All sorts of “challenges” have been showing up on the Internet in the last few years. People are daring one another to do everything from pouring a bucket of ice over themselves to eating a lot of spicy food quickly. Thousands of years before the Internet was even invented, God launched the “edification challenge.” God’s Word exhorts believers to edify, or build up, one another spiritually.
I Thessalonians 5:11:
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Romans 15:2:
Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
God wants us to continually seek out occasions to edify one another.
Romans 14:19:
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
In Romans 14:19, the Greek word translated “follow after” means to pursue or follow earnestly, intently. We are to pursue intently after things that may edify one another. We are to make every effort to build up one another in the Body of Christ.
How can we participate in this “edification challenge”? We can build up one another by operating the worship manifestations of speaking in tongues with interpretation of tongues and prophecy to bring forth words of edification directly from God in fellowship meetings.
I Corinthians 14:4,12,13:
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
We can also build up one another by speaking words of edification and encouragement. As part of the “edification challenge,” God sets forth a high standard for the words we speak.
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.
We can set our own specific goals regarding “no corrupt communication.” Several years ago, a fellow believer challenged everyone in my home fellowship to go an entire week without criticizing, condemning, or complaining. Until I accepted this challenge, I did not realize how much time I had been spending complaining and criticizing others. Once I started paying attention to the words I was speaking, I was amazed at how much my speech patterns changed. As I stopped dwelling on negatives, I ended up feeling a lot happier. I also noticed that I had many more open doors to speak God’s Word, not only to help fellow believers but also to help those who were not yet part of the Body of Christ.
God wants every believer to take the “edification challenge,” building up others as well as being built up by other believers. That way, the entire Body of Christ edifies itself.
Ephesians 4:16:
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.
Let’s make our heavenly Father proud and help one another stand for Him by taking on the “edification challenge” to build one another up spiritually.