Abstain from Every Form of Evil

The point: Once convinced of truth, hold fast to it, seize upon it, assimilate it, and allow it to work out its implications in life and experience.

A man who only tests food but never eats will starve, illustrating that merely testing truth is insufficient; one must also 'hold fast' and assimilate the good.

If you just go around testing, testing, testing all the time, you're like a man who's careful to analyze every bit of food put in front of him, he'll starve to death unless he eats some of it. So he says, don't just test it, hold fast that which is good. Once you're convinced it's real currency, don't leave it sitting on the mantle, put it in the bank where it's safe, lay hold of it, possess it, as we saw last week. This command means that we are to seize upon the truth, assimilate it to ourselves.

2:12 - 2:41 Read in full sermon

Driving home: A much better translation would be, abstain from evil in its every form.

His mother making hassocks from discarded cans, and the hypothetical scenario of avoiding beer cans to prevent the 'appearance of evil,' to show the absurdity of the common misunderstanding of the text.

And the common misunderstanding of the text is this. You are to avoid anything that will look like sin in the eyes of others. If you're making a hassock, as my mother used to do, out of old discarded cans, and she would tie them together and then she'd put some sisal, you know, that looks like shredded wood. On the top and sides, and then cover it with imitation leather.

3:20 - 3:46 Read in full sermon

Driving home: A much better translation would be, abstain from evil in its every form.

A quote stating that 'to the evil all things seem evil,' used to argue that it's impossible to avoid appearing evil to hostile men, thus disproving the 'appearance of evil' interpretation.

The second reason why this other interpretation cannot be right is this. To take that interpretation is to fail to recognize that there's nothing so good but what it will appear evil to evil men. I quote now from a commentator, to the evil all things seem evil and you cannot help that. Where was there ever a...

5:19 - 5:44 Read in full sermon

Driving home: A much better translation would be, abstain from evil in its every form.

An anecdote from his church's building fund drive where generous giving was perceived as 'wasteful' by some, illustrating how Christian virtue can appear as vice to others.

A virtue that did not seem a vice to a man's enemy? Let a Christian be liberal and his enemy will say, phew, look at that wasteful fellow. I know that's happened right in this assembly when we had our building fund drive to raise the money. I shouldn't say building fund drive, we just said here's our need, let's pray and do what the Lord tells us.

5:44 - 6:02 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin debunks the common King James translation of 'abstain from all appearance of evil,' arguing it leads to a wrong interpretation. He asserts the correct translation is…

Examples of Christian frugality being seen as stinginess, sobriety as Puritanism, and joy as carelessness, further demonstrating that virtues can be misinterpreted as vices.

On the other hand, let a Christian be frugal and they say, phew, look at that stingy old Christian. Tightwad, won't spend his money to buy this and this and this that they happen to be buying, you see. On the other hand, you let someone give himself to true sobriety, taking seriously the issues of life, you won't laugh and snicker at borderline jokes and they say, look, that old Puritanism makes long-faced people. Let a man express the joy of the Lord and they say, phew, look at that.

6:17 - 6:46 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin debunks the common King James translation of 'abstain from all appearance of evil,' arguing it leads to a wrong interpretation. He asserts the correct translation is…

The lives of John the Baptist (asceticism seen as having a demon) and Jesus (eating with sinners seen as gluttony) are used to show how even Christ's servants had their virtues interpreted as vices by enemies.

Let John the Baptist live the life of an ascetic and they say, look, he's got a demon. Look at that crazy nut, the way he dresses. And did you ever see him eat? He sits there picking the legs off locusts and popping them in one by one.

7:00 - 7:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Scrupulously avoid and reject evil false teaching regardless of the form in which it comes; total abstinence is the only safe course.

False teaching is likened to deadly poison, which must be totally abstained from, regardless of how attractive its container (form) or presentation.

total abstinence is the only safe course even if the poison comes in silver flasks in the form of a poison in the form of a poison in the form of a poison in the form of a poison in the form of a poison in the form of a poison in the form of a poison in the hand of a man whose words ooze and drip with love in a context of a society of people who seem to be models of love and gentleness all of that doesn't neutralize what's in the flask it's poison and if you take it it'll kill you now that's what Paul is saying here prove all things hold fast to the good avoid every form of evil it's evil that...

26:36 - 28:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Scrupulously avoid and reject evil false teaching regardless of the form in which it comes; total abstinence is the only safe course.

Jesus' warning about wolves in sheep's clothing is used to highlight the deceptive and dangerous nature of false teaching that appears harmless.

total abstinence is the only safe course even if the poison comes in silver flasks in the form of a poison in the form of a poison in the form of a poison in the form of a poison in the form of a poison in the form of a poison in the form of a poison in the hand of a man whose words ooze and drip with love in a context of a society of people who seem to be models of love and gentleness all of that doesn't neutralize what's in the flask it's poison and if you take it it'll kill you now that's what Paul is saying here prove all things hold fast to the good avoid every form of evil it's evil that...

26:36 - 28:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Bring the substance of what a preacher says to the bar of God's truth, not just their preaching gifts.

Martin speculates that churches like Spurgeon's, known for eloquent preaching, might have fallen into liberalism because people became too accustomed to 'fair speech' and lost discernment for substance.

than the form of it you're going to be led down the path frankly I'm a bit disturbed when sometimes we have preachers come to whom God has not given strong gifts of pulpit delivery and some of you tune them out shame on you if you only listen to what's preached because God has endowed your pastor with preaching gifts you're right to be led down the road by a heretic because there are smooth speaking false prophets dig beneath the shell of the form in which the preaching comes constantly say what is he saying not how what move everything that doesn't mean bring his gifts of preaching to the bar...

29:34 - 31:03 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't be impressed by ecclesiastical authority; beware of teaching that contradicts God's Word, regardless of the speaker's credentials.

He compares highly degreed 'theologians' who reject the Bible to 'religious quacks,' stating his four-year-old daughter who believes the Bible knows more truth than they do, emphasizing the authority of Scripture over human credentials.

of the Pharisees and Sadducees in our Lord's day when a Pharisee walked by everyone was almost overpowered with awe here is a great doctor of the law a separated one the epitome of ecclesiastical knowledge and authority who are willing to do this who are willing to do this who are willing to question them Jesus said to a fisherman tax collector and another group of the rabble he said don't listen to them simply because of who they are beware of their teaching don't be impressed with ecclesiastical authority I don't think this is the problem of too many of you it may be of some of you false tea...

32:32 - 33:59 Read in full sermon

The point: Get dead in earnest about proving all things; if you are too lazy to test truth against the total spectrum of God's Word, you deserve to be led astray.

The word 'rest' (as in 'wrest the scriptures') is explained as putting something on a rack and stretching it out of shape, illustrating how false teachers distort the proper structure of biblical truth.

with this utopian concept of the modern social revolutionaries who want to bring in a millennium of sinful wicked selfish men by the efforts of other sinful wicked selfish men no no we look for the new heaven and the new earth that our god will bring us and we will bring the new heaven and the new earth that our god will constitute at the return of his dear son when the earth and the works therein shall be burned up and there'll be the new heavens and the new earth that's been his theme in this chapter wherefore beloved seeing that you look for these things give diligence this is going to take...

36:53 - 38:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Get dead in earnest about proving all things; if you are too lazy to test truth against the total spectrum of God's Word, you deserve to be led astray.

Examples of Herbert Armstrong and Jehovah's Witnesses 'spitting out scripture verses' are used to show how false teaching can come disguised in biblical terminology, yet a discerning saint can still sense something is 'fishy.'

hold fast the form the pattern of sound words don't anyone alter the pattern because when they do here will be the tendency they'll alter it to bring Christ down a little push man up a little and to leave some loopholes for human flesh always always always and when you see them doing that even with the bible you may not be able to give a rational answer but if you're saying God help me to prove all things Jesus said my sheep hear my voice in the voice of a stranger they will not follow and there'll be something in you that'll say I don't know what's wrong with that but something's fishy how ma...

39:46 - 40:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Young people, don't believe teachers who contradict the Bible, even if they speak authoritatively; remember that whenever they contradict the Bible, they are spilling out their ignorance.

The unexpected findings from moon landings (moon possibly hollow, different substance than Earth) that contradicted geological theories are used to illustrate the fallibility of human wisdom when it contradicts the Bible.

isn't it interesting that all the geologists who've done this they answer the jig with the seismograph report on the moon have you heard have you heard about that? I just laughed last night I thought of the verse he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh here they've been saying for years their theories about the moon spinning off from the earth you know and being basically the same stuff and hung out there now when that when that moon craft crashed back into the moon after they got out it in the other and sent it back down they can't understand it it was like delayed action it's like you hit...

41:55 - 43:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't flirt with false teaching or expose your mind to false teachers unless absolutely necessary; if called to ministry, do not sit at the feet of men who reject the truth.

Dr. Tozer's analogy of breathing in oxygen and exhaling poison is used to illustrate that spiritual health requires both taking in good truth and expelling evil error.

you'll never know I hope God brings that back to you sometime avoid evil in its every form even when it comes in the form of great weighty scholarship avoid it so what is the implication of our text all false teaching is evil secondly such false teaching is to be scrupulously avoided and rejected at any cost and you understand I hope what that means practically speaking don't flirt with false teaching don't be brave and expose yourself to false teachers any of you young men that God ever lays his hand upon you for the ministry don't tell me God leads you to go and sit at the feet of men who re...

44:52 - 46:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Be a balanced Christian, holding fast to the good and avoiding every form of evil; don't just reject the counterfeit, but accumulate the genuine.

A man doesn't become a millionaire by only rejecting counterfeit dollars; he must also accumulate genuine ones, illustrating the need for both rejecting evil and embracing good truth.

his will be the next one it'll kill him this is true spiritually hold fast the good take in the oxygen reject the evil exhale the poison now some of us by nature we go to one or the other it's like the man's so concerned that he might take in some bad some bad germs he analyzes all of his food and he makes sure that there's no germs in it well it's not enough you see to exclude the poison all he does is go around finding the foods that are no good but never stops down to eat foods that stops long enough to eat the foods that are good the poor man's going to be as bad off as if he's full of all...

46:22 - 47:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Be a balanced Christian, holding fast to the good and avoiding every form of evil; don't just reject the counterfeit, but accumulate the genuine.

A negative metaphor for people who are always finding fault and rejecting things, but fail to absorb and live out the truth.

his will be the next one it'll kill him this is true spiritually hold fast the good take in the oxygen reject the evil exhale the poison now some of us by nature we go to one or the other it's like the man's so concerned that he might take in some bad some bad germs he analyzes all of his food and he makes sure that there's no germs in it well it's not enough you see to exclude the poison all he does is go around finding the foods that are no good but never stops down to eat foods that stops long enough to eat the foods that are good the poor man's going to be as bad off as if he's full of all...

46:22 - 47:51 Read in full sermon