#49.

We Are Commanded to Build One Another Up in Fellowship

Romans 14:19 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up
of one another.
Paul has been telling the church at Rome that they need to accept those who are weak in
faith and not to be judgmental of them or regard them with contempt. We must not put
obstacles or stumbling blocks in the way of a brother in Christ, or we may be tearing down
the work of God over issues that are relatively unimportant.
Having told the believers what they are not to do, in the verse above, Paul gives them
positive direction - they are to pursue (put intense effort into seeking after, or hasten) those
things which make for peace in the church, and which building one another up rather than
tearing down.
How shall we build up our brothers and sisters in Christ? We already saw that God gave
gifts to the church for this purpose:
Ephesians 4:1112 And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets,
some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ,
So one thing we must do is to exercise our gifts to this end.
We know, though, that our tongues can also be used to build up or to tear down, so we
must intensely seek to govern our tongues and to use them for building up the body, and
not in gossip, slander and foolish talk that will not promote godliness but lessen it:
Ephesians 4:29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for
edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear.
Finally, we can give ourselves to the right use of the means of grace, since these will
increase the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and that will dispose us to seek the good
and the building up of the Body of Christ.
If we were building a house, little would be possible unless we actually went to the site,
rolled up our sleeves and applied ourselves to the work. It is the same in the building up of
the church - it won't happen unless we pursue the things that make for peace and
edification!
It is interesting that many in the church today think the church will grow spontaneously,
without their involvement. They also seem to believe that they will grow to know God
better and be made more like Christ in an instant, and without using the very tools that God
has given us for that purpose - prayer, the Word, fellowship, the Lord's Supper and
baptism. The Bible teaches us otherwise - we have to work if we are to grow closer to the
Lord, and He intends for us to do that work together in local churches. So let's rededicate
ourselves to our fellowships, to serve the Lord and to build them up as the Lord enables us!

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