Edifying In Love

From 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

If ‘God is love’ and Christ is God, then Christ is love personified.  Christ said, ‘I will build my church.’  The ‘Church’ is all of the redeemed of all ages, and the Body of Christ.  To ‘edify’ someone is to build them up.  This brings us to dwell upon the value of the various members of the Body of Christ and the contribution we make to one another as Christ uses us to build up His Body.  This also enables us to see that Christ, being love personified, manifests His love to us and through us to others who are also members of His Body.  As we have considered before, when we encounter people we have no certain knowledge of whether they are members of the Body of Christ, because when we encounter them, we do not know where they are in the grander scheme of God’s working with them.  They may be unconverted at the present moment, and even showing no inclination toward spiritual things.  Our loving, edifying treatment of them may be the very thing Christ uses to work in their heart to draw them to Himself.  ‘Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.’  Thus we are able to contribute to the building up of the Body of Christ in love.

Our Holy and Wise God,
we rejoice that You order and arrange
all our circumstances
in order that we might best
accomplish Your larger purposes.
We praise You that, daily, we encounter those
who are members of the Body of Christ,
and may do them good.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning