Edification for the Purpose of Evangelism.

Edification is the process of building people morally and spiritually. Evangelism is the sharing of knowledge for the purpose of conversion. Edification and Evangelism are blood brothers to each other.

There are two ways people are brought to Christ; through individual action and through collective action. These two general actions are not mutually exclusive of each other and there is some sharing between the two.

The area of individual action is illustrated in 1 Peter 3. An individual leads such a morally exemplary life (via edification) that people ask questions about the cause for it. The individual then shares (via evangelism) the information with the questioner.

The area of collective action is illustrated in John 17:22-23. The world comes to believe in Jesus Christ through the “oneness” of the believers with each other and with God. The Gospel has great power to change lives and to assemble from the rich/poor, black/white, young/old, tattooed/non-tattooed a group of people who forsake their differences for Jesus Christ. These individuals are built spiritually (edification) into a collective (the church) for the purpose of sharing belief (evangelism) in Jesus Christ.

The church and the individual are God’s chosen tools to reach a lost world. Do not neglect your responsibilities to grow spiritually as an individual and to grow spiritually as a church. If we fail in that, we’ve failed… the world.