Good morning and welcome in everyone. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to ask you a little question.
How many of you have attended a school, and sat down at your desk while the teacher was instructing the entire class? As they taught you materials, they were in the process of edifying you. To edify is defined as providing moral or intellectual instruction to somebody, or to improve especially in religious knowledge. But although teachers are trying to build students up, sometimes children are going to need correction, just as the children in your own home.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Some people can be edified and corrected with a simple admonishment, but others need to be rebuked sharply, in order to attain the desired effect.
Titus 1:13 “This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;”
To edify others in the church is to build them up in their faith, which at times may require a strong rebuke and correction when needed. Warning people, and preaching God’s truth is not always going to bring about the response that one would hope for…repentance. When you correct others, it begins with meekness, but for those who are going to be contentious, it requires a sterner approach in order to protect the rest of the sheep of God.
Galatians 4:20 “I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.”
In many religious groups, they refuse to accept true edification that comes from the teachings of Holy Scripture. In fact many times, when they are rebuked and corrected, they will claim that you hate them. They may even say that you don’t love your neighbor, but the truth is that the one who rebukes you loves you more than others. The reason why is because they are telling you the things that you need to do, in order to be saved from hellfire.
Revelation 3:19. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”
When people refuse to repent of their sins, they might cast out your name as evil and spread all kinds of lies about you. But when you preach God’s Word, this comes with the territory. It brings great blessings from God because you are telling people what they need to do, in order to save their souls.
Luke 6:22-23 ²² Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. ²³ Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
God’s wrath will abide on those who refuse to come to His Son, repent, and accept the truth of His Word. Don’t you think that it’s a loving thing to warn people before they get hurt? Jesus died for everybody in this world, even the religious leaders of His day. But He rebuked them sharply and firmly, in order to edify them so they could correct the errors of their ways.
Matthew 23:29-33. ²⁹ Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
³⁰ And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. ³¹ Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. ³² Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. ³³ Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
For example, If you went outside of your house one day, and saw your son hurting your daughter, how strongly would you protest that situation? If your son was crossing the train tracks, and you saw that he was going to be hit by an oncoming train, how hard would you yell at him? If you knew people were going to die in their sins, how firmly would you correct them? These reactions are caused out of a love for others. If you don’t rebuke your own children when required, I guarantee you, that you don’t love them at all. Some people need to be saved by love, while others need to be saved with fear. This is because they have no fear of God, proven by the sinful and inpenitent lives that they are currently living.
Jude 1:23. “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”
Christians are commanded to speak the truth with their neighbor, and there’s no better way to do this, than by preaching God’s Holy Word. Love speaks the truth, and it takes a stronger person to rebuke others when needed so that they are built up in their faith in order to serve Christ. It is a form of edification because you are building them up in the truth of God’s Word. When you speak the truth, it’s going to cause some people to become very contentious.
2 Timothy 4:14-15 ¹⁴ Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: ¹⁵ Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
Just as in the days of Moses, those who resist the truth will have their deeds completely exposed to everyone.
2 Timothy 3:8-9 ⁸ Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. ⁹ But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
Some people don’t want to believe that damnation is in their future. This can cause them to run away into the darkness rather than repenting and coming to the light. They don’t want to believe that God is going to punish them for their wicked deeds, so they believe a lie instead, a false and skewed reality of what actually is coming in the future. You can’t edify others by lying to them and withholding the truth. Jesus went into the temple and spoke the truth to certain Jews, even throwing over tables, but this was done in an effort to get them to repent. Hopefully they did.
John 2: ¹³ And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, ¹⁴ And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: ¹⁵ And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; ¹⁶ And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
The teachings of scripture are a Spiritual sword that plunges deep into the heart and soul. Some people will gladly receive the truth, but for others who are rebellious and impenitent,….
….. The Truth Hurts
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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