Build Your Faith!

Last week we ended our teaching with this scripture -

      "One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself."  (1 Corinthians 14:4a)  

      "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus  Christ to eternal life."  (Jude 1:20)

Jude was the half-brother of Jesus and he didn’t believe in Jesus (John 7:5).  But he finally understood that Jesus was the Son of God.  Jude was not an apostle nor was he a pillar in the church like his brother James.  Yet he saw some things in the church that was disturbing and he had to speak up.  So the book of Jude is instruction to the church.  We are going to look at one of those instructions.

Let's look at this scripture from the Amplified Bible.

       "But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like       an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;

What does edify mean?  

(Blue Letter Bible)  oikodomeo  https://www.blueletterbible.org

1 to build a house, erect a building

    A to build (up from the foundation)

    B to restore by building, to rebuild, repair

2 metaph.

    A to found, establish

    B to promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue, holiness, blessedness

3 to grow in wisdom and piety

Remember our previous lessons.   We are God’s spiritual temple.  We are His building. We are His lively stones.

Another meaning for edify that is close to the original Greek is  “charge”  You may think of a car battery.  If a car battery has run out of power you may hook it up to a power source and charge it up.  

"One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself."  (1 Corinthians 14:4)  

You can paraphrase this passage of scripture like this:  “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifies himself, builds himself up, or charges himself up like a battery.” (Kenneth E. Hagin Tongues: Beyond the Upper Room pg. 160)

Ephesians 3:16 says, “to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man” (NASB). 

I am reading Bill Johnson's book Dreaming With God.  On page 108 he quotes Dr. Lance Wallnau who points out this about the word edifice.  Edifice is a word that is related to edify. Dr. Wallnau states that "one who prays in tongues builds the edifice from which the purposes of God for their life becomes manifest!"  

Bill Johnson goes on to say that "perhaps this is why Paul stated that he spoke in tongues more than anyone else.  He was building something big for God!"

Remember Paul wrote 2/3 of the New Testament.  Another interesting fact I have discovered while studying God's Word is that Paul's understanding about spiritual warfare increased over time.  He first wrote Thessalonians were he mentions it somewhat, but by the time he writes Ephesians his understanding has increased and he gives more detail to the church.  Could this be because of his time of praying in tongues?

Although knowing the Word, confessing the Word, and meditating on the Word are important; a major way of strengthening yourself is by praying in tongues.  Each of these things working together for your good. (Romans 8:28)

PURPOSE - TO STIUMULATE FAITH

Jude 20 - “But ye, beloved, BUILDING YOURSELVES ON YOUR MOST HOLY FAITH, praying in the Holy Ghost”.

Praying in tongues causes us to be more sensitive to the  Spirit of God.  Praying in tongues will cause our hearing to be more sensitive.  It will also cause our faith to be energized or charged or stimulated.

Now I realize Jude did not say specifically "pray speaking in tongues".  But Jude did not know that 1,000 of years later people would not know that praying in the Spirit did not include praying in tongues.  Paul in his instructions to the church of Corinth never said not to speak or pray in tongues.  In fact he said “forbid not to speak in tongues.” 

So [to conclude], my brethren, earnestly desire and set your hearts on prophesying (on being inspired to preach and teach and to interpret God’s will and purpose), and do not forbid or hinder speaking in [unknown] tongues. 1 Corinthian 14:39 (AMP)

POINT 1  We are God’s temple and He is building a spiritual temple with us as lively stones.  When the church was born we were given a language by which we could pray in unity the mind, will and purpose of God.  Will you receive that gift of a prayer language?  If you have that prayer language, will you begin to operate in that gift more?

Next week we will continue with our study by doing a word study.  This word study made me leap for joy inside when I discovered its original intent and meaning.  I hope you will come back next week to study this word with me and as we continue to look into the purpose of praying in tongues.