Monday, April 09, 2012

LEADING OTHERS ASTRAY


"Those who tempt others plant their own wickedness in fertile fields and raise up new seed to the devil.
To the end of the world, every age will exceed the previous one in its degree of sinning. Ishmael and the mockers of the old world will look like children and the bunglers compared to the scoffers and cruel persecutors of the last days.
Think twice before you use your intelligence to invent new sins! You provoke God to new punishments. Sodom devised a new way to sin, so God devised a new way to discipline them: He sent hell from above upon them.
These same demons who invented sin are likewise the chief promoters of it. The apostate angels were not only the inventors of sin, but are also its chief enterprisers. These spirits are therefore called "the tempter," and sin is called "the work of the devil," no matter who commits it-- just as the credit for the design of a house goes to the architect, even though other men do the actual construction.
When you cause anyone to sin, you take the devil's office out of his hands. Let him do it himself if he can, but never allow him to use you as his hireling. Tempting someone else to sin is worse than sinning yourself. Those who tempt others plant their own wickedness in fertile fields and raise up new seed to the devil. To cultivate the devil's crop of sin with the evil in your own heart shows sin is mighty in you indeed. Parents, especially, must guard against such a heinous act. What are they but devils incarnate who, by their own example, teach their children the devil's catechism-- to swear and lie and drink?
Do you not know what you do when you tempt? I will tell you. You do that which cannot be undone by your own repentance. You contaminate your family and friends with error, and end them rushing to join the devil's throng. Later, you may see your mistake and turn from you wicked way. But can you force those you have led astray to fight against the press of the worldly crowd to get to Jesus at all cost? “

Quoted material from, ”The Christian in Complete Armour Daily Readings in Spiritual Warfare” by Gurnall and James S Bell. http://www.moodypublishers.com/pub_productDetail.aspx?id=41823&pid=53617

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