Godly Mentors

     The fruits of a godly mentor play out in John Bunyan’s life as he relates of his instruction: (117) He [Mr. Gifford] pressed us to take heed, that we took not up any truth upon trust, as from this or that or another man or men, but to cry mightily to God, that he would convince us of the reality thereof, and set us down therein by his own Spirit in the holy Word.
     This is the beginning of discernment. There were at his time, and even more in our day, those cults that paraded as true religion. I often tell my students that we recognize a counterfeit not by studying the counterfeit but by studying the truth. The only way one will be able to discern the truth from error is by being grounded in the absolute truth of God’s holy Word.
     Godly mentors teach their students truth so that they may discern the “fly in the ointment”. Bunyan’s first published book was one where he took on the errors that the Quakers were teaching as truth. The list of these errors may be found in paragraph 124.
     Another of Bunyan’s mentors was none other than Martin Luther. We view this acknowledgement in these words (130): I do prefer this book of Mr. Luther upon the Galatians, (excepting the Holy Bible) before all the books that ever I have seen, as most fit for a wounded conscience. At this point I could easily rant on how men have failed in their command to take their role as men, but I will spare you.
     Godly mentors pass on that love of God in His truth so that when error is dispensed as fact, a righteous indignation will be ignited in those students of truth. Error is fire in their bones and cannot be unattended without confrontation. God’s word must not be misquoted or “spoof-texted” as we see many of the Emergent and Mega Church leaders do to their own liking.