Wise to What Is Good

Rom. 16:19b

"I want you to be wise to what is good and innocent to what is evil."

How do I become wise to what is good? I would think that wisdom comes from much study and application. A person who is wise in the ways of the world has immersed themselves totally in this world's system and way of doing things knowing all the in's and out's, the important things, the consequences of violating the system, and have suffered trials from disobeying the system. It is similar with the ways of God. If I am to be wise to what is good, first I must know God because there is no one good but God. I know Him personally by spending time with Him in His Word and in prayer. Similar to the world's immersion, I must be totally immersed in the Spirit life. To do that, the Spirit must be guiding and leading my daily walk. I must know all the in's and out's, that is my daily time with God, Bible study, memorization, and meditation. I must know the important things, about my beginnings, His dealings with man, doctrine, and teaching for practical living. And finally I must be aware of the consequences of disobedience that is the discipline of the Lord. Sometimes this disobedience results in suffering, and other times the suffering is of a different nature and brings glory of God. Suffering is for my good building my Christian character vital to being wise to what is good. Being wise to the good involves a lifetime of saturation in the Word and prayer, a lifetime of enduring the trials, and a lifetime of pressing forward for the prize of the upward call of God.  

But what does it mean to be innocent to what is evil? I am thinking it is just the opposite of being wise to the good, that is there is no time for evil not even any exposure. I don't need to know evil to avoid it. I just need to know the good. I don't need to know evil to fight against it; in fact, knowing evil only becomes a constant temptation to fall prey to it. Paul gives this instruction to give believers protection, to keep them pure and focused on God. The more evil is in the life, the more control it has. If I want to fight evil, then I need to be wise to what is good. Goodness will exclude the evil causing unfed evil will to shrivel up and lose its hold.

Father,

Send Your Spirit to show me how to be wise to what is good and innocent to what is evil.  Keep me ever focused on You and Your word.

In Jesus name,

Amen