“Why Am I Not Being Edified?”
by Dennis L. Scroggins (adapted)
The question that preachers have been asked over the years is a simple one, “Why am I not being edified?” The answer is not one that some Christians are willing to accept. The Bible teaches us the source of edification. To the Ephesian elders, Paul said, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32-33). James said, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).
Perhaps the question should be, “How edifying are you?” Christians are looking to be edified, yet they are not willing to be edifying to others. Hebrews 10:23-24 says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”Many have been blinded to the true definition of Bible edification. They are self-absorbed instead of having a genuine concern for their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This has led them to selfishness, devoid of the true brotherly love taught in the scriptures.
Consider these admonitions to love one another: Romans 12:9-10, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;” I Thessalonians 4:9, “But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;” I John 3:10, 14, “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother … We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death;” I John 4:20-21, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
True spiritual growth is discussed in Hebrews 5:12-14, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are offull age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
Christians make the claim, “I don’t feel like I’m spiritually growing anymore!” They then begin to blame someone else which usually is the preacher or the elders, or both. It is at this point in their lives that they begin to conduct a “witch hunt” to lay the blame on someone else. These Christians are not objective in their judgment of the true problem that lies within them, but rather subjectively look to their feelings and emotions for guidance.
Why hasn’t this preacher, these elders, or this church increased my faith? The apostles of the Lord made a demand on Jesus, “Lord, Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). Many today totally miss the answer Jesus gave them. “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 7:6). They talk about mustard seeds, and even wear little glass bubbles encasing a mustard seed, but miss the point entirely in regard to what truly increases one’s faith!
Jesus explained to His apostles what one must do in order to increase their faith, “And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do’” (Luke 17:7-10).When the disciples asked Jesus for more faith, He answered that they needed not more faith but the right kind of faith, that which would lead them to humble, obedient service.
So the question you need to ask yourself dear reader is simply, “Why are you not edified by this article?”
Note mg: Edification is all about growth! If we wish to build up the church, our first job must be to build up ourselves. We must get rid of those things that hinder our growth, and cultivate those things that will help us. We grow or die! Of this word W.E. Vine says it “denotes the act of building,” and “is used only figuratively in the N.T., in the sense of edification, the promotion of spiritual growth” (Emphasis mine, mg). This holds true whether we speak of the individual or of a local church. In view of the obvious fact that a congregation grows exactly in proportion to the growth of its individual members, this subject becomes all the more important.