Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
The verse is God's warning to take heed and never enter the path of the wicked nor walk in the way of evil men. Shunning that path means completely avoiding it by turning from it and passing by it. Obeying the warning positively means staying in the straight and narrow way and the path of uprightness, turning to the Lord with full purpose of heart and holding fast to instruction as life.
The wicked path is restless mischief that cannot sleep unless evil is done and others are caused to fall, feeding on wickedness and violence, and it is darkness in which those who stumble do not know what they stumble over. That darkness is the condition of the world today, set opposite the path of the just that shines brighter and brighter to the perfect day. Turning aside from uprightness exposes a person to nets laid for the feet, for to leave uprightness to walk in the deceived imagination of unsanctified human judgment is to come under the control of satanic agencies, with mind and will and character taken possession of. Entering into temptation through pride and willing ignorance and rejection of advice leads away from the Word and from the principles of God's holy law into selfish, earthly, sensual desires that walk contrary to the commandments of God.
Refusing that path means refusing temptations to sins that debase mind and character, eat away right affections, and leave the life like a wrecked vessel adrift. Obeying requires thinking on Jesus and being changed by beholding Him, resisting the devil while drawing near to God, rebuking Satan, staying on guard every moment, and keeping the barriers of the soul unbroken lest Satan enter like a flood with fatal perplexities. Even beginning a course of evil with a small departure from what is right can prepare the way for further wrongdoing, separate a person from God, and end in apostasy, and once a person becomes accustomed to a way of life, abandoning it is difficult.
The warning applies to following a person's deceptive and crooked course of action and those who lead into it. Such following can corrupt faith, weaken confidence in Bible truth, foster self-confidence, and separate a person from God. Obeying also means not looking on those who have been overcome in order to build up self-righteousness, but being fully on God's side in order to rescue souls from death and cover many sins.
The verse is God's warning to take heed and never enter the path of the wicked nor walk in the way of evil men. Shunning that path means completely avoiding it by turning from it and passing by it. Obeying the warning positively means staying in the straight and narrow way and the path of uprightness, turning to the Lord with full purpose of heart and holding fast to instruction as life.
The wicked path is restless mischief that cannot sleep unless evil is done and others are caused to fall, feeding on wickedness and violence, and it is darkness in which those who stumble do not know what they stumble over. That darkness is the condition of the world today, set opposite the path of the just that shines brighter and brighter to the perfect day. Turning aside from uprightness exposes a person to nets laid for the feet, for to leave uprightness to walk in the deceived imagination of unsanctified human judgment is to come under the control of satanic agencies, with mind and will and character taken possession of. Entering into temptation through pride and willing ignorance and rejection of advice leads away from the Word and from the principles of God's holy law into selfish, earthly, sensual desires that walk contrary to the commandments of God.
Refusing that path means refusing temptations to sins that debase mind and character, eat away right affections, and leave the life like a wrecked vessel adrift. Obeying requires thinking on Jesus and being changed by beholding Him, resisting the devil while drawing near to God, rebuking Satan, staying on guard every moment, and keeping the barriers of the soul unbroken lest Satan enter like a flood with fatal perplexities. Even beginning a course of evil with a small departure from what is right can prepare the way for further wrongdoing, separate a person from God, and end in apostasy, and once a person becomes accustomed to a way of life, abandoning it is difficult.
The warning applies to following a person's deceptive and crooked course of action and those who lead into it. Such following can corrupt faith, weaken confidence in Bible truth, foster self-confidence, and separate a person from God. Obeying also means not looking on those who have been overcome in order to build up self-righteousness, but being fully on God's side in order to rescue souls from death and cover many sins.