An examination of Ephesians 4:29 helps to explain the premise of our article. “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Important concepts here are edification and grace. Edification defined is “to build up…the act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, happiness.” Such efforts to edify are required by God. Grace is defined as “that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech.” Our language toward one another should be to build up, to be that which will make us better and promote loveliness and righteousness rather than strife.
This is key — this job, this obligation to one another. It is a responsibility every child of God has to strengthen his brothers or sisters. Anything violating such an effort has no place, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth.” The next time you are tempted to speak without carefully considering to how it will impact your brother, you need to refrain. God expects us to take great care in how we speak.
The motivation for our efforts in this regard is selflessness and love. I seek the welfare of others, and am not centered at all on my own interests. “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being” (1 Corinthians 10:24). When each of us act in this way we are all lifted up. Think of it this way. If everyone seeks their own, each person has one advocate, leading to division. If everyone subjugates their own desire for others, as we advocate for one another unity and edification is the natural result!
The call for us to edify one another is found time and again in the New Testament. One that ties in closely to our discussion is Romans 15:1-3, “We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, ‘The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.’” Jesus Christ is our preeminent example. Though He was God incarnate, He suffered for you and me. His motivation was selfless love. Again, this should be our approach. When Paul wrote our purpose was “not to please ourselves” he put his finger on what differentiates the Christian life from the typical worldly practice.
Paul’s pen also noted the end of such focus on others. It is good, leading to edification (building up). So the weak get stronger. As Paul noted in Ephesians 4, there is utility in this effort. “From whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16). Edification self propagates. As we practice such selfless love, each of us grows stronger. As each of us grows stronger, we become more selfless and loving, finally reaching the state of a self-sustaining group that is reaching its full potential in doctrine and work. God’s plan is sublime!
The effective work of edification can be seen from two directions. Not only are my interactions positive and uplifting, but I also take care to do nothing which will tear down. This is what Paul is talking about in Romans 14. While we enjoy certain liberties as Christians, we should never use those liberties if they damage our brother. Paul wrote it this way, “It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves” (14:21-22).
How do we edify one another? One is our worship together. Singing, praying, communing. When we come together, we must “Let all things be done for edification” (1 Corinthians 14:26). This is why God expects our attendance at worship (cf. Hebrews 10:24-25). The office of elder is given to “build” up Christians (cf. Acts 20:32). The study of God’s word is to build ourselves up (2 Timothy 2:15). The concept of ministry accomplishes the same. The word minister means to serve, to wait upon, to be an attendant. Our efforts as Christians are to be centered in our brethren, “minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).
The end result of all this is a stronger congregation. We help each other to be strong, “for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11). It is like having a workout partner. It takes some time, but with accountability and steadfast effort, transformation is possible and even inevitable as it is maintained.
This strengthening of each other is God’s divine and sublime plan. He knows our needs. He knows how so many fail in their Christian growth because they either refuse to involved themselves with other Christians, or because we fail each other due to selfishness. May we use God’s plan for each other to accomplish our own spiritual growth. This is God’s way. He requires it. But, He requires it for our own good! It all comes down to Jesus’ words in John 15:12, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
