“³ For the lips of a strange woman (false doctrine) drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: ⁴ But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

⁵ Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

⁶ Lest you should ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that you can not know them.

⁷ Hear me now therefore, O you children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

⁸ Remove your way far from her (strange woman), and come not near the door of her house: ⁹ Lest you give your honor unto others, and your years unto the cruel: ¹⁰ Lest strangers be filled with your wealth; and your labors be in the house of a stranger; ¹¹ And you mourn at the last, when your flesh and your body are consumed, ¹² And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; ¹³ And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

¹⁴ I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.” Proverbs 5:7-14

There are many who have attended churches that they really enjoyed.  They loved the people and the people sincerely loved Jesus. They taught Jesus but separated Him from the Cross. Their doctrine was almost right but it is that “almost” that leavens the whole lump; the poison that steals, kills and destroys the seed of Truth that has been planted deep down in our soul.  A Jesus without His Cross is another Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4). This Jesus is presented for Who He is, the only begotten Son of God, and set as an example for the people to follow.  However the means given to follow this Jesus is a form of humanistic psychology; a vain philosophy which appeals to intellect and invokes self will to overcome that which is hindering one from living for God as they ought to be living for God.  That little bit of leaven leads to a whole lot of failure because the Gospel given to the people is not Jesus Christ as the Source and His Cross the means for our daily living for God; God’s Prescribed order for our victory, not man’s.

As for myself, there were times that I wanted so desperately to be a part of a church that I thought maybe the Lord sent me here to make a difference in some small way.  That was really my excuse; it was the leaven that puffs up, as I’m sure you too can see the self righteousness in that statement.  Remember, false doctrine is like a honeycomb and smoother than oil (vs. 3).  Her ways are moveable that you cannot know them (vs. 6).

The Scripture instructs us to remove our ways far from false doctrine and come not near the door of the house of false doctrine.  Again, she is smoother than oil and her ways are moveable…we cannot know them all.  This strange woman seduces the Believer and we give her honor and fill her with the wealth of our tithes and offerings. We labor and toil in her house with our dead works and completely disregard the doctrine that seemed “almost” right.

“²¹ Not every one that says unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that does the Will of My Father which is in Heaven.

²² Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name? and in Your Name have cast out devils? and in Your Name done many wonderful works?

²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23

Doing many wonderful works in the Name of Jesus is not a requirement to enter the Kingdom of God but the strange woman will exalt such works because they appeal to the flesh.

Sadly, many sincere Believers lose their way because of false doctrine.  “In the midst of the congregation and assembly” is the devil’s greatest playing field because of what is being taught from behind the pulpit.  Many do not want the Truth because the Truth would cause them to recognize their fig leaves for what they are and expose their religion as false.  It is not God’s Will for His Children to make the strange woman wealthy and labor in her house.  It is God’s Will for us to learn of Him, Who He is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin for the sinner and break the power of sin for the Believer and HE will author and finish our faith; HE will order our footsteps and our work will be profitable for His Kingdom.

“²⁹ Take My Yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For My Yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30

Come not near the door of false religion…it’s the devil’s playing field.

-Donna Clark Warren