1 Thessalonians 5:9-11
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
INSIGHT
-Edify in Greek is written as oikodome which means to build up, promote another’ s growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness, a building (edifice), console, encourage and comfort. Various scriptures have outlined the word edify including: – love edifies and knowledge puffs up (1 Cor 8:1), all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify (1 Cor 10:23), he who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church (1 Cor 14:4), let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another (Rom 14:19) etc.
-In a world where bad news and various problems flood into our lives from various news sources, it is easy to become discouraged and depressed. Such news sources touch on our social, economic, political, financial and spiritual needs. Some among us are faced by difficult challenges by which we are called to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ. Apostle Paul teaches that the object of our salvation is through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us so that whether we wake or sleep, we will live forever with Him. Further we were not appointed to condemnation but eternal life. Therefore amid these challenges of life, we are called to encourage and comfort one another in these wonderful truths that Christ will never leave us nor forsake us and He will be with us until the end of time.
PRAYER
Thank You Holy Spirit for You have always been a Pillar of strength and comfort to us amid the various challenges that present themselves before us. You are our Comforter and Helper, we need You at every moment of our lives. Thank You for loving us Lord and for giving us the gift of salvation. All glory and praise belongs to You. Many among us are sick and suffering, bereaved and suffer loss, discouraged and depressed, hopeless and faithless. Touch them all dear Jesus wherever they are and comfort them by Your saving arm. Heal all our physical, economic, political, financial, spiritual and emotional wounds Lord and cover us with Your precious blood. Nothing can separate us from Your love Jesus, neither tribulation nor distress, persecution nor famine, peril nor sword, for You love us with an everlasting love. Thank You Jesus, praise You Jesus. Guide us dear Father throughout this week we humbly ask You and may Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We glorify You and bless You name Lord; now and forever. Amen
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
INSIGHT
-Our bodies are objects of glorification as edifices/buildings and the foundation of our being. They are the temples of the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us and therefore we are called to glorify God in our bodies and spirits. Like the Old Testament temple where sacrifices were offered to God that yielded a pleasing aroma to Him, our bodies should always be pleasing to God. After king David took Uriah’s wife, he realise the magnitude of his sin and requested God not to take His Holy Spirit from him (Ps 51:11). Sexual immorality is sin against our own bodies, against God and through it we grief the Holy Spirit. In our consciousness we should realise that the most exclusive moments that present sexual temptations are not really private for God is in us. Jesus taught that even when one looks at a woman lustfully; he has committed adultery with her in his heart (Mat 5:28). We are called therefore to flee from sexual immorality and walk in love; as Christ has loved us and given Himself for us offering a sweet-smelling aroma to God, and no unclean person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God (Eph 5:2-5). Christ bought us at a price through His death and resurrection and we should be holy; for He Himself is Holy.
PRAYER
You are Holy Lord and all creation rightfully gives You praise. We exult Your name forever and ever. Have mercy on us Lord for we have sinned and fallen short of Your glory. Create in us clean hearts Lord and renew a steadfast spirit within us. Do not cast us away from Your presence Lord and take not Your Holy Spirit from us. Restore to us the joy of Your salvation and uphold us by Your generous Spirit. Cleanse us Jesus with Your precious blood and remember our transgressions no more, that our bodies may always offer a pleasing sacrifice to You. We give You all our thanksgiving and praise. Amen
1 Corinthians 14:3
But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
INSIGHT
-The Holy Spirit bestows upon us the gift of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues, for the profit of all and as He wills (1 Cor 12:4-11). Apostle Paul states explicitly that the gift of prophecy is more superior than that of tongues. Prophecy is direct revelation from God; be it disclosure of mysteries that will occur in the near present or distance future. As the Bible says in Acts 2:17; in the last days which we live in our sons and daughters will prophecy. For us to prophecy we need to love one another. The gift of prophecy edifies the church and restores people back to the image of God. Apostle Paul furthers that love is greater than spiritual gift since love is eternal. We are called love God and our neighbors as ourselves, which is the will of God in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER
Great are You Lord and worthy of all our praise. Your greatness is unsearchable and the glorious splendor of Your majesty is everlasting. We extol You our Lord and King and sing Your praises everyday. Bestow unto us Your gifts and fruit Holy Spirit according to Your will and for the glory of Your name. Bless us all dear Father and lead us in our purposes as it is in heaven. Give us more grace to love You and to love our neighbors as ourselves Lord we humbly beseech You. We bless Your name forever and ever Lord. We praise Your name forever and ever. Amen
Romans 14:19
“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.”
INSIGHT
-As we saw last week; peace with God results to peace with one another. Apostle Paul teaches that peace should be pursued always even when there are relational rifts. Peace results to edification through building up one another as we engage in those things that result to reconciliation and rest. We are reminded to restrain from strife and confrontational conversations but to season our speech with salt. To also speak the truth in love that we may grow up in all things into Him Who is the Christ from whom the whole body joined and knit together, that we may grow in love (Eph 4:15-16). To seek Gods’ truth through His word and preserve godly priorities through love for God and for our brothers and sisters. As Christ our Prince of peace forgave us all our sins, we are called to forgive one another and remain peaceful and at peace as He has called us.
PRAYER
Thank You Jesus for enabling us to see this day. It is not by our power nor by might but by Your Spirit Lord. You are our Prince of peace and Lord of lord, our Redeemer, our First and our Last, we praise You and glorify Your holy name. Heal all those who are sick at home and in the hospitals merciful Father and grant them rest. Deliver us Lord from unforgiveness and grant us the grace to reconcile with those who offend us. May Your peace that surpasses all understanding dwell in our hearts, our homes, our nation and in the whole world; Christ Jesus. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:3-4
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.
INSIGHT
-Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to remain in Ephesus and teach the true doctrine of faith while he pursued his journey towards Macedonia. The doctrine that Jesus Christ is our only hope of eternal life in which we are built upon and we should have faith in Him alone. Further, that we should offer our glory and thanksgiving to Him alone Who is worthy.
SUMMARY
The word edify in the Bible creates a unique diversity in meaning stemming from encouraging one another, making peace, giving hope, an object of praise and an edifice as a building. The world is filled with bad news and challenges and sometimes people get bogged down by them. It is our duty as Christians to encourage one another and give hope with the assurance that we have obtained salvation through our Lord Jesus and we shall live together with Him forever (1 Thes 5:9-11). This can also be achieved through the gifts of the Holy Spirit especially the gift of prophecy which is geared towards edifying and comforting the church (body of Christ). We are also called to make peace with everyone through forgiveness and reconciliation by which Christ Himself demonstrated to us. Our bodies are mirrored as the temples of the Holy Spirit and we are called to flee from sexual immorality which is the only sin against the body. When one is caught up in sexual immorality, the Holy Spirit is grieved and possibly leaves the temple as we find in king David’s prayer (Ps 51:11). We should therefore glorify the Lord with our bodies in spirit and in truth, yielding a pleasing aroma to Him; which is the will of the Father. God deserves to be edified and praised always for Him alone is worthy.
PRAYER
We thank You Jesus and give You all the praise for You alone are worthy. We thank You for the gift of life, family, provision, protection, healing, sustenance, salvation and all that You have done and You are doing for us. Go before us Lord and make all the crooked paths straight we humbly ask You. Fight for us all our battles Jesus, for You have won victory for us on the cross. You are worthy of all glory and thanksgiving Father for have redeemed us with Your precious blood. Bless us indeed we humbly beseech You and expand our territories. Thank You for Your good plans for us Lord, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. Remain in us Holy Spirit that we may always worship You in spirit and in truth. All glory, honor, power and praise belong to You now and forever. Amen