My key thought comes from Colossians 3:16 which tells us,
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”
Paul told the Ephesians in chapter 4:13-16, “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”If we are to grow as believers in this body at Osceola Grace, I believe we must obey Ephesians 4:15,
“speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”
Speaking the truth in love involves many things, but the most important things are encouragement and admonition. These two "one another" imperatives are the verbal ones that are mentioned most frequently in the epistles. Paul said this to the people of Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
Both encouragement and admonition recognize a key need of Christians, and each seeks to meet that need by communicating a key portion of God's truth. If we commit ourselves to become adept at these, we will build the foundation of an effective, Spirit-led ministry here at Osceola.
The definition of the word ADMONITION is: A moral correction through verbal confrontation WHICH IS MOTIVATED BY LOVE. Other synonyms of the word admonition are also translated "instruct," "convict," "correct," "reprove," "warn," "refute," "expose," and "rebuke."
Christians are sinful and liable to self-deception and Biblical Admonition. God’s Truth seeks to correct them by communicating God's imperatives; His commands.
As part of the body here at Osceola Grace, we should be willing and able to admonish as well as encourage. In Romans 15:14, Paul remarks that all of the believers in Rome were able to admonish one another – not just the leadership.
“And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able also to admonish one another.”
Notice the two qualities that he says enable them to admonish effectively:
• "Goodness" - Good will and loving concern for one another's well-being (which any of us can have with the help of the Holy Spirit).• "Knowledge" - This has nothing to do with having a high IQ or a professional degree, but knowledge of God's Word which provides objective,absolute moral guidance (which is available to all of us)
Other passages in New Testament proclaim similar thoughts:
Colossians 3:16 tells us, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Matthew 18:15 has this instruction, "And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”
Unfortunately, many in church circles have lost the balance of these important instructions. Today they are often pitted against one another. Encouragement is "OK" but admonition is "NOT OK." None of us likes admonition because of our sin nature, but our culture has particular problems with this. Today there seems to be a lack of moral absolutes in our society and because of this they equate moral correction with unloving intolerance. People today do what is right in their own eyes and feel they have no need for a higher moral authority. Admonition is therefore seen as unnecessary and even harmful.
Unfortunately, many of us in the church have assimilated this mentality to a remarkable degree. Encouragement is seen as mandatory to spiritual growth, but admonition is tragically absent from many Christians' view of love. It is not "politically correct" in the current climate for Christians to confront one another about moral issues. Those who admonish other Christians run the risk of being called intrusive at best, and spiritually abusive at worst. Yet the New Testament is clear that, because of human depravity, it is not possible to love one another without admonishing one another.
In my next blog I will give some practical ways in which we can admonish one another in order that we may grow into maturity in Christ.
Just a thought ... not a sermon!
Blessings for today!
Your Care Pastor,
Dave Knight
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