Why is edification important in the life of a Christian?

According to verse 3 the end to be attained is threefold. The simple meaning of edification is building up. The foundation is laid when the Gospel is received; but upon the foundation an immense deal has to be built up, so that edification may rightly continue throughout a long Christian life. Exhortation, or encouragement, follows. We pass through a hostile world, subject to all kinds of adverse influences. Hence we continually need what will stir us up to spiritual vigour. Then thirdly, comfort, or consolation is a continuous need in the assembly; for there are always those present who are face to face with sorrow and trouble and disappointment, and who need that which will lift them above their sorrows. We might summarize this threefold end as, building up, stirring up, and lifting up. Prophecy leads to the attainment of these three things.

These gifts were bestowed "for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of the ministry, unto the edifying of the body of Christ." (v. 12.) As to standing, the saints are perfected already. All the blessings and privileges recorded in the earlier portion of the epistle belong to the weakest believer, who is sealed by the Spirit of God, no less than to the strongest. But the question here is our practical acquaintance with the truth, and the power it gives us both for maintaining sound doctrine and for pursuing a godly walk. The two prayers in the first and third chapters are directed to these ends, and in the things they ask there is unlimited room for growth. Christ, ascended and triumphant, has therefore bestowed the gifts named in this chapter in order that saints may be perfected. This is always His object. We may be content with a low state, a low walk, a low appreciation of our blessings, a low intelligence of the ways and purposes of God; but Christ is not content. From the height of His glory He is still occupied with the wants of His people, and the first purpose to which He turns His triumph is to send down gifts which shall minister to their growth.

These gifts were bestowed "for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of the ministry, unto the edifying of the body of Christ." (v. 12.) As to standing, the saints are perfected already. All the blessings and privileges recorded in the earlier portion of the epistle belong to the weakest believer, who is sealed by the Spirit of God, no less than to the strongest. But the question here is our practical acquaintance with the truth, and the power it gives us both for maintaining sound doctrine and for pursuing a godly walk. The two prayers in the first and third chapters are directed to these ends, and in the things they ask there is unlimited room for growth. Christ, ascended and triumphant, has therefore bestowed the gifts named in this chapter in order that saints may be perfected. This is always His object. We may be content with a low state, a low walk, a low appreciation of our blessings, a low intelligence of the ways and purposes of God; but Christ is not content. From the height of His glory He is still occupied with the wants of His people, and the first purpose to which He turns His triumph is to send down gifts which shall minister to their growth.

Even the knowledge of the Scriptures will not avail apart from state of soul; and thus there is another thing to which Jude points. After reminding those to whom he was writing of the correspondence between present corruptions and the apostolic predictions, he says, "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." It is to this he summons every believer who desires to be outside of prevalent errors and moral corruptions, to be in the mind of God, and to be dwelling in the holy circle of His love, even while treading the pilgrim path, awaiting eternal life in its full fruition according to His eternal counsels. And the first thing to which He exhorts us is to be edifying ourselves. The foundation has already been laid in the revelation of God in Christ: in His death, resurrection, and exaltation at the right hand of God - in the truths of Christianity; these it is which constitute our "most holy faith," that is, the things which we have believed. But we cannot rest there; we are to go on to build up ourselves on the foundation. The apostle Paul speaks in a similar manner in the presence of errors of another kind: "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk ye in Him: rooted and built up [being built up] in Him, and stablished in the faith," etc. (Col. 2:6-7.) To remit diligence, therefore, in self-edification is to expose ourselves to the subtle dangers of error of every kind. As Nehemiah's safety lay alone, when surrounded with enemies without and traitors within, in straining every nerve to build up the walls of Jerusalem, so ours will consist in diligent attention to our spiritual nourishment, edification, and growth through feeding upon the Word of God in the power of the Spirit.

Believers instinctively feel the need of being edified or built up. Their souls look for food, and they are conscious that their inward man requires renewing; they therefore desire to know the things of God as set forth in the Scriptures of truth for their profit and blessing. But all have to learn on the principle that God is the Giver, and we are only receivers; that we have nothing in ourselves, and yet possess all things in Christ.

THANK GOD, WE ARE NOT BUILDING ON THE SAND. "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith," that is the rock. We may well thank God for the rock. What would you feet like, my Christian hearer, if your feet were on the shifting sand? Just for a moment, imagine what it would mean to you to be cast back into the former life that you lived before you knew the Saviour; the very thought of it makes you shudder. Your feet have been taken off the shifting sand and fixed upon the rock, blessed foundation — you have to build up yourselves upon the rock where grace has set you. That is the beginning — the rock is beneath your feet — build up yourselves there. You will have to read the Scriptures if you are to do that, you cannot build your selves on your most holy faith if you neglect the Scriptures. In the Scriptures God Himself speaks to us, He reveals Himself, makes known to us what His grace is, His wisdom, His righteousness, He reveals Christ in all His glories, and that is the material that builds up and develops the soul. But I want to emphasize the fact that it is yourselves and not yourself. The "beloved" are indispensable to each other. If you forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, you will fail in this. If you do not allow your affections to flow out to all whom God loves, you will fail in this. Each must look to his own soul first, of course, but none must say, "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Edification means a building process. Christ said, "I will build My church", which implies that He will continue to add living stones to His assembly founded upon the rock. He can raise up stones to be witnesses for Him, for He gives life to dead stones, so that they become living stones, and are immediately brought into and made part of that spiritual house. This is the Lord's work in building His church.

But there is also the edification or building up of saints in their most holy faith, widening their knowledge of the truth, deepening their love for Christ, quickening their activities in worship and service. Who does this? It is the Holy Spirit, working in the midst of the assembly, giving through this one and that one the necessary ministry for the edification of each and all.

Our ascended Head does not desire us to remain as babes, immature in the things of God, and readily influenced by the enemies of the truth. He has made provision for us to be perfected — matured in the truth — so that the truth, held in the affections, will control the whole life, and enable us to grow up before Him in all the lovely features of His grace. With this in view, Christ has given gifts to men, "For the perfecting of the saints; with a view to the work of the ministry, with a view to the edifying of the body of Christ." Our perfecting is not simply to be as individuals, but as members of the body of Christ, and for this, Christ has established this work of the ministry. Ever since the coming of the Holy Spirit to form the one body, there has been this divine ministry, with all its spiritual edification for the assembly; and this ministry will continue until "we all arrive at the unity of the faith … at the measure of the stature of the fulness of the Christ." When we get to heaven there will not be the need for edification; the spiritual building up of the body of Christ is for the time of the church's sojourn on earth. With this in view, the evangelists go out to bring souls to Christ; the pastors care for those brought in by the evangelists, and the word of God is unfolded from the writings of the apostles and prophets by the teachers. There is no doubt still a living prophetic ministry which bring the saints, through the spoken word, consciously into the presence of God. All these gifts are necessary to provide the edification needed by the body of Christ, so that we might be brought to the "knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man."

(Eph. 4:12). The gifts each have their special service, but all are in view of the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the body of Christ. The exercise of these gifts has in view first of all the blessing of individual saints — the members that compose the body. The individual saints being helped and blest, they will be fitted to take up their special ministry for others, and thus the great end will be reached — "the edifying of the body of Christ."

(V. 12). Having spoken of gifts, the Apostle now brings before us the three great objects for which the gifts have been given. They are given, first, for the perfecting of the saints, or the establishing of each individual believer in the truth. Secondly, they are given for the work of the ministry, which would include every form of service. Thirdly, they are given “for the edifying of the body of Christ”. The blessing of individuals and the work of the ministry have in view the edifying of the body of Christ. Every gift, whether it be evangelist, pastor or teacher, is only rightly exercised as the edification of the body of Christ is kept in view.