Abstain from every form and kind of evil, and from everything that even looks like evil. It follows testing all things and holding fast to what is good, keeping only the good while rejecting what tends toward evil, and it belongs to being wholly sanctified in body, soul, and spirit and kept blameless until Christ comes. It requires keeping as far from sin as possible rather than seeing how close one can come, shunning evil at its first appearance and closing the door before it grows beyond control. It forbids conduct that puts purity and reputation at risk and gives others reason to speak of good as evil, even when motives are claimed to be pure. Above all it forbids undue familiarity between men and women in word, attention, and touch, requiring strict propriety, modesty, and guarding of thoughts, senses, and passions. Ministers and all who do God's work must therefore live blameless lives, refusing intimacy, favoritism, and entangling associations, and married persons and courting couples must avoid familiar attentions to others, unwise confidences, and late-night or solitary meetings that look evil.
Words and Context
Abstain from every appearance, form, and kind of evil. This includes harmful worldly practices taken up to gain the favor of the world. Even sins regarded as insignificant weaken the moral sense and suppress the inward influence of the Spirit, while evil thoughts and low conversation pollute the mind and leave lasting marks on the soul. Forgiveness does not undo all the damage sin causes, for the soul remains scarred and the capacity for elevated thought is impaired, and only faith working through love and purifying the heart enables representing the character of Christ.
The command follows testing all things and holding fast to what is good. It requires distinguishing what is false from what is true in spiritual claims, testing what is encountered and keeping only the good while rejecting evil. Amusements such as card-playing, dancing, and attending theaters are to be rejected because they tend toward evil or at least look evil. Such conduct conflicts with the teachings of Christ and the apostles, and can endanger faith and bring the soul into bondage.
The appeal belongs to complete sanctification and blamelessness. Christ has redeemed the whole person, so that body, soul, and spirit may be wholly sanctified. God is to sanctify believers wholly and preserve them blameless until the coming of Christ.
Reach of the Command
The command requires abstaining not only from evil itself but from every conduct that gives evil an appearance, form, and kind. The rule is to keep as far from sin as possible rather than to see how close one can come without losing favor. Evil is to be shunned at its first appearance, and the door closed before it grows beyond control.
It forbids situations and conduct that put purity and reputation at risk, even when motives are claimed to be pure. Such a course gives others reason to speak of good as evil, and invites suspicion, unfounded reports, reproach, stumbling blocks, and misunderstanding. Close companionship between a man and a woman in their work can create that appearance and bring suspicion and temptation even when no wrongdoing has occurred, and familiar behavior and special attentions between young women and young men in institutions do the same, so both are to be avoided for Christ's sake. This was illustrated by Cornell and Harris, whose improper familiarities disregarded the warning and brought reproach and harm to the cause while they professed faith, and by a minister who sought women's company in a questionable way, damaging the work and discouraging new believers, which is especially serious in one whose position should model moral purity.
Even sins regarded as insignificant weaken moral sense and suppress the Spirit's inward influence. Evil thoughts and low conversation pollute the mind and leave lasting marks on the soul. Though the repentant sinner is forgiven, the soul remains scarred and marred, and the capacity for elevated thought is impaired and diminished. Only faith working through love purifying the heart enables representing Christ's character.
Outward avoidance of what looks wrong alone does not show whose side a person is on or prove conversion. A blameless-looking, outwardly correct and well-ordered life can come from self-respect, love of influence, desire for esteem, and self-interest without pure love, and a selfish heart can still perform generous actions. A profession of holiness or sanctification that leaves wrongdoing unreproved and uncorrected discredits the faith, as in licentious behavior and undue familiarity with married and unmarried women while professing to keep the commandments, which creates a stumbling block and brings disgrace and reproach; people are known by fruits, and a claim to sanctification cannot cover a sinful course opposed to God's law. Refusing corrupt associations is required even when they are described as holy or as a union like that between Christ and His Father, for such a union is delusion and not Bible sanctification. Avoiding even the appearance of evil is not enough; Christians must also learn to do good, represent Christ to the world, and make serving God their daily work.
Modesty Between Sexes
Abstain from all appearance of evil forbids undue, excessive and improper familiarity between men and women, including lingering with men, seeking their company, taking pleasure in their attention, boldness, joking, jesting, light foolish speech, calculated attentions and familiar physical contact. In mission work this requires strict propriety and modesty, with married workers as well as youth building walls of modesty and virtue around themselves so that women do not allure men and men do not allure women. A man who gathered women around him and traveled with them as followers acted contrary to this, breaking the seventh commandment while professing the fourth.
The command requires rejecting even the least encouragement toward sin and firmly rejecting improper advances, guarding modesty, virtue, senses, passions and thoughts. This means barricading the soul, rejecting unchaste thoughts that lead to improper attentions and acts, refusing impure thoughts, sensual words, flirtation and unlawful indulgence, and turning from impure speech and controlled passions through thorough reformation. In a corrupt and dangerous age modesty protects virtue, and purity and sacred purity alone endure the day of God, stand the final review, and fit people to join sinless angels and live in a holy heaven.
Women professing godliness must be circumspect and reserved in manner, speech and relations with men, choosing words carefully and avoiding excessive familiarity, boldness, joking and jesting, since such behavior is unbecoming, grieves the Spirit of God and brings spiritual darkness. Meekness, courteousness, kindness and humility help preserve purity and guard against unwarranted liberties. Young women, especially those connected with medical institutions and sanitariums, must be kind and courteous to men but never free, showing no freedom or familiarity toward men and especially married men, never flirting or pressing themselves upon young men but keeping out of their company and keeping strict guard over self with reserve in word and action.
Those connected with sanitariums must never by word or action give wicked men the least occasion to speak evil of the truth, because observant eyes watch conduct to judge whether workers are indeed children of God, and those who will not live this way should sever connection with sanitarium service where poor shipwrecked and broken souls come to find a haven and refuge. For physicians the same abstaining requires the highest order of true refinement, delicacy, reserve and modesty between men and women. As far as possible lady physicians should have the care of lady patients and gentleman physicians the care of gentleman patients, delicate treatments should not be given by male physicians to women, and a lady patient should never be alone with a gentleman physician for special examination or treatment nor taken into his room unless a lady physician or the practitioner's wife can be present.
Physicians must be faithful, guarded and wide awake in all treatments and actions, working so that those who wish to invent false reports are given no opportunity and no seeming foundation for great scandal, continually guarding reputation, influence and the standing of the institution from one taint of suspicion and undeserved reproach and giving no place to the devil to spoil the reputation of one who is innocent. Physicians exposed to temptation and ministers who preach the gospel are to be careful in words, conduct and actions and to practice health reform faithfully. Lovesick sentimentalism and romantic self-focused sentimentality are forbidden because they do not elevate those involved but lower them.
This forbids married men receiving attention from married or unmarried women and women being charmed into losing reason, spiritual discernment and good common sense to do what the Word of God condemns. Safety comes only by seeking God's counsel at every step and maintaining close communion with God to value the pure, good, humble and meek, garrisoning the heart as Joseph did and meeting temptation to depart from integrity with decided refusal. The strongest temptation is no excuse for sin, sin is one's own act and the seat of difficulty is the unrenewed heart, while disobedience lets Satan lead to self-ruin, imperils the cause of God and crucifies the Son of God afresh to open shame. Giving no occasion for good to be evil spoken of, grieving not the Spirit of God, making straight paths for the feet lest the lame be turned out of the way, examining how one's course stands as God views it, and answering to the Lord for imprudence and lack of judgment are required, especially of those in responsibility, with love pure, holy and undefiled giving weight to Christian profession.
Salutations and greetings must be used with discretion about frequency, time, place and presence of unbelievers, including acting with discretion and propriety toward one's own wife in the presence of others, since indiscreet conduct brings reproach on the cause and produces evil rather than good. Brother Pearsall failed this through excessive familiarity with women, indiscreet and overly frequent greetings regardless of time, place or presence of unbelievers, and taking women other than his wife onto his knee, which was sinful and brought reproach upon the cause where careful reserve and discretion were required. A holy kiss given at a proper time and place as fellowship between Christian friends meeting or parting after weeks or months has no appearance of evil and is not forbidden.
Marriage and Courtship
A married man abstains from every appearance of evil by speaking no more words of love to any woman besides his wife, reserving soft flattering words for her alone. Close familiar association, special attention, uncalled-for interest, common talk, and seeking attachment and company from young or married women through calculated words and acts must be avoided, for such conduct both is wrong and looks wrong. This so-called love has nothing of true love in it but is base lust of the mind, the fruit of corrupt thoughts that cheapens those who respond to it, endangers the soul, corrupts faith, harms those involved, hinders their spiritual growth, and leaves a lasting harmful impression. It tempts others to cross the bounds of marriage, dishonors the truth, gives young people a harmful example, brings reproach on the cause, and forfeits a position of influence unless stopped while still under delusive representations, requiring sobriety, care, circumspection in speech, and discernment to avoid both the evil and its scandalous appearance. Such familiarity after a wife's death likewise reveals an impure heart and self-governed desires rather than Christ's presence and the Lord's way.
A woman who confides her family troubles or complaints about her husband to another man violates her vows, dishonors her husband, weakens the protection of the marriage bond, and opens the way to temptation. If she needs to confide she should choose women as confidants, who can if necessary speak with the minister about it, so that help is given without any appearance of evil bringing reproach on the cause. A man approached in this way should advise her to do so, and a conference president and minister must keep his sympathy for members of his own family, refuse to take up a woman who casts herself upon his sympathy, encourage her, receive letters from her, take special responsibility to help her, or give private counsel to a married woman even from good motives. Guarded words and actions, prayer, and a consistent life guarding reputation are required, since careless hasty impulsive words and unwise special attention exert a wrong influence and hurt influence. Even the wise and powerful can be overcome by inward corruption and outward temptation, as Solomon beloved of his God was vanquished through indulgence of lustful passions when he failed to abstain, proving no departure from strictest integrity is safe in the battle with inward corruptions and outward temptations, for that indulgence is the prevailing sin of the age with fearful progress and none but the pure and lowly can dwell in God's presence.
Courting couples, even when both are Christians, must shun sitting up together late at night and late-night visits, for that customary form of courtship displeases God, injures health, unfits the mind for the next day's duties, costs prayer and religious privilege, and looks evil. Obedience calls for self-respect enough to shun it, moving with deliberate caution with an eye single to the glory of God, and refusing to let lovesick sentimentalism blind the vision to God's high claims upon a Christian. Blameless conduct before and after marriage includes taking care that travel with a man is accompanied by a female relative or companion, as when a couple traveling together before marriage were accompanied by the woman's sisters and sought to avoid even the appearance of wrongdoing in all their conduct.
Conduct that reasonably appears improper must be avoided even when integrity is trusted and motives are called pure, requiring double guardedness against evil itself and anything that could be seen as evil, with constant watchfulness and prayer to be kept from falling into temptation and to prevent reproach from imprudent careless habits. Being often alone in conversation with a married woman before she left her husband was careless and exposed Brother Day to judgment and suspicion, and marrying her would bring lasting reproach on him and the cause of faith by giving unbelievers and its enemies reason to blaspheme. Brother Lay likewise should not have spent time alone in conversation with Sister Jones before she left her husband, for pure motives did not prevent others from judging the conduct, and marrying her after his wife's death would bring the same lasting reproach and grounds to blaspheme. George's frequent visits to another woman while his wife was alive were wrong because they appeared improper and caused his wife secret sorrow despite her confidence in his integrity.
A married man, even if his wife has divorced him, is still not free to marry again, so he must refuse private visits such as entering a woman's tent and keep away from her society. Sister Williams staying without a steady girl of proper age to be with her would create an appearance of evil, so she should be told it would not be prudent to stay, and men and women lodging in the same room when separate rooms are available must likewise be avoided. Sister Bryant's self-willed treatment of Sister Hardy gave occasion for temptation and deserved censure because she had not avoided the appearance of evil.
Ministers and Institutions
Ministers, missionaries, and tent laborers are to live blameless, spotless lives and cut off every appearance of evil. They are to avoid intimacy, courting, gallantry, and special attention to women, and to avoid unbecoming familiarities such as those between a minister and a married Christian woman. When young women show excessive attention and forwardness, ministers are to discourage it firmly even if doing so is thought rude, because tolerating it harms their influence and brings reproach on the cause while faithful rebuke protects the work and helps those who are converted to change their conduct. When forbidden affection or improper sympathy is offered, they are to withdraw and direct the seeker to Christ rather than answer the attention, since accepting it reveals a heart seeking human comfort above Christ and is not pure before God.
Ministerial position places no one above suspicion or temptation, nor makes acceptable in one what would be condemned as sin in another. Claiming that conduct such as repeatedly riding together to meeting without the husband, lying on a bed together, kissing, and sitting on the lap is no moral wrong does not excuse it. Persisting in such familiar association with another man's wife after warning, after knowing that talk and reproach are spreading against God's cause, violates the command to abstain from the very appearance of evil and give no occasion for reproach. The duty binds all men to barricade the soul, reject unchaste thoughts that lead to improper attentions and advances and then to improper actions, and refuse personal inclinations toward women besides one's wife, especially special attention by young men and married men to young ladies and to other men's wives; yet for those in sacred positions of trust failure is a hundredfold worse, and they must in the strength of Israel's God arise and be men and stop their downward course rather than remain a plaything for the devil.
Familiarity in work associations that creates harmful appearance and suspicion must be ended by keeping work separate, as with the man and Sr. Huntley, so that their good is not spoken of as evil. When a private secretary is needed, a young man rather than a young woman is to be chosen where the other association could become a snare or bring reproach on God's cause. Lax conduct in this matter can also set a wrong example for other workers and damage the good entrusted to a person.
Church-school teachers and all entrusted with children and youth must walk with God and shun even what looks like wrong. Fitness for that work is trustworthiness, soundness in the faith, tact, and patience, with high moral character maintained through close walking with God. In this way they can be trusted and serve as channels of light to those they educate.
Health and educational institutions are missionary fields under God's eye day and night, with a Watcher and true Witness to every word and act who will judge every wrong influence exerted in them. Those placed at their head especially must allow not even what looks evil, but maintain a high moral tone, circumspect deportment, and pure speech in keeping with a high and holy calling, avoiding improper associations with nurses, patients, and helpers. Leaders and workers must permit not even the look of wrong in word, act, and deportment, with words and works untainted by earthliness and sensualism, putting away all coarseness and trifling, because as educators their example sows seed that will blossom and bear fruit for life or for death among believers and unbelievers, especially the youth. Those whose thought is low and whose conversation corrupts rather than elevates and demoralizes others must be removed at once lest they demoralize others. Those bearing responsibility must also be exceedingly guarded that amusements are not of a character to lower the standard of Christianity, bring the institution down to the level of others, and weaken the power of true godliness, and one whose improper familiarity with young women had damaged his record was to act discreetly so as not to trouble those responsible for the sanitarium or confuse others by wrongful conduct.
Ministers are to abstain from even the appearance of evil by refusing boat-making or any other outside business God has not called them to, because it hedges up the way and brings reflections and criticism that do not sweeten the disposition. They are to make the Lord Jesus the daily strength, the all and in all, to be as far as possible above criticism with those connected in the work, and to give evidence of being worked by the Holy Spirit, with freedom and blessing in presenting the Word under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit witnessing to the truth with power. They are to preserve a pure, spiritual atmosphere in the home and exert there a precious, holy influence that is the gospel both preached and practiced. Physicians exposed to temptation and ministers who preach the gospel are to be careful in words, conduct, and actions, and to practice health reform faithfully.
Life and Witness
The holy kiss is kept free from every appearance of evil when brethren greet brethren with it and sisters greet sisters with it, and when used at a proper time and place as fellowship between Christian friends meeting or parting it is not forbidden. Those professing godliness, and especially teachers of truth, must avoid even what looks wrong by preserving personal cleanliness and purity and by keeping homes, premises, and surroundings clean and orderly. Their lives are examples known and read by the world, so every act must be weighed to avoid becoming a stumbling block, and slackness and uncleanness that disgust unbelievers and hinder acceptance of truth must be removed. Immodest apparel is foolish and wrong, brings stigma on wearers, lowers them in unbelievers’ estimation, exerts harmful influence, and deserves severe censure.
Christians must withdraw from conformity to the world and shun every appearance of evil in every act of life. This means refusing to compromise or belittle holy faith by joining with unbelievers and those opposed to God, judging choices by their influence on others and on Christ’s kingdom, since departure from God’s requirements leads others astray and brings great harm to those looking for guidance. Lives should shine as a steady light with obstacles to the gospel removed, giving opponents no just cause for criticism. Reproach cannot always be avoided, but care must be taken that it comes for Christ’s sake and not for personal sins, foolishness, follies, or covetous practices.
Sharing in evil deeds and misrepresenting Christ in business and daily enterprise is forbidden. This includes hop-raising when it is known the hops will supply intoxicating beverages, since such stimulants foster appetite for stronger stimulants and helpers become accountable not only for their own acts but for sins others commit through the temptation provided. It also includes self-indulgent enterprises that reflect badly and draw others toward greater self-indulgence, for example is responsible since others may go further. Business dealings must instead be pure, honest, transparent, of good report, guided by God’s word and Christ’s lessons, lived before God with cheerful kindness and heavenly dignity, without encouraging the world’s covetous practices.
In every setting — among strangers, on public transportation, at home, and in the street — conduct must avoid even what seems slightly improper. The standard is Christ’s example, with actions and thoughts restrained and kept pure rather than governed by impulse. Offense is to be cleared away as far as human power allows without giving up principle, by not retaliating but conciliating and removing every cause for misunderstanding. Sometimes even actions not wrong in themselves, and that may be right, must be refrained from if they would appear improper to others, so that a good appearance and consistency are preserved and good is not evil spoken of.
Careful blameless living that avoids even the appearance of evil protects integrity when false accusations and reproachful falsehoods are spread. Believers then are to move boldly forward, continuing without heed to slander and refusing to be deterred by the wicked. Young people likewise must guard words and deeds and refrain from every appearance of evil, since conduct brings good or harm not only to their own homes but to everyone met, and this requires wisdom from above and strength that Jesus alone can give.
Students from oldest to youngest must be particular to avoid evil and even what looks like evil, and must not serve God only halfway. Making amusement of taking advantage of a fellow student and leading him astray is forbidden, and constant reaching higher and still higher in attainments is required so as to help others, be an example to those around, rest under God’s blessing, and become means through whom the Lord sends truth home to those who never knew Him. Those bearing responsibility in sanitariums must be exceedingly guarded that amusements are not of a character to lower the standard of Christianity, bring the institution down to the level of others, and weaken the power of true godliness in minds connected with it.
Those given to God’s work must be so fitted by the Holy Spirit that there is no appearance of evil, treating the work as sacred for time and eternity and carrying the burden of giving a right answer to every man. A spirit of courtship, dallying, and lovesick sentimentalism leaves no time for such duty, proves ignorance of true religion and of God’s work, shows unfittedness for service, and is the devil’s invention to get hold of workers. Everyone with part in God’s service must cultivate pure, chaste, holy thoughts with temperance in eating and drinking and in all things. Subsisting on flesh of dead animals with meat-eating, tea-drinking, and other self-pleasing indulgence cannot stand with this, since perverted appetite as fleshly lust wars against the soul, animalizes nature, strengthens animal propensities, weakens higher holier attributes, blunts sensibilities so sacred things cannot be discerned, and unfits messengers and teachers.
Prudence requires weighing each step under God’s direction with counsel and calm reflection rather than misusing gifts in risky temporal enterprises, as Edson must do to avoid conduct that repeatedly ruined life and damaged influence held as a trust for God’s service. It requires receiving counsel rather than following one’s own way, especially while giving Bible readings and working with fellow laborers. It requires temperance and guarding against a strong misrepresenting spirit even in zeal for God, as when Jesus rebuked John for wanting to call down fire from heaven on Samaritans who refused Him, since the Son of man came not to destroy lives but to save them, and as when acting so that even good is not evil spoken of. It requires a traveling canvasser, especially one moving place to place, to guard against influences strengthening overly sensational and emotional traits that coarsen rather than refine character and put one on Satan’s side. It includes avoiding Sabbath travel even for religious work rather than personal gain when it could look disrespectful to the Sabbath, while one who formerly kept Sunday to avoid appearance of evil rightly embraced the Sabbath after seeing the fourth commandment’s evidence and began keeping God’s commandments.
Abstain from every form and kind of evil, and from everything that even looks like evil. It follows testing all things and holding fast to what is good, keeping only the good while rejecting what tends toward evil, and it belongs to being wholly sanctified in body, soul, and spirit and kept blameless until Christ comes. It requires keeping as far from sin as possible rather than seeing how close one can come, shunning evil at its first appearance and closing the door before it grows beyond control. It forbids conduct that puts purity and reputation at risk and gives others reason to speak of good as evil, even when motives are claimed to be pure. Above all it forbids undue familiarity between men and women in word, attention, and touch, requiring strict propriety, modesty, and guarding of thoughts, senses, and passions. Ministers and all who do God's work must therefore live blameless lives, refusing intimacy, favoritism, and entangling associations, and married persons and courting couples must avoid familiar attentions to others, unwise confidences, and late-night or solitary meetings that look evil.
Words and Context
Abstain from every appearance, form, and kind of evil. This includes harmful worldly practices taken up to gain the favor of the world. Even sins regarded as insignificant weaken the moral sense and suppress the inward influence of the Spirit, while evil thoughts and low conversation pollute the mind and leave lasting marks on the soul. Forgiveness does not undo all the damage sin causes, for the soul remains scarred and the capacity for elevated thought is impaired, and only faith working through love and purifying the heart enables representing the character of Christ.
The command follows testing all things and holding fast to what is good. It requires distinguishing what is false from what is true in spiritual claims, testing what is encountered and keeping only the good while rejecting evil. Amusements such as card-playing, dancing, and attending theaters are to be rejected because they tend toward evil or at least look evil. Such conduct conflicts with the teachings of Christ and the apostles, and can endanger faith and bring the soul into bondage.
The appeal belongs to complete sanctification and blamelessness. Christ has redeemed the whole person, so that body, soul, and spirit may be wholly sanctified. God is to sanctify believers wholly and preserve them blameless until the coming of Christ.
Reach of the Command
The command requires abstaining not only from evil itself but from every conduct that gives evil an appearance, form, and kind. The rule is to keep as far from sin as possible rather than to see how close one can come without losing favor. Evil is to be shunned at its first appearance, and the door closed before it grows beyond control.
It forbids situations and conduct that put purity and reputation at risk, even when motives are claimed to be pure. Such a course gives others reason to speak of good as evil, and invites suspicion, unfounded reports, reproach, stumbling blocks, and misunderstanding. Close companionship between a man and a woman in their work can create that appearance and bring suspicion and temptation even when no wrongdoing has occurred, and familiar behavior and special attentions between young women and young men in institutions do the same, so both are to be avoided for Christ's sake. This was illustrated by Cornell and Harris, whose improper familiarities disregarded the warning and brought reproach and harm to the cause while they professed faith, and by a minister who sought women's company in a questionable way, damaging the work and discouraging new believers, which is especially serious in one whose position should model moral purity.
Even sins regarded as insignificant weaken moral sense and suppress the Spirit's inward influence. Evil thoughts and low conversation pollute the mind and leave lasting marks on the soul. Though the repentant sinner is forgiven, the soul remains scarred and marred, and the capacity for elevated thought is impaired and diminished. Only faith working through love purifying the heart enables representing Christ's character.
Outward avoidance of what looks wrong alone does not show whose side a person is on or prove conversion. A blameless-looking, outwardly correct and well-ordered life can come from self-respect, love of influence, desire for esteem, and self-interest without pure love, and a selfish heart can still perform generous actions. A profession of holiness or sanctification that leaves wrongdoing unreproved and uncorrected discredits the faith, as in licentious behavior and undue familiarity with married and unmarried women while professing to keep the commandments, which creates a stumbling block and brings disgrace and reproach; people are known by fruits, and a claim to sanctification cannot cover a sinful course opposed to God's law. Refusing corrupt associations is required even when they are described as holy or as a union like that between Christ and His Father, for such a union is delusion and not Bible sanctification. Avoiding even the appearance of evil is not enough; Christians must also learn to do good, represent Christ to the world, and make serving God their daily work.
Modesty Between Sexes
Abstain from all appearance of evil forbids undue, excessive and improper familiarity between men and women, including lingering with men, seeking their company, taking pleasure in their attention, boldness, joking, jesting, light foolish speech, calculated attentions and familiar physical contact. In mission work this requires strict propriety and modesty, with married workers as well as youth building walls of modesty and virtue around themselves so that women do not allure men and men do not allure women. A man who gathered women around him and traveled with them as followers acted contrary to this, breaking the seventh commandment while professing the fourth.
The command requires rejecting even the least encouragement toward sin and firmly rejecting improper advances, guarding modesty, virtue, senses, passions and thoughts. This means barricading the soul, rejecting unchaste thoughts that lead to improper attentions and acts, refusing impure thoughts, sensual words, flirtation and unlawful indulgence, and turning from impure speech and controlled passions through thorough reformation. In a corrupt and dangerous age modesty protects virtue, and purity and sacred purity alone endure the day of God, stand the final review, and fit people to join sinless angels and live in a holy heaven.
Women professing godliness must be circumspect and reserved in manner, speech and relations with men, choosing words carefully and avoiding excessive familiarity, boldness, joking and jesting, since such behavior is unbecoming, grieves the Spirit of God and brings spiritual darkness. Meekness, courteousness, kindness and humility help preserve purity and guard against unwarranted liberties. Young women, especially those connected with medical institutions and sanitariums, must be kind and courteous to men but never free, showing no freedom or familiarity toward men and especially married men, never flirting or pressing themselves upon young men but keeping out of their company and keeping strict guard over self with reserve in word and action.
Those connected with sanitariums must never by word or action give wicked men the least occasion to speak evil of the truth, because observant eyes watch conduct to judge whether workers are indeed children of God, and those who will not live this way should sever connection with sanitarium service where poor shipwrecked and broken souls come to find a haven and refuge. For physicians the same abstaining requires the highest order of true refinement, delicacy, reserve and modesty between men and women. As far as possible lady physicians should have the care of lady patients and gentleman physicians the care of gentleman patients, delicate treatments should not be given by male physicians to women, and a lady patient should never be alone with a gentleman physician for special examination or treatment nor taken into his room unless a lady physician or the practitioner's wife can be present.
Physicians must be faithful, guarded and wide awake in all treatments and actions, working so that those who wish to invent false reports are given no opportunity and no seeming foundation for great scandal, continually guarding reputation, influence and the standing of the institution from one taint of suspicion and undeserved reproach and giving no place to the devil to spoil the reputation of one who is innocent. Physicians exposed to temptation and ministers who preach the gospel are to be careful in words, conduct and actions and to practice health reform faithfully. Lovesick sentimentalism and romantic self-focused sentimentality are forbidden because they do not elevate those involved but lower them.
This forbids married men receiving attention from married or unmarried women and women being charmed into losing reason, spiritual discernment and good common sense to do what the Word of God condemns. Safety comes only by seeking God's counsel at every step and maintaining close communion with God to value the pure, good, humble and meek, garrisoning the heart as Joseph did and meeting temptation to depart from integrity with decided refusal. The strongest temptation is no excuse for sin, sin is one's own act and the seat of difficulty is the unrenewed heart, while disobedience lets Satan lead to self-ruin, imperils the cause of God and crucifies the Son of God afresh to open shame. Giving no occasion for good to be evil spoken of, grieving not the Spirit of God, making straight paths for the feet lest the lame be turned out of the way, examining how one's course stands as God views it, and answering to the Lord for imprudence and lack of judgment are required, especially of those in responsibility, with love pure, holy and undefiled giving weight to Christian profession.
Salutations and greetings must be used with discretion about frequency, time, place and presence of unbelievers, including acting with discretion and propriety toward one's own wife in the presence of others, since indiscreet conduct brings reproach on the cause and produces evil rather than good. Brother Pearsall failed this through excessive familiarity with women, indiscreet and overly frequent greetings regardless of time, place or presence of unbelievers, and taking women other than his wife onto his knee, which was sinful and brought reproach upon the cause where careful reserve and discretion were required. A holy kiss given at a proper time and place as fellowship between Christian friends meeting or parting after weeks or months has no appearance of evil and is not forbidden.
Marriage and Courtship
A married man abstains from every appearance of evil by speaking no more words of love to any woman besides his wife, reserving soft flattering words for her alone. Close familiar association, special attention, uncalled-for interest, common talk, and seeking attachment and company from young or married women through calculated words and acts must be avoided, for such conduct both is wrong and looks wrong. This so-called love has nothing of true love in it but is base lust of the mind, the fruit of corrupt thoughts that cheapens those who respond to it, endangers the soul, corrupts faith, harms those involved, hinders their spiritual growth, and leaves a lasting harmful impression. It tempts others to cross the bounds of marriage, dishonors the truth, gives young people a harmful example, brings reproach on the cause, and forfeits a position of influence unless stopped while still under delusive representations, requiring sobriety, care, circumspection in speech, and discernment to avoid both the evil and its scandalous appearance. Such familiarity after a wife's death likewise reveals an impure heart and self-governed desires rather than Christ's presence and the Lord's way.
A woman who confides her family troubles or complaints about her husband to another man violates her vows, dishonors her husband, weakens the protection of the marriage bond, and opens the way to temptation. If she needs to confide she should choose women as confidants, who can if necessary speak with the minister about it, so that help is given without any appearance of evil bringing reproach on the cause. A man approached in this way should advise her to do so, and a conference president and minister must keep his sympathy for members of his own family, refuse to take up a woman who casts herself upon his sympathy, encourage her, receive letters from her, take special responsibility to help her, or give private counsel to a married woman even from good motives. Guarded words and actions, prayer, and a consistent life guarding reputation are required, since careless hasty impulsive words and unwise special attention exert a wrong influence and hurt influence. Even the wise and powerful can be overcome by inward corruption and outward temptation, as Solomon beloved of his God was vanquished through indulgence of lustful passions when he failed to abstain, proving no departure from strictest integrity is safe in the battle with inward corruptions and outward temptations, for that indulgence is the prevailing sin of the age with fearful progress and none but the pure and lowly can dwell in God's presence.
Courting couples, even when both are Christians, must shun sitting up together late at night and late-night visits, for that customary form of courtship displeases God, injures health, unfits the mind for the next day's duties, costs prayer and religious privilege, and looks evil. Obedience calls for self-respect enough to shun it, moving with deliberate caution with an eye single to the glory of God, and refusing to let lovesick sentimentalism blind the vision to God's high claims upon a Christian. Blameless conduct before and after marriage includes taking care that travel with a man is accompanied by a female relative or companion, as when a couple traveling together before marriage were accompanied by the woman's sisters and sought to avoid even the appearance of wrongdoing in all their conduct.
Conduct that reasonably appears improper must be avoided even when integrity is trusted and motives are called pure, requiring double guardedness against evil itself and anything that could be seen as evil, with constant watchfulness and prayer to be kept from falling into temptation and to prevent reproach from imprudent careless habits. Being often alone in conversation with a married woman before she left her husband was careless and exposed Brother Day to judgment and suspicion, and marrying her would bring lasting reproach on him and the cause of faith by giving unbelievers and its enemies reason to blaspheme. Brother Lay likewise should not have spent time alone in conversation with Sister Jones before she left her husband, for pure motives did not prevent others from judging the conduct, and marrying her after his wife's death would bring the same lasting reproach and grounds to blaspheme. George's frequent visits to another woman while his wife was alive were wrong because they appeared improper and caused his wife secret sorrow despite her confidence in his integrity.
A married man, even if his wife has divorced him, is still not free to marry again, so he must refuse private visits such as entering a woman's tent and keep away from her society. Sister Williams staying without a steady girl of proper age to be with her would create an appearance of evil, so she should be told it would not be prudent to stay, and men and women lodging in the same room when separate rooms are available must likewise be avoided. Sister Bryant's self-willed treatment of Sister Hardy gave occasion for temptation and deserved censure because she had not avoided the appearance of evil.
Ministers and Institutions
Ministers, missionaries, and tent laborers are to live blameless, spotless lives and cut off every appearance of evil. They are to avoid intimacy, courting, gallantry, and special attention to women, and to avoid unbecoming familiarities such as those between a minister and a married Christian woman. When young women show excessive attention and forwardness, ministers are to discourage it firmly even if doing so is thought rude, because tolerating it harms their influence and brings reproach on the cause while faithful rebuke protects the work and helps those who are converted to change their conduct. When forbidden affection or improper sympathy is offered, they are to withdraw and direct the seeker to Christ rather than answer the attention, since accepting it reveals a heart seeking human comfort above Christ and is not pure before God.
Ministerial position places no one above suspicion or temptation, nor makes acceptable in one what would be condemned as sin in another. Claiming that conduct such as repeatedly riding together to meeting without the husband, lying on a bed together, kissing, and sitting on the lap is no moral wrong does not excuse it. Persisting in such familiar association with another man's wife after warning, after knowing that talk and reproach are spreading against God's cause, violates the command to abstain from the very appearance of evil and give no occasion for reproach. The duty binds all men to barricade the soul, reject unchaste thoughts that lead to improper attentions and advances and then to improper actions, and refuse personal inclinations toward women besides one's wife, especially special attention by young men and married men to young ladies and to other men's wives; yet for those in sacred positions of trust failure is a hundredfold worse, and they must in the strength of Israel's God arise and be men and stop their downward course rather than remain a plaything for the devil.
Familiarity in work associations that creates harmful appearance and suspicion must be ended by keeping work separate, as with the man and Sr. Huntley, so that their good is not spoken of as evil. When a private secretary is needed, a young man rather than a young woman is to be chosen where the other association could become a snare or bring reproach on God's cause. Lax conduct in this matter can also set a wrong example for other workers and damage the good entrusted to a person.
Church-school teachers and all entrusted with children and youth must walk with God and shun even what looks like wrong. Fitness for that work is trustworthiness, soundness in the faith, tact, and patience, with high moral character maintained through close walking with God. In this way they can be trusted and serve as channels of light to those they educate.
Health and educational institutions are missionary fields under God's eye day and night, with a Watcher and true Witness to every word and act who will judge every wrong influence exerted in them. Those placed at their head especially must allow not even what looks evil, but maintain a high moral tone, circumspect deportment, and pure speech in keeping with a high and holy calling, avoiding improper associations with nurses, patients, and helpers. Leaders and workers must permit not even the look of wrong in word, act, and deportment, with words and works untainted by earthliness and sensualism, putting away all coarseness and trifling, because as educators their example sows seed that will blossom and bear fruit for life or for death among believers and unbelievers, especially the youth. Those whose thought is low and whose conversation corrupts rather than elevates and demoralizes others must be removed at once lest they demoralize others. Those bearing responsibility must also be exceedingly guarded that amusements are not of a character to lower the standard of Christianity, bring the institution down to the level of others, and weaken the power of true godliness, and one whose improper familiarity with young women had damaged his record was to act discreetly so as not to trouble those responsible for the sanitarium or confuse others by wrongful conduct.
Ministers are to abstain from even the appearance of evil by refusing boat-making or any other outside business God has not called them to, because it hedges up the way and brings reflections and criticism that do not sweeten the disposition. They are to make the Lord Jesus the daily strength, the all and in all, to be as far as possible above criticism with those connected in the work, and to give evidence of being worked by the Holy Spirit, with freedom and blessing in presenting the Word under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit witnessing to the truth with power. They are to preserve a pure, spiritual atmosphere in the home and exert there a precious, holy influence that is the gospel both preached and practiced. Physicians exposed to temptation and ministers who preach the gospel are to be careful in words, conduct, and actions, and to practice health reform faithfully.
Life and Witness
The holy kiss is kept free from every appearance of evil when brethren greet brethren with it and sisters greet sisters with it, and when used at a proper time and place as fellowship between Christian friends meeting or parting it is not forbidden. Those professing godliness, and especially teachers of truth, must avoid even what looks wrong by preserving personal cleanliness and purity and by keeping homes, premises, and surroundings clean and orderly. Their lives are examples known and read by the world, so every act must be weighed to avoid becoming a stumbling block, and slackness and uncleanness that disgust unbelievers and hinder acceptance of truth must be removed. Immodest apparel is foolish and wrong, brings stigma on wearers, lowers them in unbelievers’ estimation, exerts harmful influence, and deserves severe censure.
Christians must withdraw from conformity to the world and shun every appearance of evil in every act of life. This means refusing to compromise or belittle holy faith by joining with unbelievers and those opposed to God, judging choices by their influence on others and on Christ’s kingdom, since departure from God’s requirements leads others astray and brings great harm to those looking for guidance. Lives should shine as a steady light with obstacles to the gospel removed, giving opponents no just cause for criticism. Reproach cannot always be avoided, but care must be taken that it comes for Christ’s sake and not for personal sins, foolishness, follies, or covetous practices.
Sharing in evil deeds and misrepresenting Christ in business and daily enterprise is forbidden. This includes hop-raising when it is known the hops will supply intoxicating beverages, since such stimulants foster appetite for stronger stimulants and helpers become accountable not only for their own acts but for sins others commit through the temptation provided. It also includes self-indulgent enterprises that reflect badly and draw others toward greater self-indulgence, for example is responsible since others may go further. Business dealings must instead be pure, honest, transparent, of good report, guided by God’s word and Christ’s lessons, lived before God with cheerful kindness and heavenly dignity, without encouraging the world’s covetous practices.
In every setting — among strangers, on public transportation, at home, and in the street — conduct must avoid even what seems slightly improper. The standard is Christ’s example, with actions and thoughts restrained and kept pure rather than governed by impulse. Offense is to be cleared away as far as human power allows without giving up principle, by not retaliating but conciliating and removing every cause for misunderstanding. Sometimes even actions not wrong in themselves, and that may be right, must be refrained from if they would appear improper to others, so that a good appearance and consistency are preserved and good is not evil spoken of.
Careful blameless living that avoids even the appearance of evil protects integrity when false accusations and reproachful falsehoods are spread. Believers then are to move boldly forward, continuing without heed to slander and refusing to be deterred by the wicked. Young people likewise must guard words and deeds and refrain from every appearance of evil, since conduct brings good or harm not only to their own homes but to everyone met, and this requires wisdom from above and strength that Jesus alone can give.
Students from oldest to youngest must be particular to avoid evil and even what looks like evil, and must not serve God only halfway. Making amusement of taking advantage of a fellow student and leading him astray is forbidden, and constant reaching higher and still higher in attainments is required so as to help others, be an example to those around, rest under God’s blessing, and become means through whom the Lord sends truth home to those who never knew Him. Those bearing responsibility in sanitariums must be exceedingly guarded that amusements are not of a character to lower the standard of Christianity, bring the institution down to the level of others, and weaken the power of true godliness in minds connected with it.
Those given to God’s work must be so fitted by the Holy Spirit that there is no appearance of evil, treating the work as sacred for time and eternity and carrying the burden of giving a right answer to every man. A spirit of courtship, dallying, and lovesick sentimentalism leaves no time for such duty, proves ignorance of true religion and of God’s work, shows unfittedness for service, and is the devil’s invention to get hold of workers. Everyone with part in God’s service must cultivate pure, chaste, holy thoughts with temperance in eating and drinking and in all things. Subsisting on flesh of dead animals with meat-eating, tea-drinking, and other self-pleasing indulgence cannot stand with this, since perverted appetite as fleshly lust wars against the soul, animalizes nature, strengthens animal propensities, weakens higher holier attributes, blunts sensibilities so sacred things cannot be discerned, and unfits messengers and teachers.
Prudence requires weighing each step under God’s direction with counsel and calm reflection rather than misusing gifts in risky temporal enterprises, as Edson must do to avoid conduct that repeatedly ruined life and damaged influence held as a trust for God’s service. It requires receiving counsel rather than following one’s own way, especially while giving Bible readings and working with fellow laborers. It requires temperance and guarding against a strong misrepresenting spirit even in zeal for God, as when Jesus rebuked John for wanting to call down fire from heaven on Samaritans who refused Him, since the Son of man came not to destroy lives but to save them, and as when acting so that even good is not evil spoken of. It requires a traveling canvasser, especially one moving place to place, to guard against influences strengthening overly sensational and emotional traits that coarsen rather than refine character and put one on Satan’s side. It includes avoiding Sabbath travel even for religious work rather than personal gain when it could look disrespectful to the Sabbath, while one who formerly kept Sunday to avoid appearance of evil rightly embraced the Sabbath after seeing the fourth commandment’s evidence and began keeping God’s commandments.