Ephesians 4:29

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouths, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

Corrupt words can come in deceitful and hidden forms, even idle words will be judged by our heavenly Father and we’ll have to give an account for them. What strikes me about this verse is the phrase “necessary edification.” Paul doesn’t generally say to have good words for edification, but to use words for edification which are “necessary” for the hearer. This implies that there are words of edification that aren’t necessary and aren’t specifically useful for the particular time.

For example, a brother could have a problem with pornography. I could talk about how it’s a sin and point to the Scriptures that say such a thing. Though this is edifying, it still may not tackle the main issue of why he has a problem with watching pornography. He could be feeling deeply guilty about this sin and it becomes a sin that the devil uses to persuade him that he can’t come back to God for forgiveness. The necessary edification then could be found in the Scriptures that speak upon God’s willingness to forgive like Isaiah 55 “Everyone who thirsts come to the waters…incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live… Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; for He will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:1, 3, 7) or 1 John 2:1 “And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. “

Application: Three things. One, be very careful about not only the words I say, but also the tone and attitude those words are portrayed in. Two, be open and attentive to those who need edification, and what problems their dealing with. And three, ask for wisdom from the Lord to pick the exact words to effectively edify my brothers and sisters in Christ.