Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
Avoidance of the path of the wicked and the way of evil men must be complete: it is not to be entered, not to be approached, not to be passed by, not to be continued upon, but to be turned aside from and passed away from. This turning away belongs to the way of wisdom and right paths, where the heart turns to the Lord with full purpose, takes fast hold of instruction and keeps her, for she is life, so that steps are not straitened and the one who runs does not stumble. By contrast the path of the just is as a shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day. The wicked in this setting sleep not except they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall, for they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence, and their way is as darkness where they know not at what they stumble, which is the condition of the world today.
The evil path includes the course of men who enter crooked byways, use subterfuge to accomplish their own will, and appear just and righteous while twisting words and practicing deception. The command therefore means refusing to follow such leadership and not following those who lead others into that course. To enter or continue on that course leavens faith with evil and corrupts it, spoils and weakens confidence in Bible truth, builds castles of self-confidence, and separates people from God.
Entire separation is urgent because departure from the right way is hard to reverse once barriers are removed and safeguards are broken down. One step in the wrong direction prepares the way for another, so the first small deviation must be refused. Corrupting the ways takes less time and labor than building habits of righteousness and truth into the character, and whatever a person becomes accustomed to, whether its influence is good or evil, becomes difficult to abandon. Even the least turning from right and principle leads to separation from God and can end in apostasy. A single glass of wine can open the door to temptation leading to habits of drunkenness, and a single indulged vindictive feeling can open the way to a train of feelings ending in murder.
Temptations will not cease, and Satan will seek to lead into sins that debase mind and character, leave the life like a wrecked vessel adrift on the sea, eat away the affections so love is not given where due, and break down the barriers of the soul and come in like a flood with perplexities fatal to the soul. Guard must therefore be kept every moment by thinking on Jesus and saying Get thee behind me Satan, resisting the devil and drawing nigh to God to be changed into His image and gain discernment to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin. The command also means not looking upon those who have been overcome in order to build up self-righteousness, but being fully on God's side to rescue souls from death and hide a multitude of sins.
Avoidance of the path of the wicked and the way of evil men must be complete: it is not to be entered, not to be approached, not to be passed by, not to be continued upon, but to be turned aside from and passed away from. This turning away belongs to the way of wisdom and right paths, where the heart turns to the Lord with full purpose, takes fast hold of instruction and keeps her, for she is life, so that steps are not straitened and the one who runs does not stumble. By contrast the path of the just is as a shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day. The wicked in this setting sleep not except they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall, for they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence, and their way is as darkness where they know not at what they stumble, which is the condition of the world today.
The evil path includes the course of men who enter crooked byways, use subterfuge to accomplish their own will, and appear just and righteous while twisting words and practicing deception. The command therefore means refusing to follow such leadership and not following those who lead others into that course. To enter or continue on that course leavens faith with evil and corrupts it, spoils and weakens confidence in Bible truth, builds castles of self-confidence, and separates people from God.
Entire separation is urgent because departure from the right way is hard to reverse once barriers are removed and safeguards are broken down. One step in the wrong direction prepares the way for another, so the first small deviation must be refused. Corrupting the ways takes less time and labor than building habits of righteousness and truth into the character, and whatever a person becomes accustomed to, whether its influence is good or evil, becomes difficult to abandon. Even the least turning from right and principle leads to separation from God and can end in apostasy. A single glass of wine can open the door to temptation leading to habits of drunkenness, and a single indulged vindictive feeling can open the way to a train of feelings ending in murder.
Temptations will not cease, and Satan will seek to lead into sins that debase mind and character, leave the life like a wrecked vessel adrift on the sea, eat away the affections so love is not given where due, and break down the barriers of the soul and come in like a flood with perplexities fatal to the soul. Guard must therefore be kept every moment by thinking on Jesus and saying Get thee behind me Satan, resisting the devil and drawing nigh to God to be changed into His image and gain discernment to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin. The command also means not looking upon those who have been overcome in order to build up self-righteousness, but being fully on God's side to rescue souls from death and hide a multitude of sins.