Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. … Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
— Matthew 7: 15-20
Following the Call: Chap. 49: False Prophets
By their fruit. Signs of the time. Pointing the finger. Your turn.
I would urge you to turn the text into a mirror to let it ask you a simple question: Am I the false prophet of this text?
— Scot McKnight
By Their Fruit
Jesus has just urged his disciples to enter through the narrow gate. He now warns them to watch out for false prophets. The connection between these two sayings is obvious: false prophets preach the broad way. Beware! Be on the alert! Don’t be fooled! They sound good and do great things but are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Who exactly are these false prophets? How can we recognize them? Jesus’ answer is simple: those who bear bad fruit. First, what do they teach? Does their message conform to the values of God’s kingdom: righteousness, purity, meekness, truthfulness, faithfulness, nonviolence, generosity, forgiveness, reconciliation, and trustworthiness? Or do they emphasize side-track issues that are not central to the gospel?
False prophets may not be wildly heretical. Their teaching may even sound orthodox. But they rarely call their listeners to repent. That’s why they gain quite a hearing. False prophets tickle our ears with a message that costs us very little. They preach a false peace (Jer. 6:13-15; 8:8-12; 2 Tim. 4:3), a life that ignores the cross of self-denial and obedience. Their message is enchanting but leaves our lives unchanged.
Second, false prophets do not practice what they preach, let alone what Jesus teaches. The fruits are rotten. Their private life often contradicts how they present themselves in public, and even what they portray in public is often contrary to the character of God’s kingdom of justice as depicted in the Sermon on the Mount.
Oswald Chambers writes, “If we say we are right with God, the world has a perfect right to watch our private lives and see if we are so.” We must not be dazzled, therefore, by a person’s outward appearance. Outward signs of success, demonstrable talents and gifts, are not to be equated with the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22).
Lastly, one can tell false prophets by the effect their message has on others. Paul refers to how false teaching tends to “eat its way like gangrene” (2 Tim. 2:17). Its gangrenous progress, John Stott points out, “is seen when it upsets people’s faith, promotes ungodliness, and causes bitter divisions. Sound teaching, by contrast, produces faith, love, and godliness.” If what Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount does not characterize the personal and social life of a “prophet” or leader then something is surely off-base.
Signs of the Times
Jesus is not telling us to hunt down heretics, yet he does want us to be alert, to pay attention. In the latter days their presence will only increase (Matt. 24:11-14).
So, are there false prophets today? I hesitate to get too specific here, but it is worrisome to read about all the damage done by church leaders. There seems to be a pattern: congregations with impressive programs and assets that are built upon the charisma and talents of men who then dominate and control and exploit those under their care.
There are other signs of false prophecy that should concern us. The three temptations Jesus faced and overcame (mammon, power, miracles) give us a clue as to what they are (Matt. 4:1-11). The prosperity gospel promises happiness and material success to all who have faith. “Bread for all!” Then there are those who conflate the gospel with the American way of life, advocating a particular political platform and party in the name of Christ. “The kingdoms of this world.” Finally, there are preachers who captivate audiences by demonstrations of healing power, directing their listeners to seek after the supernatural. God will come to the rescue.
There are other twisted forms of the gospel. These are often subtle and based on half-truths but all of them revolve around the self and self-affirmation. The costly way of following Jesus plays second fiddle to the “gospel” of acceptance and inclusion: “Each of us is on his or her own spiritual journey.” “Let’s welcome and affirm one another just as we are! No shame, no blame!” Christ himself, and his kingdom, are conspicuously left behind.
Pointing the Finger
There is indeed much to be on guard against. But as we look around, we had better look twice. This is why Scot McKnight asks: “Am I the false prophet of this text?” It is easy to get worked up by what others are espousing or by how others are living (or failing to live), but what about us?
“The easier the expression in words,” Oswald Chambers again writes, “the less likely is the truth to be carried out in our lives.” This is as perilous as is false doctrine. It leads to “expressing a thing and letting the exertion of expression result in never actually doing anything.” Not doing what Jesus teaches is the real issue. When we fail to bear good fruit, we risk not seeing the false prophet that might lurk inside us.
Failure to take a hard look at ourselves can also lead us to confuse our convictions with Christ himself. As Chambers puts it:
It is easy to get alarmed and to persuade ourselves that our particular convictions are the standards of Christ, and to condemn everyone to perdition who does not agree with us; we are obliged to do it because our convictions have taken the place of God in us. God’s book never tells us to walk in the light of convictions, but in the light of the Lord. (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount)
This is the challenge: Do we walk as Jesus did, in the light as he is in the light (1 John 1:1-4), or are we consumed with our own version of Christianity? For it is the light of the Lord, not our own light, that matters. Jesus is the light of the world, but his light shines on the narrow not the broad way. Will we walk it? Neither wolves in sheep’s clothing nor bad trees can stand in its light. But good trees will flourish and their fruit will last.
Your Turn
What other false “gospels” are being preached today? To make a comment just reply to this email.
Jesus himself is the ultimate mirror I must look into. Thanks for your response Perry.
My mind came up....sometimes God's word tell me like I was wrong....it can be tempting like oh no or not me but funny when I look at mirror and saw my hair looks not good so have to comb...why not say oh no or not me. Mirror always win. Better listen to God's word or be sensitive to Holy Spirit lead better than mirror. 👍