Being Wise and Innocent: Romans 16:19

Read Romans 16:19, "For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil."

Is it possible to retain your innocence in high school? Can you really walk the halls of that place, hearing the crude remarks, filthy talk, and glorification of sin, and still remain unscathed? On the other hand, by completely cutting yourself off from all contact with non-Christians and the real world, are you able to fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) or be a light in a dark place? How do you remain in the world but not of the world (John 17:15-16)? I think Romans 16:19 really sheds light on the question I just asked. Paul challenges believers to be wise in what is good and innocent of evil. Let's unpack that and take a closer look of what that verse means.

The first part of that challenge is to be wise in what is good. The word "wise" in my Bible is a translation of the original Greek word "sophos" which means "skilled, expert, cultivated, learned." <*side note: Remember that the New Testament was originally written in Greek, and our Bibles are a translation from Greek to English. By looking at the original Greek words that were used, we can oftentimes gain a greater understanding of the meaning of the text. I consult blueletterbible.org to find Greek words and definitions.> The picture I get from this phrase is someone who knows what he/she believes. As Christians, we need to know the Scriptures backward and forward. The only way to do this is to read them over and over again. When you meet someone who seems to know where every passage is found off the top of their head, they have become this way by reading and rereading those passages over many years. There are far too many Christians who are illiterate in the Scriptures, and there is no excuse for this, especially with all of the resources we have today! Have you ever read through the whole Bible? Have you ever dug deeper into the Scriptures by consulting commentaries and devotional books on particular passages? It is so sad to me to see that the teenagers I meet in the Mormon community are so much more learned in their beliefs than those in the Christian community. Goodness comes from God, and you will only be wise in what is good by reading His Word and spending time with Him.

The next part of this verse is to be innocent in what is evil. The Greek word for "innocent" is "akeraios." The word has two meanings. The first means, "unmixed, pure as in wine or metals." The second definition reads, "of the mind, without a mixture of evil, free from guile, innocent, simple." The idea is that this person has remained pure and untainted from evil. Of course evil is around us all day long. However, we are to remain set apart from this wickedness and innocent of it. How can you remain innocent of evil as a teenager, especially in school? I went to a very rough public school, but I can honestly say I maintained innocence from a lot of evil. Sure, I got teased for being innocent and naive, but I knew that I did this by choice.

One thing I would suggest you to do is to be very careful of the movies and TV shows that you watch. I have said it once and will say it again...believers should not watch R-rated comedies. These are rated R for crudeness, profanity, and sexuality. As a believer, you need to be innocent of this kind of filth and immorality. I remember one time in college, I was at a friend's apartment with a group of people. Someone put in a really filthy R-rated comedy. It only took a few minutes for me to see that this was not something I needed to put in my mind. Though it was somewhat embarrassing, I left and went home. I knew that I needed to maintain my innocence when it came to sexual promiscuity.

Another thing I would suggest you do, is when someone at school starts to talk about something perverted, either change the subject or walk away. Oftentimes people at school would say, "do you want to hear a really funny but dirty joke?" It's easy to tell them no thanks! Sometimes you can't avoid hearing a dirty joke. However, I remember hearing so many of those sexual jokes in high school that I didn't understand at all. This is a good thing! Just leave it at that. Don't ask someone what it means or think about it too hard. Protect your innocence by not having the joke explained to you. Be careful who you spend your time with, because it is impossible to remain unmixed with evil when you're consistently hanging out with wicked people. These are just a few examples of times when I think a teenager's innocence is threatened and can be easily avoided.

Romans 16:19 is a short verse, and I encourage you to memorize it. When you are facing a situation in which your innocence is being threatened, recite that verse! Ask God to keep you from temptation and deliver you from evil (a direct quote from the Lord's prayer in Matt. 6), as well as to show you how to remain pure and innocent. Also ask God to teach you, grow you and make you wise in what is good. Do not be ignorant of the Scriptures but read and study them fervently. By filling yourself up with good and godly things, and keeping yourself innocent of wickedness, you will surely be a light in a dark place for God's glory~