- What does this mean? They will:
- Speak lies in hypocrisy;
- (making) their consciences hard or 'seared with a hot iron;' (no feeling)
- Forbidding to marry (celibacy)
- abstain from meats,... (vegetarian diets as a religion)
Root word:
Seduce - To draw aside or entice from the path of rectitude and duty in any manner, by flattery, promises, bribes or otherwise; to tempt and lead to iniquity; to corrupt; to deprave.
Seduction - (W1828) 1.The act of seducing or of enticing from the path of duty.2. Appropriately, the act or crime of persuading a female, by flattery or deception, to surrender her chastity. A woman who is above flattery, is least liable to seduction; but the best safeguard is principle, the love and purity of holiness, the fear of God and reverence for His commandments.
3. Who is doing the 'seducing?' "spirits," (little s) I Jn 4.1 tells us, " Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." One is to "try the spirits whether they are of God..." Pretty simple, really. Ask yourself, "Is this scriptural?" That will be a starting point to filter anything that doesn't "feel right." We are also told pretty plainly, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (Jms 4.17)
4. How does one fall prey to such ungodliness? By "giving heed to SEDUCING spirit."
Remember in the Garden of Eden how Eve, looked, listened, lusted, touched then took? Remember what the Serpent said, "..., ye shall not surely die." (Gen 3.1-8)
Examine "doctrines of devils."
It is a wicked and perverse thing to make a religion out of abstaining from meat. We are told in this same passage that "every creature of God good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving..." (v4)
It is right to marry. "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband." ((I Cor 7)
The lies and hypocrisy is found like this:
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Mt 15.9)
When one takes on these things that are contrary to scripture the result is:
a "conscience seared with a hot iron," or past feeling. Also meaning that one doesn't want to know the way of truth and right.
Now, that being said, by all means if the doctor has said eating certain meats is bad for you, then, according to scripture (I Cor 6.19, 20) stay away from them! If, as Paul explained, (I Cor 7.8)"...it is good for them if they abide even as I...." By this he meant if one never finds a mate, then so be it. Some are better suited to the single life. But of course, it would be so that they could focus on things of the Lord rather than a spouse.
The sum of the passage, in this believers heart is this; Unless one is led, as explained above to certain types of lifestyle, then according to scripture one is to AVOID these DOCTRINES of DEVILS!
If a believer follows these things as "doctrines" rather than balancing the truth, the result is a "conscience" past feeling. One is so hard, that there is no love or compassion towards life. Take for example the current "doctrine/law" allowing the unborn to be aborted/murdered right before birth! God help us!
You think you will never go this far? Then keep entertaining beliefs that are contrary to scripture.
My prayer is that any reader of this blog will examine ones heart, 1. whether they be in the faith, and 2. if one is causing others to stumble because of unscriptural belief's.
