1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 (ESV)
²⁰  Do not despise prophecies, ²¹  but test everything; hold fast what is good.

We saw in our previous blog that we are to test the spirits, that is, those who proclaim God’s revealed Word (1 John 4:1).  Paul is teaching the same thing here but with a broader application.  Yes, we need to test everything that is taught by those who preach the gospel to us.  We must remember that not only will those who preach false doctrine be accursed (Galatians 1:6-9 ) but so will those who blindly follow them.

Matthew 15:14 (KJV)
¹⁴  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Our testing, however, should not be limited to things that are taught by preachers and teachers of the Word.  Paul said, “test everything.”  The standard of testing is the Word of God (John 12:48), and by that Word, we should test everything that we do or see.

There is a right and wrong way to talk.  Paul said we should not allow anything corrupt to come out of our mouths (Ephesians 4:29).

There is a right and wrong way to dress.  Immodest apparel is condemned by the Word of God (1 Timothy 2:9).

There is a right and wrong way to worship God.  We must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

There is a right and wrong way to conduct ourselves in our homes (Ephesians 5:22-33).

After scrutinizing our words, thoughts, and deeds by the Word of God, we then have a decision to make.  What are we going to do with what we discover?  Paul tells us what we should do: “…hold fast to what is good.”  In the book of Romans, he taught the same thing, adding what our attitude toward evil should be.  He said, “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9). 

We do not test everything just for the sake of knowledge; we do so to make sure we are living right in the eyes of God.  The Bible addresses every aspect of our lives.  It tells us how to live when we are at home, and when we are away from home.   It tells us how to behave when we are happy, sad, glad, or mad.  It teaches us to “renounce ungodliness and worldly passion, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives…” (Titus 2:12).  Our job is to choose the good.

What is good is not simply doing what is popular or acceptable to the world, it is doing what is pleasing to God.  The world calls evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).  The scriptures equip us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17).  The question is, will we choose the good the scriptures reveal to us? 

Psalm 37:27 (ESV)
²⁷  Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.   

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