The Lord intends believers to live the Christian life connected to each other. We do this in the church. Since the church is the body of Christ, then each believer in the body is a member of the body. We nourish each other through the strength the Lord gives through His Word. This nourishment edifies one another.
Solomon said it this way: “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Pro. 27:17). Instruments of like quality mutually benefit each other. Chalk doesn’t sharpen iron; it takes iron to sharpen iron. That is how it is in the church. Through conversation, exhortation, correction, and example we help each other become more like Christ. The changes that take place on the inside show up on the outside. In other words, our countenance reflects our constitution.
Attaching yourself to other believers will strengthen you, if you allow yourself to be helped by their strengths. Copy their good example. Listen to their wisdom. Look to improve. What a blessing God has granted us—to grow spiritually as we move through life. This takes place in the church as we let iron sharpen iron.
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