“WALKING CLOSE TO SIN”
By Hoyt W. Allen, Jr.
I Thessalonians 5:22
is one of the
shortest verses in
the Bible and yet it
is a BIG verse. It
reads, “Abstain from
all appearance of
evil” (KJV). “Avoid
every kind of evil”
(NIV). Sometimes a
person will ask,
“How is one able to
help those who are
living a sinful
life, unless they
themselves are
involved in sinful
ways?
In the Scriptures we
find that many of
the Godly saints
were surrounded by
sinners and their
sinful ways and yet
they kept themselves
ABOVE sin. I Peter
2:11 is a warning to
Christians,
“...abstain from
sinful desires,
which war against
your soul.”
I Corinthians 10:13
is a promise that
even though
Christians are
tempted with all
types of temptations
- God provides a way
to escape the
temptations or a way
to overcome.
Jesus gave the
command for the
saved to go to the
lost and to teach
them about salvation
through Him (Matthew
28:18-20). In the
process of carrying
out this command one
must come in contact
with the sinner.
However, a saved
person must hate the
sin, and love the
sinner. One must be
very careful to know
where to “draw the
line”, while
evangelizing the
lost. There have
been many who have
been caught up in
Satan’s trap to
drag-down a well
meaning Christian
worker. This is
where the Holy
Spirit is a
tremendous help to
the Christian. One
who is walking close
to God does not need
to fear falling into
the devil’s traps,
because I John 4:4
says that the Holy
Spirit, who resides
in the Christian, is
greater that the
devil, who is in the
world.
However, much
God-given common
sense must be
constantly applied,
while one is
involved in the
ministry for the
Savior. For one to
attempt to
evangelize a drunk
and to go into a bar
to do such is not
the best method.
While one is
drinking and in the
presence of other
drinkers is NOT the
time nor the place
to do so. All
drinkers have a
private home whereby
good sober teaching
can be put forth.
This is the better
method!
KYOWVA EVANGELISTIC
ASSOCIATION
IS WORTHY OF AND
NEEDS OUR SUPPORT
1541 S. 7TH ST *
IRONTON, OH
45638-2175