Look Deeper To Avoid Being Mislead

Given what it needs to be healthy, a fruit tree will naturally produce fruit.  By examining the fruit it is easy to tell what kind of a tree it is.  Throughout the scriptures there are warnings about false prophets, and in Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus tells us another way to identify them.  “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

Jesus warned that superficially, the false prophets or teachers look like sheep, or servants of God, but in reality, they are wolves looking for opportunities to destroy  the sheep.   Paul gives a similar warning in II Corinthians 11:13-15.  “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”  False teachers go out of their way to appear as the very best and most spiritual Christians, as the very apostles of God.  If we only look at the outward appearance, the great sermons they preach or large churches and charitable efforts, we may well be deceived by their accomplishments. 

Jesus said we need to look more closely and see what is really there.  One of the ways of doing that is to look at the fruit they produce.  While all trees produce leaves and grow branches and roots, these things often look much the same from one kind of tree to another, but their fruit is much more distinctive.  It is fairly easy to tell a peach from an apple or an orange, or even a cherry.  While the false prophet may present a sermon or build a church that seems much what other pastors or teachers do, their underlying attitudes are very different.  False teachers usually have to incorporate some truths to fool people, so their message may resemble the teachings of those who teach the truth. 

Galatians 5:19-21 says, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Jesus said these things are the result of the heart attitude, in Matthew 15:19-20.  “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”

The Holy Spirit produces a very different set of attitudes as Galatians 5:22 and 23 says.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” If these attitudes are not present, it indicates the Holy Spirit is not present, or that he is not being allowed to produce fruit, and as Romans 8:9 tells us, “…if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”  Based on the attitudes that are portrayed, Matthew 12:33 can judge whether the prophet or teacher is inspired by God or not.  “olyH

Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.”  Often problems show up in the attitudes long before they show up in the teachings, but sooner or later they will affect the teachings as well, which is why I John 4:1 commands, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

With the various warnings and tests in the scriptures, it is our own fault if we get mislead, even though the false teachers may be very persuasive, as we see in Matthew 24:24.  “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”  We have the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth, if we will allow him to do so.