“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20 ESV)
One who prophesies is one who proclaims, who preaches the messages of the Lord, so this is not just about people who call themselves prophets, and it is not restricted to those who prophesy future events. For prophecy is, simply put, a message from God. So we are to watch out for those who claim they are giving a message from God and to test it against the Scriptures, taught in context, to make certain it is in line with the teachings of the Scriptures and with the divine character and will of God.
For messages from God should be supported by and be consistent with the Scriptures and should be taught from the Scriptures in practical ways which are applicable to our lives and to our world and church today. And you don’t have to be a prophet or to call yourself a prophet in order to give out messages from God, for we are all to be sharing the message of the gospel with the people of the world, and we who are Christians are all supposed to be exhorting one another and speaking the truth in love to one another.
So, in truth, we should be testing everything we hear or read, no matter who it is coming from (or through), if it is supposed to be in some way a divine revelation or a teaching from the Scriptures or a word from the Lord, for there are many people out there today, in the name of Jesus, who are teaching lies. On the outside they may appear to be Christians (Jesus’ sheep), but inwardly they are either ravenous wolves or they are the deceived who are believing the lies and thus they are also spreading the lies.
Some people tell the lies willfully, defiantly, and deliberately, with the full purpose to deceive naïve and undisciplined people and those who are lacking in much knowledge of the Scriptures (in context). They prey on the naïve and the unchurched and those who they feel that they can shape according to their will and purpose. But like I said, others may spread the lies because they believe that the lies are the truth, and they do so naively. But I have also seen how many will hold on to the lies so that they can continue in sin.
Anyway, we have many charming and smooth-talking preachers today, and not all of them in mega “churches,” either, who are very good at manipulating the Scriptures to make them say what they do not say if taught properly in their context. They are very skilled at inserting these lies into the truth to make them look and feel like truth when they are not truth. For they are teaching what people’s itching ears want to hear, i.e. what makes them feel good, but not that which is good or right or honest.
So we are not to believe everything that sounds good, for just because it sounds good doesn’t mean it is good. Misimpressions is one of the big ways they are teaching lies today, because they are indirect (not direct) lies, and so they are hidden and thus difficult to identify, which is on purpose. They have found a way to cleverly teach lies that are not obvious lies and thus they are hard to prove. So we can’t just read or listen to everything on a surface level, but we have to ask ourselves what message is being given.
But now it says here that we will recognize these false prophets, false messengers of God by their fruits, i.e. by their deeds, words, actions, and results. But be careful about the “results” part. For just because a preacher has a huge following it doesn’t mean he is teaching the truth. Usually, but not always, it is more of an indication that he is teaching lies. For the Scriptures teach that the way to eternal life with God is narrow and hard and few are those who find it. Thus the majority will go the broad and easy way.
Our fruit is also shown in our character and in what we value and in our obedience to our Lord, or lack thereof. For if we are true followers of Christ we should be people who are morally pure, honest, faithful, fair, upright, and godly, and who walk (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to our Lord. Those who are not of the character of God will often be worldly, morally impure, dishonest, unfaithful, manipulative, deceptive, and disobedient to our Lord and to his commands. But they can be wolves in sheep’s clothing.
What I am finding much is that those who are false prophets or teachers are not going to be those who are teaching holy living, surrender of our lives to Christ, submission to the Lordship of Christ, the forsaking of our sins, dying to sin daily, and following our Lord in obedience to his commands, in practice. And they are not going to be warning the believers against continuing in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord and of the consequences if they do not repent and follow Jesus in obedience.
Instead they will be people who will coddle the sinners in their sin and who will leave the door open for them to keep on sinning, only without feeling guilty, and without feeling a need to repent and to change course. And they will teach that we can believe (not usually biblically defined) in Jesus, have all our sins forgiven (past, present, and future), be on our way to heaven, have the assurance that it can’t be taken away from us, but regardless of how we live. “But regardless of how we live” is not biblical.
So just know that the truth of the gospel is not what is popularly being taught today here in America. It is that we must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow our Lord in obedience. For if we hold on to our lives of living in sin we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, we have the hope of eternal life. For not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father.
[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
Why Are You Afraid?
An Original Work / December 5, 2013
Based off Various Scriptures
Do not be afraid.
Your Lord is always by your side.
Serve the Lord in righteousness
Before Him all your days.
Those who hate the light
Will not come to the Lord.
They fear their deeds
Might be noticed.
So, they hate the light,
And they embrace the night.
Do not be afraid,
Although your enemy attacks.
Dare to share your testimony
Of God’s saving grace.
Do not fear their threats,
But honor Christ, your Lord.
Be prepared to give an answer
For the hope you have,
With gentleness; respect.
Why are you afraid?
For all that’s hidden will be shown.
What I tell you, speak in daylight.
Let the truth be known.
Do not be afraid
Of those who’ll take your life.
Fear the Lord with understanding.
Trust Him with your life,
And give not up to strife.
Do not be afraid.
Take courage, it is I, your Lord.
Bow before Me; now adore Me.
Oh, why do you doubt?
Listen to the Lord.
Get up and bear His name!
Run and tell the world He loves them.
Jesus came to save.
Give Him your all today.
