Stay SAFE

During the COVID pandemic we would told to “stay safe” in order to be healthy. We also need to “stay safe” in the spiritual aspect of our lives. The Bible instructs us to “stay safe”: Stay Away From Evil. The book of Proverbs teaches us to “honor God and turn away from evil” (3:7). In addition, Proverbs warns us to “not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it…turn away from it” (4:14-15). It is critical to stay SAFE because evil leads to sin and “the wages of sin are death” (Romans 6:23).

The Apostle Paul directs believers to “examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). Similarly, Peter urges believers to, “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against your soul” (1 Peter 2:11).

The Greek word translated as abstain is “apéxō.” Apéxō means “to have one thing by separating from another.” We are being taught to “separate” ourselves from, to “stay far away” from evil. John succinctly defines evil as “the lust of the flesh (immorality), the lust of the eyes (materialism) and the pride of life (conceit)” (1 John 2:16).

We separate ourselves from evil by fleeing from it. The Bible teaches us to “flee” from immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18), idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14), false teachers and the love of money (1 Timothy 6:11). Paul defines an idol as anything that we desire more than God. The good news is that as we flee from evil, God will cause the source of evil to flee from us, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

When we are being “SAFE” we are “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). Peter notes that, “the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desires of the world” (1 Peter 4:3). Paul asks, “What benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed” (Romans 6:21)? We flee evil and instead perform good deed in keeping with our salvation.

There is a connection between our physical and spiritual health. The Bible teaches that honoring God is “healing to your body and strength to your bones” (Proverbs 3:8). The Bible also instruct those that live according to God’s word that the scriptures, “are life to those that find them and health to all their body” (Proverbs 4:22). The Apostle John prayed for believers that, “in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2).

In summary, we are reassured that “he who finds me [God’s wisdom] finds life and obtains favor from Yehovah. But he who sins against me injures himself” (Proverbs 8:35-36). Jesus is God’s Wisdom, He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).

These verses show that when we “stay safe” by believing scripture and honoring God, it has earthly and eternal benefits. “Stay SAFE!”