Paul’s final exhortation to the brethren at Thessalonica, at least in this first epistle, is to abstain from every form of evil.  Contextually, Paul is referring to false doctrine.  In the previous verses, he exhorted, “Do not quench the Spirit.  Despise prophesyings.  Prove all things; hold fast to what is good.”  While we made a broader application in most of these exhortations, the Word of God was at the center of them.  

One quenches the Spirit by not accepting the teachings of the Spirit.  One despises prophecies by not believing or living by the prophecies under consideration.  The reference to testing everything is similar to the exhortation of John when he told us to test the spirits to see whether or not they are of God (1 John 4:1).  So, the evil that Paul is referring to in verse 22, at least contextually, is false doctrine.  We should abstain from every form of false doctrine, and abide in the teachings of the Spirit.

Most of the time when we view this passage, we make a moral application of it.  That is fine because it is perfectly legitimate to take a principle from a passage and make an application of it.  Paul used the Old Testament in such a way all the time.  Certainly, we should do our best to stay away from every form of evil.

There are too many brethren who want to flirt with sin.  They want to get as close to sin as they can without actually sinning.  The problem is, sin is captivating and appealing to the flesh.  It is like a magnet.  If we get too close to it, it will likely draw us in forcefully.  This explains why every person who has ever lived, except for our Savior, Jesus Christ, has sinned (Romans 3:23).

Let us respect the power of sin and do our best to stay clear of it.  While we cannot escape the presence of sin altogether (1 Corinthians 5:10), we can avoid keeping company with it in its various forms.  The Bible warns us about having a relationship with the world (the world being all that is ungodly and contrary to the will of God – 1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4; Romans 12:2).

What forms of sin should we try to avoid?  Paul said, “every form.”  In the eyes of God, there are not big sins and little sins, there is just sin.  Any transgression of the law of God is sin (1 John 3:4), and He despises it.  He despises the shedding of innocent blood, but He also despises hatred (1 John 3:15).  We should avoid gossip as much as we do drunkenness.

Do not pick and choose which sins you are going to avoid and which one you will not worry about too much.  We must abstain from every form of sin.  The Complete Word Study Dictionary tells us that the word “form”, as used in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, refers to “manner, kind, or species.”             That pretty much sums it up.  All sin, no matter its nature or kind, should be shunned.

Ephesians 5:11 (ESV)
¹¹  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 

Strangely, some members of the church defend certain sins (smoking, social drinking, immodest dress, modern dance, etc.) when they should be exposing the danger and sinfulness of those things.  Let’s not compromise when it comes to sin.  Instead, let us make a habit of rebuking it.  

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.