Abstain From All Appearances Of Evil

In 1 Thessalonians 5:22, Paul was urging us not to tolerate even the slightest indication of wrong behavior or any act that could be perceived or viewed as immoral or unethical.

Abstain from all appearances of evil. Let’s view this from an angle of sexual impurity with the prevalence of porn addiction.

…

You can read this later (open in a new tab): Pornography Addiction: Is There Hope

…

It is not to your benefit to toy with temptations of sexual sins. You think you’re in control and you’ve put some measures in place to guard you from falling, but you won’t stop fraternizing with the objects of temptation.

For instance, you’re continuously engaging in sexual and erotic chats and conversations with someone you’re not married to, but you think that because of the distance barrier nothing can come out of it, you cannot commit sexual immorality with him/her.

You keep saturating your mind with pictures and videos of half-naked girls on Instagram, Tik Tok and X (Twitter), but you think because you’re yet to start visiting porn sites, you cannot be held in the grip of lust or masturbation.

In fact, some of you even occasionally visit porn sites and think that as long as there is no physical lady to sleep with, you’re safe.

This is self-delusion! A very strong one at that!

What you don’t understand is that, with every stain of sin you absorb, you increase the grip of lust over your life, and weaken your will for future resistance. And it’s just a matter of time before you eventually fall completely into that act of sin.

You may not immediately commit fornication or adultery, but you will eventually because every single encounter leaves your mind stained and defiled with a significant deposit of lust. And that lust keeps accumulating until you become a helpless slave to immorality.

The second thing you’re ignorant of is that, in the kingdom of darkness, there is segregation of duties, as well as division of labor and specialization.

Who told you that it’s the lady that you’re engaging in sexual and erotic chats with, that you will end up in bed with eventually?

Who told you that it’s the same person who was used to sow the seed of lust in your life that will end up reaping your harvest in immorality?

Who told you that it’s the first person who opened you up to sexual immorality that would end up destroying you finally?

You don’t know that the devil also has his own “John the Baptists” that he sends to prepare the way before his arrival for your final destruction?

When he wanted to destroy Samson, do you think he started with Delilah? No, he didn’t. Delilah was only the last straw that broke Samson’s back!

He started by sending a woman in Timnath, of the daughters of the Philistines to open the door and sow the initial seed of heartbreak. Do you remember the woman who served him breakfast? (Judges 14:1).

Then, he proceeded to send the Harlot in Gaza to prepare the way for Samson’s final destruction, by opening him up to lust and sexual immorality. (Judges 16:1).

And riding upon the existing grip of lust and sexual immorality, he then sent Delilah to finish the work. (Judges 16:4)

That is to tell you that the Devil can position multiple people in different locations, at different times, with different specific missions just to destroy you. Funny enough, they may not even know themselves physically, but they will all be cooperatively working together towards the same goal, which is to destroy you.

What then is the solution?

“Abstain from all appearances of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

Abstinence is the key. At the point of appearance, when the evil is still far, run for your dear life!

…

You’ll like to read this too (open in a new tab): No Sin Is Greater Than Another

…

And if the testimony of your faith is already smeared by any appearance of evil and you’re in sin, then repent and be converted.

Grace to you!

*** Originally written by Abdul Azeez Adeniji ***