KEY SCRIPTURE: 2Ti 4:2 KJV” Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

An exhortation is a strong, passionate plea, encouragement, or urging intended to persuade someone to take a specific action. It acts as a powerful, often emotional encouragement to act rather than a direct, forced command. Key synonyms include encouragement, urging, entreaty, admonition, and pep talk. Exhortation is one of the ways the church communicates what the Spirit intends to bring to it. Col 3:16 KJV “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” From the above verse, the foundation for a good exhortation is that the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Exhortation  may normally come through preaching, yet its goal is to encourage brethren to act in certain ways that enhance their walk with God. Those who have been discouraged about taking certain actions need to be encouraged to rise up and take positive actions. On certain occasions, offending brethren may not need a reproof but need to be encouraged. Such people may be hurting from the error, and so they do not need to be broken further, but to be encouraged to rise from their pain and keep moving on. You can do this by knowing the state of that individual.

The Lord Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, used exhortation and doctrine to communicate the truth of God to the disciples. When the Lord spoke of the beatitudes or his message in Matt 5:3-16. This message was not a doctrine but an exhortation.

He makes statements like blessed are the pure in heart, for theirs is the Kingdom of God. He also added that blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. The Lord encourages them to act in a particular way, which would bring them certain benefits. Let’s consider the first statement. He encourages the disciples to be poor in Spirit. To be poor in the Spirit is to acknowledge your absolute dependence on the Spirit of God. This is the very attitude our Lord Jesus had that drove Him to prayer and depended so much on the Holy Spirit. No wonder He moved mightily in the power of the Spirit.

All that the Lord taught on the mount was an urge for them to take certain actions to experience various impacts. These were words of exhortation to encourage them to do those things he taught them. In a similar manner, we may also encourage others to do certain things to bring them into a closer walk with GoTHOUGHTS: THE DISCOURAGED MAN MAY NOT NEED REPROOF BUT ENCOURAGEMENTMENT

FURTHER STUDIES

2Th 3:15 KJV” Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”

Act 27:9 KJV Now, when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them.

Mat 12:20 KJV “A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.”v