Verse: But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thess 5:21,22

Background: Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonian church from the city of Corinth, just a few months after having preached in Thessalonica on his second missionary journey. Paul was forced to leave the city, but Paul felt the need to receive a report from the newborn church in Thessalonica, so he sent Timothy back to serve and minister to the new believers there. 

Paul wanted to check on the state of the Thessalonians’ faith, for fear that false teachers might have infiltrated their number. However, Timothy soon returned with a good report, prompting Paul to pen 1 Thessalonians as a letter of encouragement to the new believers.

Lesson: Paul heard a good report about the church, but he is still instructing them in many things and asking them to be diligent. Chapter 5, verse 12 onwards, is the final instruction or greeting. Toward the end, verses 21 and 22, Paul explains the 3-foundation focus that will answer the question—what to hold on to and what to abstain from.

Application:

• Careful: But examine everything carefully; 1 Thess 5:21 In verse 20 Paul is talking of prophetic utterances, but even that Paul is telling examine that also carefully. Then how much more do we need to examine carefully our ministries, our daily routines, and what we spend time on?
• Hold: hold fast to that which is good; 1 Thess 5:21 – The World is full of evil, pain, suffering, and many things we are not even able to explain. In the in-midst of all this battle call to the Lord’s disciple is to hold fast to good, no compromises, no excuses, and no negligence, we walk holy for we have a Holy Father.
• Abstain: abstain from every form of evil. 1 Thess 5:22 – Moral decline, glorification of sin, mocking bible, availability and opportunity to sin has gone up, but a child of God should abstain from every form of evil, – even the form. Anything that can lead you to sin.