Don't Be Led Astray

Evangelist: “Now there are three things in this man’s counsel that you must
utterly detest.
1. His ability to lead you out of the way.
2. His zealous effort to portray the Cross as abhorrent to you.
3. And his directing of your feet toward that way which leads
to the administration of death.”

“First, you must despise his ability to turn you out of the way; yes,
and your own agreement to such a proposal as well: because this is to
reject the counsel of God for the sake of the counsel of a Worldly-
Wiseman. The Lord says, ‘Strive to enter in at the strait and narrow
gate,’the gate to which I am sending you; ‘for strait is the gate that
leads to life, and there are few that find it.’This wicked man has
turned you from the Wicket-gate and the way that leads up to it, and
almost brought you to destruction. Therefore hate his ability to turn
you out of the way, and loathe yourself for listening to him.”


Evangelist continues to give instruction to Christian. He is being a good shepherd. He explains to Christian that Worldly-Wiseman did three things that are abhorrent. The first is, this church leader led Christian away from the path that he was supposed to be on. 


It is so easy to divert the journeys of those seeking God today. The reason is that there is absolutely no doctrine being taught today. During Bunyan's time, in order to join the church one had to pass a test given by three elders. These elders had been given the responsibility to make sure the member had studied the Westminster Shorter Cathacism and could answer the questions within it verbatim. If the person couldn't answer them they were sent away to study more. The importance was that a person needed to know what they believed in and why. Without this foundation how can one question what is being taught them is correct?


"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Acts 17:11 


Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”


We do not hesitate to respect the flag. We recognize what acts of valor were displayed to keep it flying. We stand at attention, hat in hand, right hand over heart when it appears. Many martyrs have also died to make sure we have the Word. There were countless beheaded, burnt at the stake, drowned, pulled apart, for the word we ignore today. One was Nicholas Burton. Google him and find out what happened to him.


"When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained." Revelation 6:9


Get into the Word of God. Study it. Meditate on the Word. Ask questions. Do not be so weak that someone can came and easily led you away.