Introduction: The Call to Abstinence

Weaver introduces the three key texts and explains the sermon's textual approach, emphasizing that abstinence is a great virtue essential for sanctification.

Alright, well let's open our Bibles then today to three passages. 1 Thessalonians 4 and 5 and then 1 Peter chapter 2. Let's start in 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and look if you would please at verse 3. 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 3:

Now look in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 22: "Abstain from all appearance of evil." And then if you look in 1 Peter 2 and verse 11, we're going to be dealing with each one of these verses. 1 Peter 2 and verse 11: "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." I'm going to be preaching this morning on a text or a message which I have entitled, "Abstinence, the Great Virtue." And I think you'll understand exactly what I'm dealing with as we progress.

Please remember also that in times past, I've told you the difference between an expository sermon and a textual sermon. And I'm just pointing out for your edification and for your memory's sake, that today's message will be textual. That is, I'll be taking three different texts, but Lord willing, it will be expository in the sense that I'll be expounding those texts. So we're going to begin in 1 Thessalonians 4, and look if you would please at verse 3. He says, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication." Now, the Word of God says in 1 Peter 1, verse 16, God declares, "Be ye holy, for I am holy."

Abstain from All Actual Evil (1 Thessalonians 4:3)

Christians must abstain from actual sin, defined as any transgression of God's law. Fornication is one example, but the principle applies to all violations of the Ten Commandments.

Please remember also that in times past, I've told you the difference between an expository sermon and a textual sermon. And I'm just pointing out for your edification and for your memory's sake, that today's message will be textual. That is, I'll be taking three different texts, but Lord willing, it will be expository in the sense that I'll be expounding those texts. So we're going to begin in 1 Thessalonians 4, and look if you would please at verse 3. He says, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication." Now, the Word of God says in 1 Peter 1, verse 16, God declares, "Be ye holy, for I am holy."

Now, holiness may be defined not only as that which is positively right and good, but also as the absence of that which is evil and wicked. Absence from that which is evil, in one sense of the word, precedes holiness, because you cannot be positively holy without being free from wickedness and ungodliness. It's impossible to be good unless you have ceased from evil. Therefore, the Word of God commands us in the book of Isaiah, chapter 1, verses 16 and 17, God says,

In other words, you can't learn to do well until you have ceased from evil. In Amos 5, verse 18, God says, "Hate the evil and love the good." So before you can love the good, you must also hate the evil. And then in Psalm 37, verse 8, God tells us, "Cease from anger and forsake wrath, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil." So, one of the descriptions that God gives of wicked men in 2 Peter 2 and verse 14 is this, "having eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin."

So, if you and I are to do well and to do good, we must learn to hate the evil and turn from evil. In reality, abstinence is a prerequisite for obedience. You cannot do that which is right until you cease doing that which is wrong. And by the way, we cannot cease doing that which is wrong until we recognize that which is wrong.

Now, as you study the New Testament, there are at least three Greek words that demonstrate for us the essence of wickedness. I'm going to give you those three words. The first one is phaulos. The word phaulos just indicates that which is worthless, bad, and useless in and of itself. The word can have a good meaning or a bad meaning, but I could look at, say, a farming implement and say that it's phaulos, that is, it's worthless, it's torn up, it's useless. So the word phaulos just means something that is good for nothing, something that is worthless, something that is bad. But then you come to the second word, and it is the word kakos in the Greek. And the word kakos indicates that which is bad. There is another word for good in the Bible. The Greek word is agathos. So you have agathos on this one hand, and you have kakos on the other hand. So kakos, evil or bad, is therefore the opposite of that which is good on the other hand. So the word kakos then means that which is bad.

It is the opposite of good. Now, there's a third word, and that is the word poneros. Now, poneros is a word that indicates positive evil. It is that which is malignant, hateful, noisome, and noxious.

Now, sometimes in the Greek New Testament, you will find the word kakos and poneros used interchangeably, but although sometimes they are used interchangeably, there is a difference. There is a distinction between those two words. For instance, the kakos, or the bad individual, is an individual who is content to wallow in filth and sin. But the poneros individual is not only someone who wants the filth and the sin, he is not content unless he is dragging someone else into that same filth and sin. Let me give you an illustration. One of the names for Satan in the Bible is ho poneros, the wicked one, or the evil one. So, the poneros man is not just simply someone who does evil and wicked and malignant and hateful and sinful and rebellious things. He's also someone who likes to drag other individuals into the same sin.

Now, if you go through the New Testament, and look at the word poneros, how it's used, you find this same word in the New Testament describing being evil in Matthew 7 and 11. It describes evil men in 2 Timothy 3 and verse 13. It describes an evil work in 2 Timothy 4 and verse 18, an evil heart in Hebrews 3 and verse 12, an evil conscience in Hebrews 10 and verse 22, evil thoughts James 2, verse 14. Evil rejoicings, James 4, verse 16. Evil days, Ephesians 5, verse 16. An evil time, in Ephesians 6, verse 13. An evil fruit, in Matthew 7. An evil treasure, in Matthew 12. An evil generation, in Matthew 12. An evil eye, in Luke 11. Evil deeds, in John 3, verse 19. And evil spirits, in Acts chapter 19.

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this word evil talks of that which is malignant and wicked and vile. Now, I want you to look at two passages before we get started. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Galatians, chapter 1, and 1 John, chapter 5. Galatians, chapter 1. Now, I want you to understand we're talking about the word, primarily, poneros. And I want you to see how the word is used in these two particular instances. So I want you to turn to Galatians chapter 1 first, and then we're going to 1 John 5 secondly. So in Galatians chapter 1, look in verse 4. Note, if you would please, talking about the Lord Jesus.

The Bible says, "He gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God our Father." Note that He might deliver us from this present evil world. And the word evil there is the word poneros. It is that which is malignant. It is that which is hateful and noxious and noisome. It is the world system that is against Christ and against His law.

Now, if you will turn in your Bibles to 1 John 5 and look at verse 19, look at what he says. John says that we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. Now, the interesting thing is this. In the Greek, the word wickedness is ho poneros. Literally, he says that we know that we are of God and the whole world lies in the wicked one or in the evil one.

Now that is not saying that Satan is in control. Certainly he is not. God and God alone is sovereign. But what God is pointing out is simply this, that the world system without Christ, without God's law, is totally malignant and wicked and sinful and ungodly. Now the question is this, why in the world would any child of God want to engage in anything that is satanic and devilish and malignant and wicked and violative of the will of God?

Now, I've got three things today. I want you to look back in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4 and verse 3. The very first thing I want you to see is this, that as children of God, as Christians, we are to abstain from all actual evil. I'm going to take care of the word abstain in just a minute, but everyone basically understands what that word means. Abstain from all actual evil. He said in verse 3 of 1 Thessalonians 4, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication." Now let's read verse 4. "That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor." Now I have dealt with 1 Thessalonians 4 verses 1-9 in a series of eight messages I hope you will remember, in which are entitled, "Sanctification and Sexual Purity." It is certainly not my intent to re-preach those messages at this time. However, it may be necessary in the future, I don't know. But what is important today is this, for you to see and for you to understand that fornication is indeed an evil.

And since it is an evil, it must be abstained from. Now watch. I want you to note once again how abstinence precedes holiness. I want you to see how abstinence is a prerequisite for obedience. He says in verse 3, which is a negative, in one sense of the word, that you abstain from fornication. That's the negative. He says, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification." Here's the negative, that you should abstain from fornication. Now, verse 4 is the positive, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, that is his body, in sanctification and honor. So you cannot possess your body in sanctification and honor until you cease or abstain from that which is evil and wicked and ungodly. So verse 3 is the negative, and verse 4 then is the positive. We must abstain from fornication that we may know how to possess our vessel, that is our body, in sanctification and honor. Now, when you speak of sanctification, the word sanctification basically has two thrusts. First of all, there is what you and I would know as positional sanctification.

Now, positional sanctification is that which we have in Jesus Christ. It is that which cannot be changed. It is that which is absolutely perfect and complete. He is our sanctification. We are complete in Him. Let me give you two Scriptures. Look in your Bibles, first of all, to the book of Acts 26 and verse 18. Acts 26 and verse 18. And we're talking about a positional sanctification, that which we have in Jesus Christ. In Acts 26 and verse 18, the Apostle Paul says,

And then he says, "that is in me." In other words, it's the same kind of faith that the Apostle Paul had. Now was the Apostle Paul sanctified by faith in Christ? Yes. So we have a positional sanctification in Jesus Christ. For instance, look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 30. Notice if you would what is said concerning Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1 verse 30, "But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." So just like we have a perfect righteousness in Christ, we have a perfect sanctification in Christ. Just like we have a perfect redemption in Christ, we have a perfect sanctification in Christ. Since you're in 1 Corinthians, just turn over to 1 Corinthians 6 and verse 11. 1 Corinthians 6 and verse 11. He says,

He talks about their wickedness in times past.

So positional sanctification is that which we have in Jesus Christ. It cannot be changed because it is absolutely, totally perfect. Everything that Jesus Christ has, everything that Jesus Christ does, everything that Jesus Christ has done is absolutely perfect. Now, there is not only a positional sanctification that is taught in Scripture. Secondly, there is a personal or a practical sanctification taught.

Now let me explain the difference. Positional sanctification is that which we have in Christ. A personal or practical application or sanctification is the application of that in our daily lives. In other words, a personal or a practical sanctification is our becoming more and more holy by conforming our lives to the Word of God in our thoughts, in our words, in our deeds. I can quote this for you, you don't have to turn there, but John 17, 17. You know what the Bible says. Our Lord, in His high priestly prayer, said this, "Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy Word is truth."

Now, are we perfect in Christ? Yes. We have a positional sanctification in Christ. Are we perfect on this earth? No. But what is our goal? Perfection. Are you and I to be working and struggling and praying and obeying that we may be more and more holy on this earth? Practically speaking, yes. How do we do that? Through the Word of God. Look in your Bibles, if you would, to 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 14. 1 Peter 1, verse 14. Look what he says.

By the way, obedient children are the opposite of disobedient children, okay? So as obedient children, what are we to do? "Not fashioning ourselves according to the former lusts of our ignorance. But as He who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy." So what is he saying? As obedient children, we are to become more and more holy. How? By obeying Him.

There is a practical, there is a personal sanctification. Now, justification, listen carefully, justification and positional sanctification in one sense of the word, does not admit growth. Because we are justified and we are sanctified in Christ, that is perfect. But when you talk about personal or practical sanctification, there is growth. In fact, it's like Mark 4 and verse 28. Our Lord says, "...for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, and after that, the full corn in the ear." So you have first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn. There's growth. There's maturation.

That's why in 1 John 2, John spoke of babes, or little children, young men, and then fathers. There's a growth, not only physically, but spiritually as well. That is why in 2 Peter 3 and verse 18, Peter wrote, "But grow in grace, even in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." So when you talk about a personal or a practical sanctification, there is a growth. And may I point this out? In our personal and practical sanctification, we may either progress or regress. It always has room for change. We are not to be regressing, but we are to be progressing. We are to be going from faith to faith, and from obedience to obedience.

Now, I'm telling you, what the Word of God is telling us now is that we must abstain from actual sin. Do you realize that we cannot progress, we cannot grow or conform to the Word of God while we are engaging in actual sin? Now, when we think of abstinence, we normally or usually think of sexual purity. But may I point out that sexual purity is just one aspect of biblical abstinence. If we are going to be holy, we must abstain from all actual evil regardless of what it is.

Now, turn in your Bibles. I know that you can quote this, but I want you to see it. Turn in your Bibles to 1 John 3 and verse 4. I want to remind you of what sin really is. When I tell you that you are to abstain from actual evil, here's the actual evil that I'm talking about. Look in 1 John 3 and verse 4. Here's what the Word of God tells us. 1 John 3 verse 4,

What is sin?

Let me ask it another way. What is actual evil? It is anything that is contrary to the law of God. It is anything that God forbids or that God condemns. Actual evil is anything that is in violation of God's righteousness and God's holiness. Therefore, murder, profanity, theft, idolatry, dishonoring of parents, covetousness, lying, false reports are just as evil as adultery and fornication are.

Now, go back to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and watch this. Let me show you. 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 3 is just one particular instance of actual evil. Look at what he said. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication." You know what we could do to this verse? We could go to this verse and take out the word fornication. And we could replace it with any of the Ten Commandments and it would still be true. For instance, this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from idolatry. This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from profanity. This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from dishonoring the Lord's Day. This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from dishonoring your parents. This is the will of God that you should abstain from murder. This is the will of God that you should abstain from adultery and fornication.

This is the will of God that you should abstain from theft. This is the will of God that you should abstain from covetousness and false reports. You see what I'm saying? So fornication is just simply one aspect of actual evil. Whatever is contrary to the Word of God, whatever contradicts the law of God, we must not engage in. You see, John said it like this in 1 John 2 and verse 1. He said, "My little children, these things I write unto you, are you listening? That you sin not." Then he went on to add, "But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

Now what was John saying? John is saying, I'm writing these truths to you. Why? That you might not sin. The goal is to abstain from actual evil. Don't get involved in it.

Now, if you are engaged in deeds that are actually evil, then you must repent and turn from those acts and obey God. Do you realize repentance is the only avenue of hope for anyone who is engaged in actual sin? What does the Bible say in 2 Timothy 2, verses 24 and 26? Do you not remember the Bible tells us in that passage, that the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be apt to teach, gentle unto all men, teaching those that oppose themselves, now listen, if God, peradventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. Let me ask you a question, when do men acknowledge the truth? Only when God gives them repentance. Do you remember what the Bible says in Acts chapter 5, verses 30 and 31, talking about Jesus Christ? That God raised up Jesus Christ and set Him at His own right hand, that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins. Repentance is God's gift to give. It is God's grace.

It is not ours to work up. And if God does not give repentance, there is no escaping from our sins. Now, let me show you something that is very beneficial, I hope. I can assure you that everyone in this room, at one time or the other, has engaged in actual sin. Everyone who's listening to my voice has engaged in actual sin. You know there's a verse in the Bible that says, "Be sure your sins will find you out." And when they do, you don't mind embarrassing, humiliating, hurtful. But do you realize, when our sins are exposed, no matter how hurtful and embarrassing and humiliating they are, that is an act of God's mercy. I find it so interesting that David, when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, you remember how he did everything to cover it up?

He tried to get Uriah her husband there, make him go into his wife and then make him think that the child was his, and when that didn't work, David had him killed. But when you get to 2 Samuel 12 and verse 1, the Bible says, "And the Lord sent a prophet to David." The Lord had mercy on David. And you know what the prophet did? He's the one who put his finger in David's face and said, "Thou art the man." You talking about embarrassed? Humiliated? Found out? Discovered? Hurt? But it was still God's mercy. Do you realize the greatest mercy that God can have upon us is to expose our sins and give us repentance? If God wishes to destroy us, folks, all He has to do is to let us go on in our sins, and we'll destroy ourselves. So what does God tell us? God tells us we must abstain from actual sins. Abstain from fornication. Anything that is a violation of the law of God, abstain from. Now, secondly, go in your Bibles to 1 Peter 2 and verse 11.

We are not only to abstain from actual sin, listen carefully, we are to also abstain from all activities to evil. So we're to abstain from actual evil and all activities to evil. Verse 11, 1 Peter 2, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul." Now, there's a difference between actual evil and activities that lead up to actual evil.

Abstain from All Activities Leading to Evil (1 Peter 2:11)

Believers must also abstain from fleshly lusts and activities that war against the soul, including mental, emotional, and spiritual sins that lead to actual evil.

He tried to get Uriah her husband there, make him go into his wife and then make him think that the child was his, and when that didn't work, David had him killed. But when you get to 2 Samuel 12 and verse 1, the Bible says, "And the Lord sent a prophet to David." The Lord had mercy on David. And you know what the prophet did? He's the one who put his finger in David's face and said, "Thou art the man." You talking about embarrassed? Humiliated? Found out? Discovered? Hurt? But it was still God's mercy. Do you realize the greatest mercy that God can have upon us is to expose our sins and give us repentance? If God wishes to destroy us, folks, all He has to do is to let us go on in our sins, and we'll destroy ourselves. So what does God tell us? God tells us we must abstain from actual sins. Abstain from fornication. Anything that is a violation of the law of God, abstain from. Now, secondly, go in your Bibles to 1 Peter 2 and verse 11.

We are not only to abstain from actual sin, listen carefully, we are to also abstain from all activities to evil. So we're to abstain from actual evil and all activities to evil. Verse 11, 1 Peter 2, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul." Now, there's a difference between actual evil and activities that lead up to actual evil. However, I want you to understand this. When God forbids one, He automatically forbids the other. So when God forbids the actual evil, He also forbids at the same time everything else that will lead up to that actual evil. For instance, when God forbids fornication, He at the same time forbids lustfulness, covetousness, heavy petting, or anything that would lead up to fornication. Let me ask you a question.

You know the answer, but I'm just going to show you how people try to rationalize things. Would it be proper? Would it be right? Would it be moral, ethical, and scriptural for a married man or woman to engage in what you and I would call hanky-panky with someone other than his mate or her mate? And then when they're discovered, piously say, "Well, at least we didn't commit adultery." You see what I'm saying? If God forbids the adultery, He forbids the fooling around that would lead up to the adultery. Now, it is true that the adultery may be the actual sin, but now you're engaging in activities that are sin in and of themselves, but they lead up to that actual sin as well. You see, when God forbids stealing, at the same time, He forbids covetousness. He forbids laziness.

Which would give us an easy way out and won't make us steal. He forbids greediness, selfishness, and anything else that would lead up to theft. It is nothing less than pride. Let me go back. It is nothing less than the utmost arrogant pride and stupidity that makes us think that we can engage in all of these activities that lead up to actual sin and not be ensnared. It's just like these people who start taking drugs. "I can stop anytime I want to." Did you ever notice they never want to?

Now, the point I'm trying to make. The Bible says in Proverbs 6 and verse 27, listen to this question. Proverbs 6 verse 27,

Let me ask you to go take up a heaping armful of hot coals and hold them to your stomach. Do you think you're not going to be burned? When we play around with activities that lead up to sin, sooner or later, we're going to be burned. It's just that simple. Now, I want you to note what he says in 1 Peter 2 and verse 11. He says, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul."

Now the word war is from the Greek word strateia, which is from stratos, an army. Hence he's saying these activities strategize, they contend, they fight and marshal themselves against the soul. In other words, they're trying to destroy you. Now he says, abstain from fleshly lusts. The word fleshly is the word sarkikos, it's from the word sarx, which means literally pertaining to the flesh, bodily, temporal, animal, or the unregenerate substance. Flesh is the principal part of the body, and fleshly lusts often refer to the desires for sensual enjoyment, desires which obtain their gratification by means of bodily organs. But it also includes the passions and the appetites of the flesh.

Now listen to what he said. "Abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul." Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Galatians chapter 5. I want to just show you that fleshly lusts are not always physical. Sometimes it is mental, or emotional, or spiritual. Look in Galatians 5, and let's begin reading there at verse 19. Galatians 5, verse 19.

Now, the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, all that's physical. But then he goes on to say, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, that's mental, emotional, intellectual, religious, envying, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, of which I tell you before, and I've also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. All of these are works of the flesh. These are all fleshly lusts which war against the soul. Now, the word lust is an interesting word as well. He says, "Dearly beloved, as pilgrims and strangers you are to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul." Lusts, as it is used in the New Testament in the plural, every time you see it in the New Testament, it is from one Greek word, epithumia. Epi is a preposition which means upon, and the word thumos refers to passion or hard breathing. Do you realize that one's lust is whatever he sets his soul upon, whatever he sets his passion upon, whatever he sets his heart upon? The word lust, fleshly lust then refers to anything that is contrary to the Word of God. So when he says, "Abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul," he's saying you abstain from these activities that are going to enable the enemy to subjugate and destroy your own soul. So these fleshly lusts then, use their own stratagems against us to destroy us and to subjugate us.

Have you ever thought of how awful it must appear for the child of God who is supposed to be like our Lord, separate from sin, to engage in fleshly lusts which war against the soul? There's a verse in Lamentations 4 and verse 5. You don't have to turn there. I'll quote it for you. But here's a good apt description of it. He says in Lamentations 4 and verse 5, "They that were brought up in scarlet embraced dunghills." They that were brought up in scarlet embraced dunghills. Being brought up in scarlet means that you were brought up rich and refined and cultured, mannered. And for someone to do that, be raised like that and then embrace dunghills? What a picture! If we are children of Christ, what is it like to Him for you and I to hug our bosoms, dunghills, things that are absolutely worthless, and things that would ultimately destroy us?

Why would you heap to yourself that which would be full of disease? You see, the problem is this. Somehow, although we abhor the actual evil, somehow that we think that we can engage in the activities that lead up to that actual evil and not be caught. Well, that's wrong. Fleshly activity always leads up to the actual sin itself, and it's sinful in and of itself. Let me give you an illustration. Window shopping is a favorite pastime of many people. My wife will testify that I am not only not a great window shopper, I am not a great shopper at all. I do not even like to go to town unless I need something. If it happens to be an expensive item, usually before I buy it, I will call and try to find the best price. And once I get the best price, I'll go get what I need and I'll come back home. Now, my philosophy on shopping is very simple. It goes contrary to every woman's philosophy, but that's all right.

The men will identify with me. My philosophy on shopping is very simple. If you don't need it, or don't want it, why look around? Why would you waste your time looking at things that you don't need or don't even want? Why would I look just to find something to spend money on? I mean, come on! And why would I look at items which I know that I cannot afford and could never possess? I mean, you know, to me that is simple. The reason I drove the truck today, we're going to have to do something about a car. My transmission is messing up in my car. I'm going to have to do something. And so last night, I took Alice and we went and looked at a couple of used cars they had around.

And here is this Lincoln Navigator, big SUV sitting over there. I said, "Hmm, I wonder how much that thing is." I went and looked at the windowsill. $55,000. It didn't take me long to inspect that one. Hey, when I saw that brother, I turned around and walked away. Why in the world would anybody ever think about spending $55,000 on a car like that?

Now, I want you to compare what I have just said with fleshly lust, which war against the soul. Let me ask you a question. Why would I think about, lust after, covet, or desire those things that I know that I could never lawfully or scripturally obtain? I want you to think about that. And men, here's a question, especially for the older men, why would you waste your time oogling over beautiful young women when you cannot have one lawfully?

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. I'm happy and I'm satisfied with my wife. Why would I try to stimulate desires that should never be aroused by looking at other women or pornography or going places that I should never go? Is it not common sense, as well as scriptural sense, to stay home and be thankful for my wife and thankful with the wife that God has given me. Doesn't that make sense? Likewise with material things. I've got news for you. I do not plan on going back and looking a second time at that Lincoln Navigator. Now, why would I waste my time looking at expensive automobiles and boats? First of all, I do not have the money to afford them. Secondly, if I had the money, I wouldn't spend it on them. There's a lot of other things I could do with the money rather than spending on that. So one is the point of wasting my time engaging in those kind of things when I neither need them or want them. Now, why would any child of God want to waste his time engaging in fleshly lusts which war against his own soul, when all those things you're going to do are destroying.

Now, let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles to two passages. The first one is Ephesians 4, and the second one is Galatians 5. Let's go to Ephesians 4, and please remember that I told you that the word evil, ho poneros, or the evil one, is a name used for Satan in the Bible. Look in Ephesians 4 and verse 27. Look what the Bible says, Ephesians 4, verse 27. "Neither give place to the devil." Neither give place to the devil.

Now, let me ask you a question, and let me try to set the stage for you. Okay, let's go back to the Vietnam War era. And here you and I are, we're over in Vietnam, and we're fighting the Viet Cong. And it's Sunday afternoon, and the fighting is lulled, and you and I just take a little Sunday afternoon stroll. And we get to talking and fellowshipping and we're not watching where we're going or what we're doing. And the next thing you know, we walked right into a camp of Viet Cong, and they jump up and they've got all these weapons aimed directly at us. And we say, "We're so sorry.

We didn't mean to come here. This is not where we wanted to be. We were just talking and we're negligent. And if you just put your guns down, we'll turn around. We'll go back home to our camp." You think they're going to let us go back to our camp?

Now, let me show you. It doesn't matter if I got into their camp purposely and deliberately or unpurposely and undeliberately. I am there and I am in their captivity and in their power. When you give place to the devil, he doesn't care whether you do it purposely or deliberately or just playing around. When you give him place, he'll take it. Look at what the Bible says in Galatians 5. Galatians 5.

Notice, if you would please, beginning there with verse 16. Galatians 5, verse 16. He says, "This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth, or fighteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would." Do you realize that every one of us have this same fleshly principle, and every one of us want to do those things by nature that we know that are wrong? And what does God say? God says we are to abstain from those fleshly lusts which are seeking to destroy us. Now, to abstain from fleshly lusts, first of all, means to refrain from doing that which is forbidden and evil, and secondly, it means to refrain from all inordinate and excessive desire, and I'm going to add this, even in things that are lawful. Do you realize it is possible to use lawful things unlawfully?

Two passages, I want you to turn there. I can quote them, but I want you to turn there, please. Look in 1 Corinthians 6 first. 1 Corinthians 6 verse 12.

1 Corinthians 6 verse 12, look what the Apostle Paul says, "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient." In other words, it's just not appropriate to do some things at certain times, although they're lawful. He says, "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." Is it lawful to eat? Well, of course it is. Yet I had a very dear friend who lost his foot, and then his leg, and then his life to diabetes. He would not eat properly. He literally killed himself. You may use lawful things unlawfully. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 23. The Apostle Paul says it again another way. 1 Corinthians 10 verse 23, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." So if we abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, we don't only abstain from doing that which is wicked and evil and forbidden, we also abstain from inordinate and excessive desires, and that is abusing and misusing lawful things. One last thing. Look in your Bibles, 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 22. So far, we're to abstain from all actual evil. Number two, we're to abstain from all activities of evil. And thirdly, we're to abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 22, "Abstain from all appearance of evil."

So we're not only to withdraw from actual evil and activities that lead to evil, we're also to abstain from all appearance of evil. Now we've got to ask the question, what in the world is the appearance of evil? First of all, let me go over these words and tell you what they mean. First of all, the word abstain, and I've used it all throughout this message, and it means the same in each of the main points. But the word abstain is apechomai, which literally means to refrain, to abstain, to turn away from, or to hold oneself in check. It is made up of two Greek words, apo, which is a preposition, which means off or away, and echo, which means to hold. So actually the word means to hold off or to hold away. So when you abstain from something, you're holding yourself off, you're holding yourself away from that. Secondly, he said abstain from all appearance of evil. The word appearance is the word eidos, which means an appearance, a form, a fashion, a sight.

Abstain from All Appearance of Evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22)

Christians are commanded to avoid even the appearance of evil, recognizing that evil comes in many forms and that anything questionable should be rejected.

So we're not only to withdraw from actual evil and activities that lead to evil, we're also to abstain from all appearance of evil. Now we've got to ask the question, what in the world is the appearance of evil? First of all, let me go over these words and tell you what they mean. First of all, the word abstain, and I've used it all throughout this message, and it means the same in each of the main points. But the word abstain is apechomai, which literally means to refrain, to abstain, to turn away from, or to hold oneself in check. It is made up of two Greek words, apo, which is a preposition, which means off or away, and echo, which means to hold. So actually the word means to hold off or to hold away. So when you abstain from something, you're holding yourself off, you're holding yourself away from that. Secondly, he said abstain from all appearance of evil. The word appearance is the word eidos, which means an appearance, a form, a fashion, a sight.

And the word evil, of course, is the word poneros, which means that which is malignant, evil, wicked, vile, even in and of itself. So, God says then that we're not only to abstain from actual evil and activities that lead to actual evil, we're to abstain from all appearance of evil. Now, there's at least two very important truths here. The first one is this. Evil comes in many different shapes, forms, fashions, and color. It has many different appearances. It does not always present itself as positively evil. Have you ever seen a liquor company use for its advertisement a drunk laying in the gutter with his clothes ripped and vomit all down his chest? No. No. No. You understand what I'm saying? When they use an advertisement, it's the slick young thing to do. And you can be popular and you can be suave and debonair if you just drink their brand of liquor. Witness all the soap operas, the sitcoms, the TV shows that present adultery and fornication and sodomy and they present it as a fun, fashionable and modern and in thing to do.

They never show the heartache, the disease, the broken homes, the ruined lives, nor the judgment of God against all who do such. Never. Now, I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 11, because let me show you a very important point. 2 Corinthians chapter 11. 2 Corinthians 11. Notice verse 13. 2 Corinthians 11 verse 13. The Apostle Paul says, "For such are false apostles." Note, such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. "And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works." What does Satan do? He transforms himself into an angel of light. What does his apostles do?

What does his disciples do? The same thing. Do you realize, and please listen carefully now, I mainly dealt with moral evil today, but not only is there a moral evil, there is a doctrinal evil. When you err from the Word of God, it is a malignant, noxious, noisome evil. It is wickedness. There is a doctrinal evil. There is an economic evil. There is a political evil. There is an ecclesiastical evil.

Let me say it like this. There is an evil in every sphere and every area of life. Because every area and every sphere of life, many times there are things that are contrary to the Word of God. How many of us in this room would sign on with the Federal Reserve System? I hope no one. You see what I'm saying? That is an economic evil. How many would sign on with the Socialists, with the Communists, the One Worlders? I hope no one. That is a political evil. How many would sign on with churches that promote just a social gospel and never say anything about Christ or regeneration or the Word of God? Oh, no one. That is an ecclesiastical evil. You see, if I'm to abstain from evil, I've got to recognize that evil comes in many different shapes and colors and forms and fashions, and I've got to be able to recognize it as evil. Everything that is contrary to the Word of God, in every sphere of life, is evil.

I don't care what it is. And we're to abstain from all appearance of evil. Okay? Secondly, here's the second truth. If it appears to be evil, it is. You say, how can you say that? Romans 14 verse 23. "Whatsoever is not of faith is what? Is sin." So if you could not do something in good conscience, if you could not do it in faith, if you could not do it with a clear conscience, it's sin. You've heard the old statement, if something is too good to be true, it probably is. That means it's probably false. So likewise, if anything is questionable, if anything is uncertain, if anything is dubious, it's better off to be left alone and abstain from.

Let me put it to you like this. I believe we ought to be willing, as Christians, to give God the benefit of the doubt. You know what He said in 1 Samuel 2:30, "...them that honor Me will I honor," saith the Lord. If there is anything questionable, the wise thing to do is don't do it. Don't get involved in it. Abstain from it. Abstain from all appearance of evil. If there is even a hint of evil, a hint of wickedness, a hint of impropriety, then we must turn away and abstain from it.

Now God's Word is extremely clear. We are not to engage in actual evil. We are not to excite our fleshly lust in the activities of evil, and we're to avoid even the appearance of evil.

Practical Applications

Weaver offers three applications: do not allow anything questionable in your life; engaging in evil destroys oneself; and God's commands are not advice but imperatives.

Now let me make very quickly three practical applications. First of all, as Christians, you ought not to allow anything in your life that is questionable. Do not use Lot's excuse. You remember when Lot was fleeing from Sodom? He was asking for this city to be spared that he could flee into, and he said, "Is it not a little one?" You know, that's what we do. Well, our sins are not big sins. They're little ones. Come on, preacher. Come on! May I remind you the Bible says in the Song of Solomon, chapter 2, verse 15, "Little foxes spoil the vines." May I remind you that little poison is still poison. You know, many times we are unwilling to engage in the big sins, but we are willing to engage in the little ones. Or let me put it like this, and we don't understand that the little ones always lead up to the big ones. Or sometimes, turn in your Bibles, if you would, to 2 Corinthians, since you're there, just turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter 7, look at verse 1.

Sometimes we are unwilling to commit the physical sins, but we are always willing to commit the spiritual sins. Look what God says. 2 Corinthians 7 verse 1, "...having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh..." What are those next words? "...and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." So it's not that we're just to not commit adultery, not steal and all this kind of stuff. Our attitude must be right as well. Our disposition must be right as well. We ought not to be people who are hateful and hating and angry and strifeful and vindictive and bitter and all that. You see, that's just as much sin as the adultery and the fornication. So as Christians, we ought not to allow anything in our lives that is questionable. When in doubt, don't. Or when in doubt, stop.

The second application is this. When we engage in that which is evil, we're actually just simply destroying ourselves. You know what God told Israel in Hosea chapter 13 and verse 9. Remember now, Israel had gone into idolatry. They had gone into fornication and all kinds of wickedness. But God said, "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself." That is exactly what we do. But listen, it is useless to blame our misery and our heartache upon others when we're the ones that have done it to ourselves. We're the ones that brought it on.

You see, one of the principles of Scripture is this, he who sins must suffer. So the truth is, if we start trying to engage in this little activity and this little activity and this little activity, don't be surprised that pretty soon we're not involved in actual sin and we ended up destroying our own selves. Thirdly, God is not giving good advice. He's issuing commandments. Do not engage in actual evil. Abstain from activities that war against the soul. Avoid all appearance of evil.

Now, I'm going to show you a verse and close with this verse. I want you to turn to 1 Peter 3. I can assure you that every one of us in here want to live a healthy, happy, long, and useful life. I'm going to show you part of the scriptural equation in doing this. Look in 1 Peter 3, beginning there with verse 10. God says, "He that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that may speak no guile. Let him eschew evil and do good.

Conclusion: The Path to a Good Life

Using 1 Peter 3:10-12, Weaver concludes that loving life and seeing good days requires refraining from evil, doing good, and seeking peace, which is accomplished through biblical abstinence.

Let him seek peace and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil." Now God said if you want to love life, if you want to see good days, what do you do? You refrain your tongue from evil, your lips that you speak no guile. Let him eschew evil. That means you spit evil out. You can't stomach it. Let him do good and seek peace and ensue it or pursue it. How do we do that? By abstaining from actual evil, abstaining from activities that lead to actual evil, and abstaining from all appearance of evil. When we give in and fail to abstain from the appearance of evil, the next thing you know, we're going to be engaged in activities that lead up to evil. And finally, we'll be caught in the actual evil itself.

Be sure your sins will find you out. Let's pray. Father, we ask that You would speak to our hearts today. We are thankful for Your Word to us. We are thankful for Your truth. And we do ask, Father, that You would make us holy, godly, obedient. And may, Father, we remember these three points. May they be burned into our souls. That we do not engage in actual evil.

And we abstain from those activities that lead to it. And then, Father, avoid all appearance of evil, that we may be holy and blameless and serve Thee effectively with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.