Put That On My Account

Philemon 18 – “If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on mine account.”

The Apostle Paul finds himself in a position where he can perform a great deed of mercy in the life of a needy soul.  A poor slave, Onesimus, had escaped from his master, Philemon, and had apparently purloined some amount of money in his escape.  Now whether Onesimus was actually “owned” by Philemon is not known, but it is evident that he was legally in his employ and accountable to him.  And he had broken the chain of his accountability and escaped to Rome, where he ended up in the presence of the great apostle.  Then Paul, in God’s grace and mercy, led him to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Now born again, Onesimus must right the terrible wrong he had done and is sent by Paul to return to his master and seek forgiveness, no longer as only a slave, but now as a brother.  Then Paul makes that gracious offer to Philemon – “If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, put that on my account.”  “Charge it to me,” he says, “I’ll pay the debt.”

This is the same offer that Christ makes for each one of us – He looks to God, the Almighty God, and says of every one who has claimed the blood, “He’s under the blood now, O Father, if he has wronged thee (and we have – ‘All have sinned and come short of the glory of God’), or oweth thee aught (and we do – ‘For the wages of sin is death’), put that on my account.”  And all our sins have been imputed to his account – and all His righteousness is imputed to us.  This is the wondrous doctrine of imputation.

To illustrate this doctrine, I once heard of a missionary who was speaking to a group of fishermen in a little village on the coast of Labrador. He had told of Christ's death on the cross and was trying to get the message of salvation across. He wondered if he was getting anywhere, if the men understood him, so he asked a question: "Will you tell me in your own words what Christ did when He died upon the cross?"  "Yes," said a weatherbeaten fisherman, tears coursing down his face, "I just now saw what He did. He swapped places with me. He took my place on the cross and left me here in his place, a man without sin in God's sight. Oh praise His name!"

Martin Luther wrote, "All the prophets did foresee in Spirit that Christ should become the greatest transgressor, murderer, adulterer, thief, rebel, blasphemer, etc., that ever was or could be in all the world. For he, being made a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world is not now an innocent person and without sins...but a sinner." He was, of course, talking about the imputing of our wrongdoing to Christ as our substitute. He continues, “Our most merciful Father...sent his only Son into the world and laid upon him...the sins of all men saying: Be thou Peter that denier; Paul that persecutor, blasphemer and cruel oppressor; David that adulterer; that sinner which did eat the apple in Paradise; that thief which hanged upon the cross; and briefly be thou the person which hath committed the sins of all men; see therefore that thou pay and satisfy for them. Here now comes the law and saith: I find him a sinner...therefore let him die upon the cross. And so he setteth upon him and killeth him. By this means the whole world is purged and cleansed from all sins."

Put That On My Account

Yes, upon cruel cross, Christ looked across the ages

And, seeing every sinner that every lived

And that would ever live (including me and including you)

And all the awful sins of mankind,

Lovingly said, “O Father, put that on my account.”

Now, because I have trusted in Him,

When God looks at me,

He sees only the precious blood of Christ

And softly whispers, “Forgiven.”

Quote – “When we see Christ on the cross, we see what we are and what we ought to be.” - Unknown

"Lord, Thank you for taking upon yourself all my sins.  Thank you for giving me a clean ledger by the washing of regeneration.  Thank you for your great forgiveness.  Amen."