Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. Romans 16:19

Paul is rejoicing over the what he has heard about the Romans. They were being obedient to God’s word. They were striving to live Godly lives as Jesus did.

Even though they were being obedient, Paul added something to that. He wanted them to be wise about what is good and innocent of anything that is evil.

Being wise is having the correct information and knowing what to do with it. Many people can know a lot of information, but do not correctly use it. There have been people in the church who know the laws of God, but use those laws to condemn or cut down people, instead of pointing them to Jesus to save them.

Over the years there has been believers who were violent against non-believers and would kill them because of sin. This was not using any wisdom in how to reach the lost for Jesus.

Along with using good wisdom, Paul said that they must be innocent of evil. This can be innocent of doing evil and knowing what is evil.

The world thrives on seeing and doing evil. They cannot get enough of it. That is their nature, but Christians should be different.

There are some believers that tend to purposely live in some sin or they are constantly watching sin and enjoying it. Knowing the commands God has given is all that a person needs to know about sin. The less a person knows about sin, the less chances there are for him to be tempted to sin.

Filling oneself with evil things, only pushes God out of the picture and one’s life.

As a believer strive to keep yourself pure of any evil. This is pure in action, thought, word, and sight. And do not use your knowledge of good and evil to condemn or cut a person down. Show God’s love and mercy. Use good to bring a person to a saving knowledge of Jesus and flee from all evil.

God can and will give you the wisdom you need to keep you pure and from all evil, if you allow Him to.

Living in this way will be true obedience to God’s word. Jesus came to save the world, not condemn the world.