“Abstain from evil (shrink from it and keep aloof from it) in whatever form or whatever kind it may be” (AMPC) 1 Thessalonians 5:22

In one of his “Let My People Think” sermons, the Christian Author and Apologist, Dr. Ravi Zacharias told a story of a friend who called him in the middle of night. He was sobbing uncontrollably at the other end of the line; he was deeply agitated. Ravi, himself moved with compassion, managed to get the words from his mouth. He had developed a cut on his finger as he made incisions on his patient during a surgical operation. He needed urgent prayers because there was a possibility that he had caught an infection. After consoling and praying for him, Ravi asked, “How deep was the cut?”. The friend answered faintly with his tear-dried voice, “A paper-thin.” Ravi couldn’t help but imagine that if a paper-thin cut from an infected source could do such damage to our body, how much more damage can a paper-thin cut from impurities do to our soul.

Some sins come to us in very subtle forms. Unconscious, the unsuspecting Christian may not consider it wrong. Sometimes when we are alerted to its dreadful consequences in the long run, the devil hardens our hearts and we remain stiff-necked. Take for instance, two Christian youth who are engaged to marry and in the course of their courtship engage in all sorts of passionate bodily touches: kissing, smooching, cuddling. Some even sleep together on the same bed. When queried they will often retort, “Oh, we have never had sex before!” The two have forgotten that by Christian standards, sex is not only reduced to the penetrative act. Christ raised the bar when He said in Matthew 5:27-28, that

“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must nor commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (NLT)

I wonder how a young man can continuously sleep in the same bed with his fiancée and never for once think of seeking carnal knowledge of her. Once that happens, you have committed fornication; very subtle yet true. My admonishment is simple: Don’t put yourself in situations that will give the devil foothold to operate (Ephesians 4:27). Don’t ever deceive yourself that you are too strong and you will never fall (1 Corinthians 10:12). If David, a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts13:22) couldn’t resist naked Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:2-4), know that you can also fall. Therefore, if that movie is causing you to have unholy thoughts, stop watching it. If that guy is pestering you with sex, please for Heaven’s sake severe ties with him. If those after-work parties are making you tipsy and unfocused in life, please stop attending them. If you hang around the barber’s long enough, you’ll eventually get a haircut, even if you don’t need it. Beloved, avoid all subtle forms of evil.

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