Setting up Boundaries to Abstain from Evil
1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
"We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil."
Abstain from every form of evil.
Form is also translated:
1. Kind
2. Appearance
3. Whatever even looks like
4. What has the likeness of
I really like the last three! It brings this small command to a whole new level. "Abstain from whatever even looks like evil, or whatever has the likeness of evil, or has an appearance of evil."
Not just stay away from what is evil, but whatever even looks evil, or could be mistaken as evil!
Now I can just hear this conversation coming up:
"You mean to tell me, I can't do something just because it looks wrong?"
"Right!"
"But it's not wrong?"
"Right!"
"But it looks wrong?"
"Right!"
"And I can't do it?"
"Right!"
"Cause it's going to discredit Christ or give people the wrong idea about me and about Him?"
"Right!"
"Hey, there's going to be a whole lot of things I can't do!"
"Right!"
I believe that God calls us to the Highest Standard of Living!
How can we get to that standard? What can we do?
Proverbs 4:26
"Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure."
Proverbs 15:22
"Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed."
We can set up Boundaries!
Here are 8 principals that we see in Scripture that we can apply to our lives
From
Romans 14
1. I will do ALL things as unto the Lord!
A good test to see if we are doing this is: Getting down on our knees and saying, "Lord I'm doing this for you." If it just doesn't seem to fit, then don't do it!
Vs. 7-9
2. Live in Light of the Judgment Seat of God!
Would God approve of what I am doing/saying/thinking?
Vs. 10
3. I will consider my Weaker Brother in all that I do!
The weaker brother is the one who's conscience isn't informed by God's word.
I will not make decisions in the Freedom that I have in Christ that will offend my Brother who has not yet been given that Freedom in Christ. I must limit my freedom!
Vs. 13-19
4. I will do Nothing unless I am sure that it is right!
Vs. 22-23
Here Faith = Confidence
"If I can't do it, confident that it's right to do, It's wrong for me to do it, even if it isn't wrong." Pastor James MacDonald
If I doubt or don't know if something is right or wrong, I am much better off to just not do it!
1 Corinthians 10:22-31
5. I will do all things to the Glory of God.
Shall we provoke God to jealousy? Jealousy is not a sin for God!
Jealousy = wanting something that is not rightfully yours.
What does God want that is not Rightfully His?
Let us give to God all that is His! His is the Glory! Forever and Ever!
1 Thessalonians 5:22
6. I will Avoid what may appear wrong, Even if I know it isn't wrong!
To accomplish this we can erect MORAL FENCES!
A. I will not ride in the car alone with a person of the opposite sex, unless it is my wife, child, or close relative.
B. I will not meet alone with a member of the opposite sex, unless it is my wife, child, or close relative.
C. I will not go out to eat with a member of the opposite sex, unless it is my wife, child, or close relative.
D. I will not go on a business trip alone. I will make it a point to stay with someone I know, or have a close friend with me, or better yet, my wife.
E. I will publicly announce my affection and love for my wife, when she is and isn't present.
F. Any other thing that could be considered questionable, I will avoid, so as to not hinder the name of Jesus Christ!
1 Corinthians 6:12
7. I will abstain from things that can enslave me.
Only God will control me!
Some my ask, "How close is to close?"
Would you teach your child to ride a bike on the edge of the Grand Canyon or a few feet back from the edge?
Is this questions one that is asked out of Maturity or Childishness?
Romans 12:1-2
1 Peter 2:21
8. I will seek always to do what I believe Jesus would do.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ!
This is not legalism!
Legalism = I have come to convictions and beliefs, now that I have them, I am going to enforce them upon you. Rather than letting God bring you to those convictions according to His timing!
This is also not License!
License = Conviction? What is that? Can you please spell that one for me?
This is a happy medium!
These are principles within Scripture, and God will bring each and every one of His Children to them in His time! But once He has brought us to them, do we accept them and conform our lives to them? Or do we keep on living our lives the way we want to?
Personally, I want to do my best to Honor God and Live my life to these standards!
I know that I will fail time and time again, However I also know that God's Grace is Enough!
In Christ,
David
"We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil."
Abstain from every form of evil.
Form is also translated:
1. Kind
2. Appearance
3. Whatever even looks like
4. What has the likeness of
I really like the last three! It brings this small command to a whole new level. "Abstain from whatever even looks like evil, or whatever has the likeness of evil, or has an appearance of evil."
Not just stay away from what is evil, but whatever even looks evil, or could be mistaken as evil!
Now I can just hear this conversation coming up:
"You mean to tell me, I can't do something just because it looks wrong?"
"Right!"
"But it's not wrong?"
"Right!"
"But it looks wrong?"
"Right!"
"And I can't do it?"
"Right!"
"Cause it's going to discredit Christ or give people the wrong idea about me and about Him?"
"Right!"
"Hey, there's going to be a whole lot of things I can't do!"
"Right!"
I believe that God calls us to the Highest Standard of Living!
How can we get to that standard? What can we do?
Proverbs 4:26
"Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure."
Proverbs 15:22
"Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed."
We can set up Boundaries!
Here are 8 principals that we see in Scripture that we can apply to our lives
From
Romans 14
1. I will do ALL things as unto the Lord!
A good test to see if we are doing this is: Getting down on our knees and saying, "Lord I'm doing this for you." If it just doesn't seem to fit, then don't do it!
Vs. 7-9
2. Live in Light of the Judgment Seat of God!
Would God approve of what I am doing/saying/thinking?
Vs. 10
3. I will consider my Weaker Brother in all that I do!
The weaker brother is the one who's conscience isn't informed by God's word.
I will not make decisions in the Freedom that I have in Christ that will offend my Brother who has not yet been given that Freedom in Christ. I must limit my freedom!
Vs. 13-19
4. I will do Nothing unless I am sure that it is right!
Vs. 22-23
Here Faith = Confidence
"If I can't do it, confident that it's right to do, It's wrong for me to do it, even if it isn't wrong." Pastor James MacDonald
If I doubt or don't know if something is right or wrong, I am much better off to just not do it!
1 Corinthians 10:22-31
5. I will do all things to the Glory of God.
Shall we provoke God to jealousy? Jealousy is not a sin for God!
Jealousy = wanting something that is not rightfully yours.
What does God want that is not Rightfully His?
Let us give to God all that is His! His is the Glory! Forever and Ever!
1 Thessalonians 5:22
6. I will Avoid what may appear wrong, Even if I know it isn't wrong!
To accomplish this we can erect MORAL FENCES!
A. I will not ride in the car alone with a person of the opposite sex, unless it is my wife, child, or close relative.
B. I will not meet alone with a member of the opposite sex, unless it is my wife, child, or close relative.
C. I will not go out to eat with a member of the opposite sex, unless it is my wife, child, or close relative.
D. I will not go on a business trip alone. I will make it a point to stay with someone I know, or have a close friend with me, or better yet, my wife.
E. I will publicly announce my affection and love for my wife, when she is and isn't present.
F. Any other thing that could be considered questionable, I will avoid, so as to not hinder the name of Jesus Christ!
1 Corinthians 6:12
7. I will abstain from things that can enslave me.
Only God will control me!
Some my ask, "How close is to close?"
Would you teach your child to ride a bike on the edge of the Grand Canyon or a few feet back from the edge?
Is this questions one that is asked out of Maturity or Childishness?
Romans 12:1-2
1 Peter 2:21
8. I will seek always to do what I believe Jesus would do.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ!
This is not legalism!
Legalism = I have come to convictions and beliefs, now that I have them, I am going to enforce them upon you. Rather than letting God bring you to those convictions according to His timing!
This is also not License!
License = Conviction? What is that? Can you please spell that one for me?
This is a happy medium!
These are principles within Scripture, and God will bring each and every one of His Children to them in His time! But once He has brought us to them, do we accept them and conform our lives to them? Or do we keep on living our lives the way we want to?
Personally, I want to do my best to Honor God and Live my life to these standards!
I know that I will fail time and time again, However I also know that God's Grace is Enough!
In Christ,
David
posted by Mark 1:17 at 8:45 PM
1 Comments:
Challenging post.
As my Pastoral Theology professor drilled into our heads, "Appearance = reality", meaning that people will believe what they see about you, even if it's just a misunderstanding.
Good rules of thumb. Thanks.
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