Put Away Evil

Put Away Evil
"So you shall put away the evil from among you." Deuteronomy 22:21b

One of the dangers of the current church growth movements is that the word SIN appears to be removed from the language of preacher and teachers. In an effort to not offend, we have come up with all sorts of names to call sin so that it doesn't appear to be as bad as it really is. But the Bible, which IS ABSOLUTE TRUTH (not I hope so or think so but KNOW so) calls sin what it is and encourages us to deal with it from God's point of view.

Some men are not willing to put away evil but think that they can play with it. Martin Luther said that it is like playing with fire hoping that we will not be burned. One of my favorite authors, Dr. Henry Blackaby, wrote about this in his daily devotional EXPERIENCING GOD, The Devotional:

"It is dangerous and costly not to take temptation seriously. The sad testimony of many who have succumbed to sin's enticements is that they thought they were strong enough to remain in the midst of temptation and resist it. God requires that His people remove evil from their midst (Deut. 21:21) One way to do this is to remove anything in your environment that may tempt you to sin. When wickedness surrounds you, you are in danger of becoming anesthetized to its destructive potential.

God does not tolerate evil, for evil cost the death of His Son. Sin causes untold pain and destruction to everyone it touches. Treating evil lightly shows foolish disregard for God's redemptive work. An honest evaluation of your life will reveal temptations that you should remove, such as some forms of entertainment or ungodly relationships. When God convicts you of evil in your midst, remove it immediately!

There are times, however, when YOU are powerless to remove ungodly influences, so you must remove yourself from the temptation. Paul urges us to avoid every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). When Joseph was enticed to commit adultery by his master's wife, he fled immediately! (Genesis 39:12)

Do not lose your abhorrence of sin. Be diligent to keep any form of temptation out of your home, out of your relationships, out of your mind. You can do this only by maintaining your love relationship with God, recognizing that you are powerless to resist temptation in YOUR OWN STRENGTH. You will not be able to walk closely with God unless you see sin as HE sees it. Darkness and light CANNOT co-exist. Run from the darkness to the light."

My guess is that the Holy Spirit touched you this morning with an area of your life that needs to be fully yielded and surrender to His control. You have two choices -- ignore it or surrender. Men, what will it be? -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Psalm 81-83; Proverbs 11; Romans 11:19-36
Great Quote: The best prayer comes from a strong inward need of necessity. When are lives are serene and placid, our prayers are apt to be dull and listless. When we reach a crisis, a moment of danger, a serious illness, or a heavy bereavement, then our prayers are fervent and vital. Someone has wisely said, "The arrow that it to enter heaven must be launched from a bow fully bent." A sense of urgency, of helplessness, of conscious need is the womb from which the best prayers are born. -- William MacDonald