"Abstain from every form of evil"

- 1 Thessalonians 5:22

This exhortation from the Bible does not say to abstain from evil but from the very appearance of evil. The believer is to turn away, to flee from, the very appearance of evil. The same imperative goes back to Deuteronomy 23:9. The Psalmist wrote “depart from evil, and do good” and “hate evil, you who love the Lord.” Living in the age of technology, the appearance of evil comes quickly through television, the internet, and social media. Many in the church have grown accustomed to, or even embraced, such evil. We forget the warning of Isaiah not to call evil good, or good evil. The Lord knew the danger of this, and He taught His disciples to pray, “deliver us from evil.” As believers, we know, “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one”. However, “The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” Be encouraged!

Scripture References: 1 Thessalonians 5:22; Psalm 34:14, 97:10; Isaiah 5:20; Matthew 6:13; 1 John 5:19; Ephesians 5:16; 2 Thessalonians 3:3