Dull Knives

As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. (Proverbs 27:17)  The Body of Christ has a responsibility to share the Love of God, the Glory of God, and the Word of God as part of our everyday lives.

In fact, we are emboldened in Ephesians 5:19 to encourage and lift one another up in Psalms, Hymns, and spiritual songs.  We are supposed to regularly by speaking, sharing, and singing the Word of God:

19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Just those three verses of scripture hold very deep and very specific instructions to us as believers.  Those outside the Body of Christ (The Church) are not expected to live other than the sinful life that they have chosen.  In the book of Ephesians, Apostle Paul, the author of the book of Ephesians, is speaking to the Church at Ephesus, and he is giving instruction to them as how to live by reminding them and encouraging them of the simple truth of God’s instruction and ordinances to the church.

He says in verse 19

“…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”:  we must turn our focus to the Father, and allow our communication through our heart, our thoughts, and our words be sweet and pure.  Having good things to say to Him about others.

Because if we keep our conversation and focus unto the Lord, we learn, as children to mimic our parents, and thus what we learn is what we speak and what we do. 

It is not Christ-like to gossip, speak ill, complain, and slander others.  Not as believers.  No matter how we feel about another person, we must learn to remain spiritual concerning them.  The bible tells us in Romans 12:18:

18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

 And for those who feel they cannot live peaceably among or with others, because sometimes that is the case, then we are to separate and have no part of them:

Romans 16:17-18

17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

There are some that will cause YOU to sin if you are not wise and vigilant.   Pick up your grace and run far from them.  Have no parts of them.  Instead of you being the light and you have become like them and one of them.

Matthew 5:30

30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

What it did not tell us to do is run our mouths with complaining and slandering, but instead “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord…” because we too must give an account of our actions and our words.

See here is the thing; until Jesus returns we are going to live among the ungodly, but that does not mean we become like them.  Because the time will come, where they will reap the harvest of their evil deeds

Matthew 13:24-30

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

Quite the contrary, we are peculiar people, chosen and set apart by God.  We should thing and act noticeably different.  And it should cause people to notice and want to serve the God we serve.

1 Peter 2:9

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

  So let us not be dull knives, let us sharpen one another as iron sharpens iron, by lifting up and exalting the name of Christ Jesus by our words, our deeds, and our responses.

Stay in the Grip of His Grace,

Apostle and Prophetess, Wendy Connor

Copyright © Wendy Connor