The way of holiness is so straight and plain that the simplest minds cannot go astray if they constantly follow it. The worldly wise have many twists and turns, and yet they make terrible blunders and generally miss their end. Worldly policy is a poor, shortsighted thing, and when men choose it as their road, it leads them over dark mountains. Gracious minds know no better than to do as the LORD bids them; but this keeps them in the King's highway and under royal protection.

Let the reader never for a moment attempt to help himself out of a difficulty by a falsehood or by a questionable act; but let him keep in the middle of the high road of truth and integrity, and he will be following the best possible course. In our lives we must never practice circular sailing nor dream of shuffling. Be just and fear not, Follow Jesus and heed no evil consequences. If the worst of ills could be avoided by wrongdoing, we should, in the very attempt, have fallen into an evil worse than any other ill could be. God's way must be the very best way. Follow it though men think you a fool, and you will be truly wise.

This is a conclusion drawn from the preceding chapter: the Judaizing teachers not only taught a false doctrine, but they led an unholy life. We have been studying the book of Colossians and we have found that the reason Epaphras traveled from Colossae to Rome is to visit Paul where he was in prison. Epaphras needed help from Paul because the false teachers known at Gnosticism had invaded the church there. As we travel through time we find many false teachers and religious sects that have invaded the churches in an attempt, and sometimes successfully destroy the teaching or doctrine of the churches. In our day and time we have Arminianism, these teachers has been used very successfully by Satan to destroy many local churches. These Arminian teachers seek to take away the glory due God and Christ in particular for His gracious act of saving and undeserving sinner by His wonderful Grace. Arminianism, like all of the other false teachings of history put salvation into mans hands and if salvation is in mans hands then there is no salvation at all. Romans 3:10-12 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (11.) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (12.) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." As we can see from this passage of scripture alone man cannot produce salvation, it simply is not in him. Arminianism like all of the other attempts by Satan and his workers while having some success has in large part failed and will continue to fail as long as the church of Jesus Christ remains on this earth. Matthew 16:18b "upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." One thing is for certain is until Jesus returns there will be at least one church on this earth that still is true to Him in doctrine.

The Misery you are exposed to is that which God will inflict to that end, that he might show what that wrath of Jehovah is. God hath had it on his heart to show to angels and men, both how excellent his love is, and also how terrible his wrath is. Sometimes earthly kings have a mind to show how terrible their wrath is, by the extreme punishments they would execute on those that would provoke them. Nebuchadnezzar, that mighty and haughty monarch of the Chaldean empire, was willing to show his wrath when enraged with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; and accordingly gave orders that the burning fiery furnace should be heated seven times hotter than it was before; doubtless, it was raised to the utmost degree of fierceness that human art could raise it. But the great God is also willing to show his wrath, and magnify his awful majesty and mighty power in the extreme sufferings of his enemies. Rom. ix. 22. "What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?" And seeing this is his design, and what he has determined, even to show how terrible the unrestrained wrath, the fury and fierceness of Jehovah is, he will do it to effect. There will be something accomplished and brought to pass that will be dreadful with a witness. When the great and angry God hath risen up and executed his awful vengeance on the poor sinner, and the wretch is actually suffering the infinite weight and power of his indignation, then will God call upon the whole universe to behold that awful majesty and mighty power that is to be seen in it. Isa. xxxiii. 12-14. "And the people shall be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut up shall they be burnt in the fire. Hear ye that are far off, what I have done; and ye that are near, acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites,"