If we are going to be affected by that which is present in other people, all those features in Christians and in Christian work and activity which are repugnant to us, we are going to close up and withdraw in heart and nothing is going to be done in the way of mutual helpfulness and edification.
Worthy of our Calling
We are to exercise the gifts God has given to each of us in the place He has put us. We are to minister to one another, edifying each other and speaking the truth in love. We are to walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling with which we are called, with all humility, gentleness, patience, and tolerance for one another – in love. And this will keep us from being tossed about by every wind of doctrine.
Together we help the other parts grow, and edify the saints of God ,that are His – so that the whole body is healthy, maturing in grace and growing in His love.
Exhort and Edify
Paul also prompts us to come alongside each other – to undergird the other's faith.
Wherefore exhort yourselves together, and edify one another, even also as ye do. 1Thess.5:11.
We are to exhort ourselves together and edify the body of Christ.
Faithful Servant
A faithful servant will act to exhort and edify his fellow believers in love. A careless steward will act to correct or criticise and smite his fellow-servants, but gracious exhortation can only be done in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Godly Living
We are to put away foolish speaking which misrepresents our new holy nature, but rather speak the truth in love and edify and encourage the body of Christ.
Riches of Grace
This potent prayer of Paul was inspired by the Spirit to teach and edify all the saints. This is not only a plea from Paul – but exposes the Father-heart of God Himself.
This potent prayer of Paul was inspired by the Spirit to teach and edify all the saints.
Defeat : Prepare : Edify
Such prayer is destined to DEFEAT the strategies of the enemy. Such prayer is designed to PREPARE the way for the salvation of the lost. Such prayer is designated to BUILD UP and edify the body of Christ in holy faith.
One saint, who understood God’s principle of time, gave this edifying comment:- “We might consider some familiar names of believers whom God obviously brought to maturity and used for His glory – such as Pierson, Chapman, Tauler, Moody, Goforth, Mueller, Taylor, Watt, Trumbull, Meyer, Murray, Havergal, Guyon, Mabie, Gordon, Hyde, Mantle, McCheyne, McConkey, Deck, Paxson, Stoney, Saphir, Carmichael, and Hopkins.
Edify and Encourage
But Paul also knows the truth can be corrosive – scattering unfounded pain in its wake.
They should edify and encourage. 'Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.' Colossians 4:6
We are to be grounded on the truth of the Word – building up and edifying others.
Our words are to be wholesome; sensitive; truthful; thoughtful; wise – spiritual... 'let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear'.
We are all members of one body and should care for each other as we do our own bodies, and speaking the truth in love can encourage as well as correct – edify as well as instruct.
But Paul also wanted to comfort, encourage and edify these believers, and so often we find that he did this by calling to remembrance all the wonderful things that God has done for us and anticipating all the wonderful things that God has in store for the future.
There is something very edifying and encouraging in glorifying God and singing praises to Him, even when faced with problems and pain, for it not only lifts our heart and give hope to the soul, but causes us to trust Him in our helplessness and gives great glory to our Father in heaven.
Not only did it contain news of Paul's current circumstance, but he knew that this faithful servant of the Lord would edify the saints, encourage them to stand firm in the faith, and hold fast to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace.He wrote to inform them of his current situation during his imprisonment in Rome, and to reassure them that he was Christ's ambassador in chains whose ongoing desire was to share the gospel as boldly as he could.
We are given wise advice on how to function spiritually as members of the Body of Christ, and reminded that we all have spiritual gifts which are to be used for the encouragement of the saints and the edification of the Body of Christ.
They were to fellowship with one another; sharing, helping, edifying, and encouraging each other in their common faith, as well as contributing material and financial gifts to one another when a necessity arose or by giving time and support to the one in need.
In this edifying and encouraging passage in Romans 8, Paul details the glories of being in Christ, the wonders that God has planned for those that love Him, and an eternal assurance that every born-again child of God will live with Him forever.
Let us therefore in love and grace be sensitive to the needs of others, neither compromising the gospel of Christ nor causing our liberty in Christ to be a stumbling block to other brothers and sisters in Christ: Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
What a beautiful picture this presents of the joy and gladness that fills the heart of a man or woman, when a beloved Christian friend or dear brother in Christ combines gracious acts of kindness, wise advice, words of encouragement, gentle chastening, and genial counsel with the glorious gospel of Christ in order to edify and encourage or even to correct.
While 'overseers' or 'bishops' generally attend to the pastoral and spiritual needs of the saints and provide encouragement and edification to believers in their Christian walk, deacons are those entrusted with other material needs or financial issues that might impact the Christian church.
And as we live, day by day, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we mature in the love of God and edify the Body of Christ with the perfume of Christ-like love.
Shared successes and shared sorrows not only give greater encouragement and is edifying, it is how we are called to live in this world by our Heavenly Father.
All men in eldership positions should use the gifts and graces with which they have been endowed for the edification of the Body and for the glory of God.
Similarly, we all have a form of 'prophetic' ministry, for Paul tells us: The one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.
May we encourage and edify our brothers and sisters in Christ, with gracious words and pure deeds - so we remain in close fellowship with our heavenly Father and become the living testimony to our fellow man.
And so Paul begins to list the enriching and edifying qualities that are found in godly love which were so lacking in the lives of these unspiritual believers.
Once we are saved, that same Spirit Who indwells us gives us other spiritual gifts and graces that are to be used for the edification of the entire Body of Christ.
We should recognise that individually, as well as collectively, our body is the Temple of God and our gifts should be used for His glory as well as the edification of the whole.
Speaking in tongues without love becomes a clamouring noise, and without love, prophesying or preaching, knowledge or faith, demeans the preacher, dishonours the Lord, and does not edify the saints.
Maybe she was a woman of prayer or a lady who simply used her generous nature to encourage the saints and edify the body, but the name of 'Nympha' and her simple home-based ministry in Laodicea has been celebrated by centuries of believers who have read the book of Colossians.
The Word of God teaches that we are to deny ourselves by keeping 'self' in the place of death so that we may love and serve the Lord our God in spirit and truth, and encourage and edify our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Let us love one another in spirit and truth, for love is of God, and he who loves as Christ loves, will both edify the Body of Christ and glorify our Father Who is in heaven.
He yearns to see them and to minister to them, and so he tells them of his eager plans to visit them shortly for their mutual edification, to encourage their spiritual development and to strengthen their faith in the Lord.
He is a person who engages in lifelong learning in areas that honour the Lord and contribute to his own eternal benefit, as well as the edification of his fellows.
May we have that same attitude as Paul and be prepared to address issues that challenge the truth of God's Word, while retaining a godly concern for our Christian brethren, as we offer encouragement and edification to one another, whenever we are able.
May we be those who are careful with words, guard our speech, and use our word to heal and not hurt, to guard and not gossip, to edify and encourage and not to wreak havoc.
And in the midst of this short, edifying section, we read of Israel's future deliverance and God's promise to make a New Covenant with His chosen people.
This is a general exhortation for all believers to be faithful in attending their local church assembly, in order to participate in brotherly encouragement, strength, support, edification, spiritual nourishment, biblical teaching, and the joy of sharing fellowship with like-minded believers.
Let us do all we can to ensure that we do not forsake our assembling together as the Body of Christ, as is the habit of some believers, but rather let us take every opportunity to meet together with like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ for mutual strength, support, edification, and encouragement so that we can give and receive spiritual nourishment and sound biblical teaching together with like-minded believers.
And they all opened their mouths and prophesied of Christ, for they all spoke forth the wonderful works of God for the edification, exhortation, and comfort of those in Jerusalem.
But Paul was also an apostle of Christ who was ready and willing to supply advice to those that were confused, encourage those whose faith was faltering, edify those who were growing in grace, and to warn of false teachings.
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Let us follow after the things which make for peace so that we may edify one another, and let us pursue what promotes a godlike tranquillity in the Body of Christ and build up one another in godly grace.
But the one that is truly spiritual is not concerned with dragging down their brothers or sisters in Christ, but in encouraging, edifying, and restoring the one that has trespassed - in a spirit of gentleness and godly love.
And in this verse, we are exhorted to speak wholesome words and do good things that encourage and edify others: Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, we are instructed, but only such a word as is good for edification, according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.
And speaking such words will edify the Body, rejoice the heart, give grace to all those who hear them, and honour our Father in heaven.
There should be a patient, kind, gracious love that comes only from the indwelling Spirit of Christ Who is our life, for in Him our soul is refreshed and we are equipped to edify others, which glorifies our Father in heaven.
Paul is a great example of a man who always tried to encourage and edify the saints, while ensuring that he did not compromise the truth of the glorious gospel of grace.
In this first epistle to Timothy, Paul balances the encouragement and edification he gives, with some necessary warnings about teachers of the Law, who have deviated from the truth, while setting him the task to correct any erroneous doctrine.
His letter contained much to edify his readers and encourage them in their Christian life, and he also urged them to remain firm in the faith during the persecution they were going through.
There appears to have been some considerable interaction between the two sets of believers in these cities, both commercial and religious interactions, which enabled them to share fellowship with one another, read each other's letters, and provide encouragement and edification.
Paul himself taught that our spiritual gifts are to be used for the mutual edification, exhortation, teaching, consolation, building up, and encouragement of the Church of Christ.
One important principle, which the Corinthian Christians disregarded, was that gifts are for the edification of the whole Body of Christ and for the glory of God.
We read: There are first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. However, there are other passages that list different spiritual gifts, all of which should be exercised collectively, for the edification and improvement of all.
To each member is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good so that each believer contributes to the collective edification of the Body through the exercise of the spiritual gift with which they have been endowed.
We are to keep on desiring the better gifts and zealously cultivate the greatest and best spiritual gifts and graces; not for our own edification but for the collective benefit of the whole Body. Paul was not instructing individual believers to seek after the gifts they would like to manifest in their own lives.
The gifts of the Spirit are given to help equip other believers in their spiritual service, to edify the Body of Christ, and to help to perfect each member of the Church for the particular ministry to which God has called them.
As with all his letters, the little epistle of first Timothy provides each of God's children with great encouragement and edification, authoritative instruction on living the Christian life, and wisdom in combatting false teachings, as well as the blessings of God's grace, the joy of His mercy and His perfect peace in our hearts, a peace which passes understanding.
Indeed, there are crowns and rewards for teachers who shepherd the flock of God, bring others into a closer understanding of His Word, and edify the Body of Christ - through their desire to teach the truth of our wonderful Saviour.