The Wise Avoid Relationships with Evil – (Proverbs 22:3)
Daily Proverbs
Daily Bible Study
This passage gives us practical advice for godly living and help in living a happy life as we follow Christ through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Like Joseph who ran out of the house, this verse tells us that the wise when they see sin approaching remove themselves from it. However, we need to make sure we understand this passage clearly. This passage is not telling us to let bad things happen, nor to ignore sin, and definitely not to excuse sin. Moreover, this passage is not telling us to run away and hide ourselves from bad things or bad people. Rather, we are called to protect the innocent and help those in need whenever possible. What this passage speaks about, is how we live our day to day lives and not to put ourselves into situations in which we partner with evil.
What this passage is telling us is in our lifetime, during those everyday encounters when people are participating in sinful behavior which is not glorifying to God, and not beneficial for our walk with Christ, we do not participate or join in, nor do we condone it. Unlike Lot the nephew of Abraham, we do not put ourselves in close proximity of sin, nor do we try to live with sin. As followers of Christ, we are never to cohabitate with sin or let sin coexists with us. We either remove it or get away from it, and that's the message at the heart of this passage. We do not knowingly make ourselves a partner to sin, either through involvement or complacency. We should remember sin never stops, it never sleeps, it never gets full, it always wants more until it destroys the lives of all those who accept it and live with it! Therefore, we don't leave it around to continually entice us. Because like a bad infection, sin will not stop until it completely consumes and destroys its host. Moreover, we are to accomplish this not through our own will power, but through the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells all followers of Christ.