BUILD

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His GRACE, which is able to BUILD YOU UP, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified – Acts 20:32

This was an encounter between the apostle Paul and the elders of the Church in Ephesus. The elders had already been charged with caring for the flock: “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of His own Son” (v.28). They were to feed the sheep and to protect them from the twisted teachings of wolves in sheep's clothing (vv.29-30). As Paul prepared to leave the flock, prior to his departure to heaven, he committed them to the care of the elders and reminded the elders very solemnly that the Holy Spirit had appointed them to be shepherds for the flock. Having committed the flock into the care of the elders, he had to commit the elders themselves to the Word of Grace: “And now I commend you to God and to the word of His GRACE, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (v.32).

The word used here as “to build up” is properly applied to a house which is raised and completed gradually, and painstakingly. It means to establish, make firm, or permanent, and hence, to instruct, to establish in doctrine and in hope. The idea is that the Word of God was able to confirm and establish them, amidst the dangers to which they would be exposed. Paul committed the elders to the word of His grace; not to a bishop, a committee, a congregation or a denomination. God is the Shepherd of shepherds; and his Word is green pasture and still waters. The flock need the Word of grace in order to live by it; hence, God gives shepherds to feed them. The shepherds in turn must have the Word of grace to live and lead by. God assigns to them the unique responsibility of feeding themselves in a more direct manner both for their own soul and for the sake of the sheep, with the added responsibility and privilege of preparing the food first hand.

God equips and nourishes both His shepherds and His flock by the Word of His grace. The Word of Grace does three things: (1) it builds up; (2) it sanctifies; (3) it brings to the inheritance of eternal life. God’s Word is active and powerful (Heb.4:12). The Word of Grace is a builder-up of lives. It builds a functional structure out of a life of ruins. It secures a designed destiny out of situations of confusion. It builds strength out of weakness; beauty out of ugliness; permanence and stability out of wavering uncertainty. The Word of Grace is able to build eternal edifices with worthless raw materials in our lives. Whatever aspect of your life requires rebuilding, reconstruction or buildi0ng-up should simply be brought into the agenda of the Word of Grace for prompt and powerful intervention.