REJECT EVIL

TUESDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2022

To reject evil and its appearances is to avoid and eliminate its possibilities and manifestations in your life at any point in time. Although we live in a world that has been delivered up into the bondage of Satan, as Christians, we are called to be holy and to walk in the Spirit, which also entails living with the consciousness of who we are in Christ Jesus.

Reference: 1 Thessalonians 5:22 English Standard Version (ESV) "Abstain from every form of evil."

Although this Scripture is a short expression, I see it as multum in parvo because the insight and knowledge in it, will illuminate and saturate the Christian conscience with the glorious light, and when practically applied, will establish the promise of endless progress in Christ in our lives, as well as fill every nook and cranny of our heart with joy.

The Bible tells us that the world we live in, lies in wickedness, including its foundation. 1 John 5:19 reads, "We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (ESV). Since we know this truth, there is no reason why we should hesitate to shun and abstain from every form of evil. Choosing to entertain evil is to contemn or despise God. Therefore, Paul, whose love for the Thessalonian Church was evident in every line of his letters to them, instructed us to withdraw and keep away from all evil, meaning that the effect must be alarming. The Amplified Bible (AMP) actually reads, "Abstain from every form of evil [withdraw and keep away from it]."

The reason why we should never accommodate evil is because we've been estranged from it through our new birth. Colossians 1:13 reads, "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves" (NIV). We now belong to Christ and we function under His Kingdom, under His power, and under His reign. Therefore evil and wrong practices, including their examples and appearances, are all part of the negative influences of Adamic nature, which is very mischievous and it can spread far and wide through the natural man or unbelievers. Evil involves corrupt principles and examples, and so if you have been born of God (born again), and you refuse to keep away from every form of evil, it would end up hurting you.

Ephesians 2:8 reads, "God saved you by His grace when you believed..." (NLT). This same grace grants us freedom to live for God but when grace is considered as a freedom to indulge in sinful and evil practices, it becomes a false notion of the Christian faith because, in actual fact, we were spiritually saved from such desires by God's grace. No wonder Paul says in the book of Romans 6:1-2, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (KJV). How dreadful the effects of evil practices! Even the devil himself does not pay or reward anyone under his dominion of evil influences with anything good. Therefore, having received a new heart and the Spirit of God, we must endeavour to walk in the newness of life and shun evil. Even in our common conversations and regular expression of deeds, our speech must be seasoned with salt.

So far, we've come to know that the atoning sacrifice of Christ for us on the cross, rendered the dominion of sin and evil influences powerless in our lives (Romans 6:14 NIV). Therefore, without abstaining from evil, we can neither live effectively by faith in Christ, nor participate in expressing spiritual realities and ordinances with confidence. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Proverbs 8:13; Job 28:28; 1 Peter 3:11; 2 Timothy 2:16.

Exuberant Declaration: I'm forever grateful that my personal relationship with God is daily active and steady. On top of that, I've come into the full sweetness of an assured intimacy with God by patient perseverance and thankful persistence in honouring Him and abstaining from all forms of evil. Blessed be God!