells us that we are “accepted in the Beloved,” meaning that through Jesus, we are received and embraced by God, just as He would embrace His own Son. This reality should cause me to want to do good works, not to earn His love, but out of love for what is already mine. My actions are now motivated by gratitude and joy, not out of a desire to be accepted, but because I already am, through what Jesus has done.

I think of Galatians 3:27, where Paul says that “all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” This means that I’m covered in Jesus’ righteousness—like putting on a garment that completely changes the way I’m seen. My identity is no longer just my own; it’s wrapped up in Jesus. I’ve become part of something far greater than myself.

In a way, this shows me that salvation isn’t just about me individually. It’s about being united with Christ and being part of His body. I’m no longer standing alone before God, trying to figure it out on my own. I’m in Christ, part of His people, and accepted because of Him. I belong to Him.

All of this has made me realize how much I need Jesus. Without Him, I’m just like Onesimus, lost and owing more than I could ever repay. But because of Jesus, I’m received as a child of God, as if I were Jesus Himself. Romans 8:15-17 talks about how we are adopted as children of God, and we can cry out, “Abba, Father!” I no longer stand in fear, but in confidence, because I know that Jesus speaks on my behalf.

This beautiful exchange in Philemon reflects the heart of the gospel. Just as Paul interceded for Onesimus, Jesus intercedes for me. He took my sin upon Himself and, in return, clothed me in His righteousness. Now, when God looks at me, He sees His Son. I’ve been forgiven, accepted, and welcomed into God’s presence, not because of anything I’ve done, but because of what Jesus has done for me. This is the incredible truth of grace—that I am not only forgiven but received as His own, loved and embraced because of Christ.