Infant about Evil

Last week's teaching tips blog focused on not being childish in our thinking. Paul continues his focus in 1 Corinthians 14:20 by providing suggestions about how we are to do this:

Brothers, don’t be childish in your thinking, 

but be infants in regard to evil

and adult in your thinking. 

(1 Corinthians 14:20, HCSB)

• Being an infant toward evil doesn't mean you are ignorant; it means you are innocent toward evil. Oh, to be innocent in the knowledge of the evil that permeates our culture, our homes, and our minds, and innocent of those sins from the past, that we consider so evil now. It seems they are always lurking in the dark recesses of our minds, just waiting for the right circumstances to trigger the memory. It seems as if innocence is lost. Yet the Scriptures state that we are to be innocent about evil. 
• We may not feel innocent, but we are if we have embraced the forgiveness offered by Christ. Don't you wish that, along with the proclamation of our innocence, we were also given amnesia about the memories of evil? We could then regain and understand more fully what it means to be "infant about evil."

Check out how these verses deal with this concept:

• The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, yet innocent about what is evil (Romans 16:19, HCSB)
• Then He called a child to Him and had him stand among them. “I assure you,” He said, “unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:2-3, HCSB).

I recently became a grandparent. It is so much fun watching our granddaughter grow up! Right now, she is so innocent. Nothing has tainted her view of life. She has not made any regretful decisions. She has no memories of past sin with which to wrestle. She is an infant to evil.

Oh, God, teach us what it means to be an infant to evil. God, may we teach adults so that, as they mature in Christ, they will become infants to evil.

Next week: How to be "adult in your thinking".