Abstain from Every Form of Evil

This passage deals with the three-year famine that struck Israel because King Saul had unjustly killed the Gibeonites. God points out that Saul's act was a grave sin that harmed his people and disregarded God's covenant, and he sent judgment as its penalty. When David set right the wrong done to the Gibeonites and judged Saul's descendants, rain fell and peace was restored. This shows that God hates sin and establishes justice through righteous judgment.

The sermon warns of the reality of a world that proudly pursues pleasure and ignores God's wrath. Many people set their hearts on worldly wealth rather than fearing the day of judgment, and even within the church they try to turn away from the message of sin and judgment. Through the example of Saul, who was humble at first but became God's enemy as he was absorbed into power and the world, it emphasizes that even believers cannot escape judgment if their faith becomes corrupted. It also urges us, when we are shaken by Satan's temptations, to imagine the final day of judgment and look at ourselves objectively.

We must remember that repenting while we are still alive and resting in God's embrace is our only refuge. If believers are absorbed into the sins of the world and do not keep themselves holy, they will in the end perish under God's wrath. Having heard this word today, we must reflect deeply on where our hearts are, and on what confession we will be able to make when we stand before God on the last day.