VANTAGE POINT
I Thessalonians 5:21,22 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Joe Back Slider set a course straight for the local watering hole. Oh, such a bad day. He had woken late, skipped breakfast, hadn’t taken time to pack a lunch, and still walked in to see the disapproving glare of his boss. Six minutes, only six minutes late! Joe was sure the old geezer was gonna’ croak any day now. And, as far as he was concerned, the sooner the better! How that old man continued to work and make every moment a whopping headache was beyond understanding. The boss had to have been a pilgrim when the old wagon trains had headed west. His weather-beaten skin looked like thick shoe leather and dust seemed to billow from his person at each step. Being old and dusty, worn and haggard, didn’t stop him from twisting an ear or slapping the back of someone’s head, though. Joe could remember one thump he’d gotten just the other day. Boss didn’t care. Either you put up with it or you quit. Some day Joe was gonna’ get even. He even bragged to his friends about how he would even the odds. Just give him a day when no one was looking…
He shouldn’t have been in that place and shouldn’t have drunk what he did. He knew it was wrong when he’d set out to do it and he couldn’t shake the guilt and shame. Now, the fix was in. The glare of blue lights, the sound of sirens, and the crunch of flesh against steel would ever be on his mind. Where had the old man come from? Vaguely, he remembered the old man staring in terror when, instead of the brake, he’d slammed the gas! The car next to him at the light had rolled back; - he thought his own car was moving forward. In a panic and more than slightly bewildered, confused by the illusion of movement, he’d slammed the gas pedal down, hard, mistaking it for the brake he’d been holding with his left foot. Pop had always said drive an automatic with one foot, not two. Pop had been right, for once. Why God, did this have to happen?
His friends testified one after the other about the schemes and plans Joe had spewed concerning the old geezer. It seemed the jury was eating out of the prosecutor’s hand. His friends emphasized the innocent nature of the threat, how they had never taken Joe seriously. He was a good guy, wasn’t he? He claimed to be a Christian. Why would he want to kill anyone? No, they’d never known Joe to drink. Drinking to gain courage to do the crime? No! He wouldn’t do that. “Sir, I don’t know why he’d slam into the boss. Maybe, the car had a problem. I don’t know!” Things looked grim.
Premeditated murder, not involuntary manslaughter! No one had believed his truths. Everyone had believed his imagined and fantastic lies told partly in jest and somewhat in anger. Only God knew the intent of his heart. Only God could provide a defense. But, Joe had a lawyer, instead. God had forgiven, but not man. He would suffer the consequence of a great evil he did not intend for the lesser evil he had intended. Does God acknowledge a lesser evil? Maybe God could use a humbled servant in prison.
The case of Joe Back Slider is a sad account of not abstaining from all appearance evil. It wasn’t the evil of drink which sentenced, but the evil of lies, bitterness, and hate. It was this appearance to others that condemned. The appearance of evil had destroyed his testimony for Christ and his testimony in court. Over time his tongue had woven a tapestry of wickedness and evil by giving the appearance of evil from his own lips. His tongue had landed him in prison just as surely as his actions had destroyed a life.
I used to think we have little control over “abstain from all appearance of evil”, but then why would God command it? Control over “all perception of evil.”, agreeably, we have none. But, God’s wisdom made a necessary distinction. Coupled with abstain, which implies of itself to hold back from the improper or unhealthy, we are given a controllable and defined command. Appearance is the person we project or portray to others. We may not intend to appear evil when entering an evil place, but surrounding ourselves with evil will inadvertently change our appearance to evil. How can anyone see the beaming light of Christ when it’s hidden in a cloak of darkness? It is not abstaining from evil to enter a bar and order a coke. It is abstaining from evil to enter a bar to fight a fire. It is not abstaining from evil to hang out with those doing wickedly. It is abstaining from evil be a witness of, or witness to, those who have done wickedly.
Had any person from the nearby city observed Jesus witnessing to the woman at the well, they may have perceived an evil because of her reputation. Yet, Jesus did not go to her in an evil place and she did not act in a wicked way. Jesus met her in a public place during the hottest and brightest part of the day. Jesus projected no appearance of evil, though some may have perceived it.
Perception is in the mind of the beholder and appearance in the hand of the beheld. A saint in the cloak of the world will appear worldly. A saint in the cloak of Christ will appear Christian. The combination and congruence of righteous intent, position, and deed will, without doubt, convey a right appearance. Changing either of these ingredients to evil will effectually create an appearance of evil.
There is, though, the perception of evil when our appearance is nothing but righteous. Regardless of righteous behavior or even because of it, some may perceive evil through a filter of envy, jealousy, and hatred. The Pharisees perceived evil at every opportunity of Christ’s right behavior or appearance. To the Pharisee, righteousness was an adherence to the law without deference to the intent or spirit of the law. Christ taught and applied the precedence of the spirit of the law over the letter of the law. Though Christ, sinless, perfect, and without corruption appeared righteous, he was perceived by some as evil. We may be content, bear the fruits of the spirit, live Godly lives, and walk with God, but some will, by their carnal nature, perceive evil in us. Their feelings and emotions can affect a perception which is contrary to our appearance. Some beholders envy success, bear jealousy of relationships, and even hate our service for God. This is why we must grasp and understand the difference between the appearance and perception of evil. Living our lives to prevent the possibility of evil perception is impossible. And, God would never have given us a direction and directive we could not obey. We must concentrate on our controllable appearance and let God handle the uncontrollable perceptions of others. Thank God for the blessing we receive in living obedient lives. Obedience is God’s will and being in God’s will grants absolution from vain perception.
I Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
Do you hold fast that which is good and abstain from all appearance of evil?
Does your appearance hold up under the scrutiny of God’s just perception?
Both can be and both should be.
