Thoughts on Godly Encouragement - Part 2

What it isn’t

Far too many seem to define “encouragement” as being a good feeling more than anything. This is mostly untrue, however. In fact, to say that encouragement is a good feeling alone would be an utter lie. To encourage someone may not always bring fourth excited and joyous feelings. Perhaps worldly “encouragement” may do such things, but that is all it can do. It is nothing more than getting the victim to feel better about themselves and their own actions and thoughts, and never offers anything better. True, Godly encouragement offers far more. Take Hebrews 3 as an example. The command is clear when the writer says “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb. 3:13) If you look at the context all around that passage, you will not find a single reference to “feeling good about yourself,” but rather the encouragement to “stick with it.” Verse 14 says “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end…” This is encouragement to stay with it until the End. And as the other Scriptures make clear, the path to the End will not be a joyous nor easy path. In fact, Scripture makes it clear that we are in more of a war, contrary to what most modern “preachers” may say. There is a reason that we are told to persevere. We are striving to finish the “good fight” as Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7. If anything, the examples of the apostles and the early church should prove that we are more than likely to require perseverance. In fact, it is required of us. 2 Peter 1:5-7 makes it clear that if we bear perseverance, along with the rest of the attributes mentioned in that text, and these are “increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (vs. 8) And thus, to assume that encouragement is to make somebody merely feel good is far from the Truth. We encourage one another to do the right thing, be it contrary to our feelings or not.

There is another idea that seems to have been overlooked, and that is the idea that Christians can give the unsaved Godly encouragement. This is very untrue, as it assumes the unsaved can be encouraged correctly just like the saved are. As I mentioned in the first part of this topic, encouragement is far more than just saying nice things, but reminding one another of our Salvation, of His return, and provoking one another to love and good works. And that alone can make the case that a Christian cannot give an unsaved person Godly encouragement, as no unsaved person can perform good works, nor can they truly love. Godly encouragement cannot be given to anyone and everyone, saved and unsaved. This is not an all-inclusive encouragement. Those who are unsaved and are in despair should hear the Gospel, not the results thereof. I just saw a small bit of a scene from the movie “Up” from Disney, in which the main character had finally reached his goal, yet felt very lacking. And as he looked through a book of memories that his wife had put together, he was supposed to be taken with sadness. But the supposedly “encouraging” part was that he realized that he could have a “new adventure.” That was it. That’s what changed his perspective around and encouraged him. But oh, how lacking these things are. For the unsaved, there is no true, lasting encouragement at all. They live for what they can see and feel (emotions, people, food, obtaining new things, keeping up with the latest fads, etc.), and when these fade away and are taken from them, they can only find encouragement in finding something “new.” They cannot be satisfied nor fulfilled in any of these worldly things. The rich man who came to the Lord asked how he could obtain eternal life. Christ told him to give up all his belongings to the poor and follow Him. This man went away in despair, because he was not willing to give up these things. This man was not, nor could he be, encouraged. He should not have been either. People seem to so easily overlook the need for the true Gospel, figuring that people will find it on their own somehow. The Gospel may not be the most encouraging thing at the time, but it is far more important than a happy face. The motive for people attempting to give encouragement to the unsaved is also often flawed. Professing Christians have either neglected or forgotten that the unsaved need to be justified, not encouraged. The apostles reminded the churches many times of the Gospel, and comfort was given in the reminding that Christ is coming again. These things cannot be given as encouragement to those who don’t even believe such things in the first place. The unsaved need to be saved from sin, not discouragement. They may very well be encouraged if they come to the knowledge of the Truth, and their lives will surely change, but encouragement is not the goal, salvation in Christ alone is the goal.
Godly encouragement is also far from being the overlooking of sin. If a Christian has sinned and is discouraged about this act, we do not come along side and say, “It doesn’t matter that much.” To downplay the sin is one of the worst things a Christian could do to another. What must be done then? Building up the work of Christ. Paul made the purpose of the Law clear in Romans 5. We do not downplay nor overplay the act of sin in another believer. We don’t say “It doesn’t matter that much” nor do we say “You are damned to hell now! You have lost your salvation!” On the contrary, “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 5:20-21) We remind them, as has been said, of our salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ alone. We dare not build up sin, nor even tear it down in and of ourselves or our works, but we build up the work of Christ. When meeting a false teacher, we do not condemn them, nor do we accept them. We walk away, or use the Word of God, but we dare not take either of the extremes. Godly encouragement is not the overlooking of sin, but the reminder of what has been done with the sin. And yet again, that encouragement cannot be given to one who is still in their sin. We as Christians are no longer sinners (Rom. 7:14-25), and sin is no longer who we are. “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” not ourselves.
Godly encouragement isn’t always going to make our fellow brother or sister in Christ feel good. In fact, it may even make them angry at us once in awhile. To be direct with a fellow Christian is most likely never going to make them feel good, but the goal is not feeling good, the goal is repentance and/or change of heart. We may have everything turn against us, and have done nothing wrong, but we are not to look at such things, but rather at the things which are not seen. We live by faith, not by sight. We do not live by feelings, but by the Word of God. We ourselves, as the striving encourager, may not even feel good about it all. To directly correct someone is not an easy thing, nor is encouraging them with the Truth. Even if the fellow believe has not sinned, encouraging them may be difficult. But the reminders of who we are, what we wait for, and what we must do now are always the best reminders. We, of all people, have the least of reasons to despair. Dealing with sin (be it our own or other’s) may not always feel good, but the point is repentance, nor feeling. (Feelings are supposed to be a result, not a goal.) Encouraging a fellow Christian by discouraging the sin and fleshly desires is a far better goal than simply trying to make someone feel better about themselves. “Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.” (2 Pet. 1:12-15)

When are we to give this Godly encouragement?

Should we always give out Godly encouragement to those we believe to be Christians? More often than not, yes. But not always. There are the few who need to be, as it were, left to God. Those who may still be Christian, but are in an exclusive mindset and don’t believe they need the aid of anyone. These God will deal with, as He deals with us all. Those who He loves, He chastens, and He scourges every son. We are not to leave every discouraged Christian by themselves, nor are we to think that we must try to encourage every single professing Christian no matter who or what they are. There are some that must be removed from our midst. “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler- not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.” (1 Cor. 5:9-13) We encourage true Christians with truly Godly encouragement. If they have forgotten our Hope (both in what Christ has done and will do), we are to remind them of these things. If they have sinned, remind them of what has been done with our sin, and encourage them to only push harder for the perfection that has been won for us in Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain- if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” (Gal. 2:20-3:5)  Should we not then live as such? Do we so foolishly fall away from the Gospel which is our foundation? Do we so quickly abandon our Motivation and Life? The Truth must be held to, in discouragement and encouragement. It must be the encouragement, and we must never forsake the Word of God for discouragement, even when it seems and feels so logical.