Romans 16:19 “…I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.”(NIV)

People learn by doing.  They say that practice makes perfect, but in truth practice makes permanent.  The more we do something, the easier it is for us to do it the way we have done it.  Depending upon what we are doing, that can be a good thing or a bad thing.  Paul tells the Christians at Rome that he wants them to learn from the experience of doing good.  Wisdom is the ability to learn from the experience of others and ourselves.  If Christians want to be good people, they must be wise enough to recognize what is good and do it.  Our deeds do not save us. Rather our deeds reveal Christ in us.  If we do nothing, we will learn nothing.  Christians are to be doers of the word and not hears only.

Similarly, we cannot do evil and remain innocent of evil.  It is impossible to be an alcoholic if you remain innocent of the taste of alcohol.  You will never become addicted to drugs or cigarettes if you do not experience them.  Evil cannot take a hold of our lives if we never engage in evil.  What a terrible tragedy that we think it is normal for teenagers to sow wild oats.  Our youth need to understand the damage and danger of sin.  When we do not remain innocent of evil, it will take us farther than we want to go, and keep us longer than we want to stay. We should teach them to remain innocent of evil.  However, “Just say no” is not enough.  We need to teach and practice “Just say yes to Jesus.”

Christ is good; we know that because of what he did.  Being Christ-like acquires us to act as Christ acted.  Healing the sick, feeding the hungry, being light in darkness and spreading the gospel is hard work.  Christianity is not for the lazy.  Do good; the world needs it.