If we have a love for the truth, we will refrain from speaking any falsehood. Hermas, being a man of God, was releasing lies that were going without challenge by his hearers; they accepted his teaching as truth. Hermas lamented for the falsehoods he spoke and questioned if he could even be saved. The angel of repentance was teaching him to correct his errors by speaking the truth.
By clothing ourselves with the fear of the Lord it will clothe us with a righteous desire and will be armoring to protect us from every evil inclination. We are able to easily walk out the commandments if we have it in our mind that they can be kept by us. If we neglect them we will not be saved.
Hermas is visited by and Angel, during his conversation with the angel he explains the punishments for the pleasures of sin, of indulging in luxuries and the difference between death and corruption. He also describes the importance of walking in the commandments and true repentance.
The angel of repentance explains to Hermas the process of repentance that is necessary to purify our hearts from all evil. The angel of punishment is sent to afflict us to humble us so that we may come to a deep and pure place of repentance, repenting with the whole heart. There is no true repentance without affliction.
Hermas, in his 2 nd vision, is chastised for failing to admonish his talkative wife, his lustful sons, and his own character. He makes it clear that one must repent with all their heart and drive out all doubts from their minds for forgiveness to be granted. In regard to God’s elect, if any one of them sin after a certain day which has been fixed, he shall not be saved as there are limits to the repentance of the righteous. The saints are given many chances to repent, but to the unbelievers or heathens, repentance will be possible even to the last day. Hermas is directed to tell those who preside over the Church, to direct their ways in righteousness that they may receive the full promises/inheritance.
The Shepard Hermas is visited by an angel during a fast and is told by the angel a better more perfect way to fast. By walking out the commandments and even going beyond what is commanded will be able to attain a more abundant glory from God. Fasting has more to do from the way we think and what we speak of more than just an abstinence from food.
Giving clear discernment by giving the characteristics of a true and false prophet. The false prophets are those who prey on the ones who have a spirit of doubt seek after these false prophets for a word as pagans seek after soothsayers to speak about their life. The righteous who are clothed with truth can easily recognize the false prophet and is not affected or seduced by them.