Thursday June 27, 2024
Our Building Project
By Jenny Pfister and Betsy Leigh
The book of Ephesians unfolds the process by which God is bringing the church to its destined purpose in Christ. Paul shows the basic maturing steps needed to be taken toward the church’s appointed engagement with the world. There is a great call to “walk worthy of the calling” (Eph. 4:1) with an appeal to build each other up . . . we are given the command to edify.
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, 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. (Eph. 4:29 NASB95)
The word edification finds its root in an architectural word that means “an edifice, or building.” We, the church, are that building (Eph. 2:20-22). We are the living stones being built up as a “spiritual house” (1 Pet. 2:5). The building, as a whole, is God’s project . . . but each individual stone is ours. We are responsible for helping to shape each stone so as to fit into the great spiritual house, a dwelling place for God. (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of edification.)
The focus of edification is always the goal or the end result. The concern is for what it will produce in others. There are very special purposes for building up each other:
- To build faith (Col. 2:7)
- To attain unity (Eph. 4:13)
- To increase knowledge of Jesus (Eph. 4:13)
- To promote spiritual maturity (Eph. 4:13)
- To attain fullness in Christ (Eph. 4:13)
So, how do we edify one another? Paul gives us the simple, beautiful answer . . . by speaking words of grace. The word unwholesome literally means “decayed, rotten” as used for spoiled meat, rotted fruit, or crumbled stones.
Our words can crush the fragile living stones . . . but they can also strengthen and perfect them. Loving words edify (1 Cor. 8:1). They can bring good news, peace, and happiness (Lk. 6:45). Edifying words always encourage (1 Thess. 5:11) and they cause “the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” (Eph. 4:16)
God tells us that life and death, blessing and cursing all lie within the power of the tongue (Pro. 18:21). Each time we utter a word, we must make that choice. When we make the right decision, the Lord uses our words to heal, restore, uplift, deliver, and save someone. What an awesome privilege!!!
One of the most beautiful ways to edify one another is found in the book of Colossians:
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom, teaching, and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col. 3:16 NASB95)