Avoid the Appearance of Evil

Ephesians 5:3-16

Pete Rose was a great ball player. One day he was found gambling on games. Immediately, he was stripped of his position, and later his honors as a player were taken away. It was feared that his gambling might lead to his being forced to cheat to pay off debts incurred. A truly competitive player ought not gamble on the outcome.

Affiliations with known criminals make law enforcement officers, lawmakers, and judges suspect, and criminal activity forces their suspension or termination. Any suspicion should result in suspension pending investigation. They cannot return to work until cleared of wrong doing.

If we are children of God, free of sin. Certain things should not be even whispered about us. Paul warned the Thessalonians that they should “Abstain from all appearance of evil,” (I Thessalonians 5:22). There should be no hint of evil, even in our private life. Certain sins definitely imply a person is not of God.

“But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” (Ephesians 5:3-5)

A person living these lifestyles cannot be genuinely saved. If a person can continue in that sin, he is not God’s child. It is not that he could not do the wrong, but that God will not permit his children to keep doing it. Hebrews 12:6-8 makes this very clear. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” One of the reasons we are to put such out of the church is to cause them to check whether their salvation is real. Paul warns that we are not to allow ourselves to be deceived about the matter. As he says, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. There is a tendency for others to get involved because one got by with it.

"Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:6-10)

God is going to judge mankind for doing these things, and we should not participate in them in any form. We have been cleansed, and given a new nature, reprogrammed to do right, demonstrating what pleases God. The result of the Holy Spirit in our life will be seen in certain characteristics described in Galatians 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Our lifestyle should portray those characteristics if we are God’s children.

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” (Ephesians 5:11-14)

We should not be associated with the actions of those who do wrong, It is shameful even to talk about those things. We need to make them aware that it is wrong. This does not mean isolating ourselves from people in the world, but from their sin. I Corinthians 5:9-11gives instructions about this. “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators. Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:16-18)

The word circumspect come from two words meaning to inspect around. We are to be aware of what is going on, not blindly passing through life. We are surrounded by evil, and we are not alert, we will fall into the same pattern, wasting our time in the same things. Obey God instead.