Matthew 7:15-20 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.
“A wolf in sheep’s clothing.” The phrase has become cliché, but the point is well understood. Someone, or something, that pretends to be something they are not in order to cause harm.
Predators will use subterfuge to attack their prey. They will hide and then attack an unwitting animal. They will sneak up until they are close enough to pounce. Sometimes they will cover themselves in something with a strong smell in order to mask their scent. Jesus refers here to a type of spiritual predator who disguises themselves in order to catch their victims.
A false prophet is one who claims to speak for God, but their source is from something else. While Jesus uses the term “prophet”, I believe this passage would also pertain to “teachers and preachers” as they also claim to be proclaiming God’s Word.
There are many reasons someone becomes a false prophet/teacher/preacher. Some are simply deceived themselves and believe what they are saying. On rare occasions someone is actively trying to damage the church. I ran into a cult in Asia called Eastern Lightening that was engaged in such nefarious schemes. The most common reason though is personal gain. The person hopes to make money and/or gain power/influence.
Recognizing a false prophet can be difficult. The two ways to do it are check their statements with scripture and watch their personal life. Most false prophets and teachers get away with what they are doing because their audience does not read the Bible for themselves and see if what is said is true. Often this is because the follower likes what the false prophet or teacher says and has no interest in finding out whether they are wrong.
Watching a prophet or teacher’s life will usually indicate whether they are listening to God or not. Do they exhibit the fruit of the Spirit? Is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control manifest in the way they treat others, conduct their business, and live their life? If not, one should be very concerned about their message.
As Christians, we need to be careful who we listen to. We are accountable to God for what we believe and how we act. It is our responsibility to make sure that the people who input spiritually into our lives are giving us the words of God. Otherwise we can be led astray.
Lord God, Your Word is true and is living. Give me the wisdom and discernment to know Your truth and recognize what is false. Keep me from being lazy and failing to test everything I hear against what the Bible says.