EDIFY ONE ANOTHER
The word “edify” as used in the Bible means to build up, to make more able, to strengthen, to restore, to construct, to encourage. Some of the other Biblical words related to the word edify are building, house, house of God, household, fellowship, administration, and steward. All these words have to do with building something. These words of God indicate that God is into building. And if we are to be sons of God that imitate their Father, we also need to be into building.
Romans 14:19
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
We are told from God’s Word that we are to pursue or run after things we can do for peace and the things we can do to edify or build up one another. The building that we are to do is to build up the fellow believers. We are to edify one another.
Romans 15:1-2
We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
Verse two could be translated, “Let every single one of us be pleasing to the fellow believer to the point of being good with a view to building up”.

It is good to be strong in the Word and believing. We are to use that strength not so much to be pleasing to ourselves but to be pleasing to the fellow believers. As an example: those who are strong in who they are in Christ are to use that strength not to boast or to be on an ego trip but to be pleasing to others, walking in that goodness of who they are in Christ and building up those that are not strong in who they are in Christ.

This is the mindset, the heart, the attitude we are to have toward the fellow believers. We are to be pleasing to the point of being good. (This being good is according to God’s standard for good and is not the topic of this discussion). And the reason to reach this point of being good in our life is so we can edify one another.

I Corinthians 14:26
How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
People like others to know how much they know. There is nothing wrong with having a psalm or a doctrine or a revelation. But God’s Word says, “Let ALL things be done unto edifying” (emphasis added). We need to be strong in the Word. We need to be strong in the manifestations. We need to walk with God. And one of the reasons we need to do these things is so we can edify one another.
I Corinthians 8:1b
Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
Just because we know something doesn’t mean we will edify one another. It takes knowledge along with the love of God to edify. We need the knowledge of God’s Word and we also need the love of God to use that knowledge to edify one another.
I Corinthians 10:23, 24
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.
We have been made free from the law in Christ Jesus. All things may now be lawful for us but all things do not edify. The truth is, we now live under a greater law and that is the law of love. And love edifies. We may not need to be concerned about keeping the specific laws in the Old Testament, but we need to be concerned about walking in love and edifying one another.

If we are to edify one another, we cannot be seeking our own but rather another’s. The mind set we need to have is – what can I do to bless you, to build you up, to edify you.

Ephesians 4:15-16
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
We can be good at speaking the truth, but we need to be good at speaking the truth in love because love edifies. We need to speak the truth in love so that we may grow up into Christ. And when we are speaking the truth in love, the church is building itself up in love. We have now moved from each one edifying one another to the church edifying itself. The church edifying itself begins with each one edifying another.
Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Corrupt communication can be understood as unedifying speech. When words come out of my mouth that do not build up, that is corrupt communication. And God’s Word says, “Let NO corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth” (emphasis added). Our speech is to be good. When our speech is good it will be pleasing to the fellow believers and it will be for the use of edifying. And when our speech is good to the use of edifying, it ministers grace unto the hearers. By my speech I can minister grace to others.
I Thessalonians 5:11
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
The Darby translation states this verse this way, “Wherefore encourage one another, and build up each one the other, even as also ye do”. We are told by God to encourage one another and to build up one another.

You are a son of God. You have Christ in you the hope of glory. You are heaven bound and all hell can’t stop you from going. You have the ability to operated all nine manifestations of the spirit. You are seated in the heavenlies. You have eternal life abiding in you. You are chosen of God. You are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. You are accepted in the beloved. On and on…

Now you need to get strong in these things. You need to get strong in God’s Word and who you are in Christ. You need to be convinced of these things so that not even the devil himself can convince you otherwise. And when you are strong in God’s Word and who you are in Christ, don’t use that strength to exalt yourself above others and get on an ego trip. Use that strength to help others get strong in God’s Word and who they are in Christ.

God is into building. We need to be imitators of God and we also need to be into building. It is so easy to tear down. It does not take any special skills to tear down. But it takes someone who is strong in God’s Word, strong in who they are in Christ and strong in the love of God to build up others. And as each believer is edifying one another, the church will be edifying itself in love.

In God's Love
Ray
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