Christians are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and doing so requires abstaining from every form of evil (I Thessalonians 5:22). The Greek apéchesthe means to hold oneself off, exercising restraint and self-control, while poneros describes evil as both the act and its corrupting effect on others. Because believers represent God, even the appearance of evil presents a false picture of Him. Commentators such as Barnes advise leaning toward virtue in doubtful matters, since abstaining cannot be sin but indulging may be. The world holds Christians to a double standard, tolerating its own wrongdoing while expecting believers to be flawless, so conduct is constantly observed and should reflect God's character rather than carnality. The stakes are higher within the church, where people's calling is now. Paul's rebuke of the Corinthians for tolerating sexual immorality shows how permitting sin gives the impression that God's people condone it, and like leaven it can corrupt the whole church. Believers must think carefully about their actions (Ephesians 5:15) and avoid causing weaker members to stumble, even through things that are lawful (Matthew 18:6). Paul modeled this in I Corinthians 8 by refusing to eat meat offered to idols if it would wound a brother's conscience, since sinning against a brother is sinning against Christ. Such circumspect living is God's love in action.

Evil stands as the very antithesis of the eternal life that comes from knowing the Father and the Son. It is not merely unpleasant but carries a malignancy, something purposefully injurious or intentionally unkind, designed to harm life or liveliness. Clearly, evil is not something to be associated with or glorified, for the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. The call is to abstain from every form of evil, from everything that opposes life, especially eternal life. The rituals surrounding certain celebrations revel in trickery, sorcery, spiritism, and the dark ways of the evil one, and such practices do not promote life. There must be a choice between life and evil, as they are mutually exclusive. The greater challenge lies in combating the evil within, which is promoted by the adversary and permeates the world, seen in cutting words, deception, manipulation, self-centeredness, and countless other harms. Yet, those in whom God dwells have the means to overcome evil with good through the eternal life available in relationship with Him. Emulating the Life-giver means choosing life and condemning evil, pursuing a life of the highest quality, as God lived it while human.

As Christians, we must abstain not only from sinful actions but also from that which even appears to be wrong. God expects us to apply spiritual wisdom in areas where He has not specifically spoken, and avoiding the appearance of evil is one such area. Some actions may not seem wrong to us, but if others perceive them as sinful, engaging in them can make a poor witness of God's way of life. Safe and proper behavior is to lean always toward virtue, and when in doubt about whether our conduct appears evil, we should refrain from it. If a behavior is perceived as wrong by some, a Christian should likely avoid it, especially in the presence of those it offends. An action may be lawful according to God's law, but if it causes someone to stumble or sin, we should refrain from it unless such restraint interferes with our obedience and worship of God. At the same time, we must live righteously, regardless of whether it offends others, and not compromise on matters such as keeping the Sabbath. Abstaining from the appearance of evil requires extra effort to avoid offending others while remaining a faithful witness to God's way of life, and a servant of God has the help of the Holy Spirit to abstain from sin and grow in spiritual perception to know when to act and when to abstain.