“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. [16] Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? [17] Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. [19] Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. [20] Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
In this passage of Scripture, we have Jesus teaching his disciples along with a multitude of people. There are several different things he teaches on in these few chapters, but I want to focus on his teaching concerning false teachers. The epidemic of false teaching on Jesus Christ and the Bible is very much alive and thriving in our churches today.
God’s Word is being twisted and perverted to suit our own wants and pleasure our flesh. The truth has never been popular; it wasn’t popular in Bible days and it isn’t popular today. Jesus is giving a warning in these verses about false teachers.
False teachers are people that teach things that are contrary to the Bible. False teachers will take the Word of God and twist it for their own selfish gain, often times using it as a means to fill their own pockets and pack their churches with thousands of people. They pretend to be faith healers, they pursue their congregation to give large amounts of money, claiming that God will send them a special blessing or heal their infirmity. They completely disregard the truth of God’s Word.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:16 how to identify these false teachers. “Ye shall know them by their fruits,” and He goes on to give us an illustration of this: we don’t go to a thorn bush and get grapes. We don’t go to a thistle bush, and get figs. Thorn bushes will never produce fruit because of their very nature; it is impossible for them to produce anything but thorns. Jesus is not speaking about men producing actual fruit, but He’s talking about their works. How do they act? How do they speak? How do they conduct themselves? Verse 17 speaks of good trees bringing forth good fruit and bad trees bringing forth bad fruit.
Our works are a direct result of what is in our hearts. Sinners sin, because that is what is in their hearts. Thieves steal, rapists attack, and adulterers cheat because those sins are the fruit being produced from an evil heart.
Concerning false teachers, their message does not line up with God’s Word, so they are anti-God, and so will be their works. Jesus compares these false teachers to wolves in sheep’s clothing. A wolf is dangerous and frightening to a herd of sheep, but when disguised as one of them, the wolf is free to roam amongst the sheep without causing any concern at all. Like the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the false teacher knows how to dress, knows how to talk, knows how to walk, knows how to interact with Christians without raising any red flags.
When trying to decide if somebody is a false teacher ask yourself these questions: What did they say about Jesus? Do they say that He is the Son of God? Do they teach or preach that Jesus is the only the way to salvation? Do they preach the gospel of the Bible? The death, the burial the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
False teachers say things like “There are many ways to get to heaven,” but John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Another thing that you will hear false teachers say is, “We all have our own truth,” but John 17:17 tells us, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
Another thing that you will hear a false teacher say is “Listen to your heart and follow it,” but Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Something else you will hear false teachers say is “You are enough,” but John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
Here’s one more thing that you hear a lot of false teachers say is that you’re a good person, everyone is good, however, Psalms 53:3 says, “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
It is so important that we know the word of God. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We will never know the truth, if we never study it.
Posted: April 29, 2023 by Johnathan Bass
Ravening Wolves
Matthew 7:15-20
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. [16] Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? [17] Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. [19] Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. [20] Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
In this passage of Scripture, we have Jesus teaching his disciples along with a multitude of people. There are several different things he teaches on in these few chapters, but I want to focus on his teaching concerning false teachers. The epidemic of false teaching on Jesus Christ and the Bible is very much alive and thriving in our churches today.
God’s Word is being twisted and perverted to suit our own wants and pleasure our flesh. The truth has never been popular; it wasn’t popular in Bible days and it isn’t popular today. Jesus is giving a warning in these verses about false teachers.
False teachers are people that teach things that are contrary to the Bible. False teachers will take the Word of God and twist it for their own selfish gain, often times using it as a means to fill their own pockets and pack their churches with thousands of people. They pretend to be faith healers, they pursue their congregation to give large amounts of money, claiming that God will send them a special blessing or heal their infirmity. They completely disregard the truth of God’s Word.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:16 how to identify these false teachers. “Ye shall know them by their fruits,” and He goes on to give us an illustration of this: we don’t go to a thorn bush and get grapes. We don’t go to a thistle bush, and get figs. Thorn bushes will never produce fruit because of their very nature; it is impossible for them to produce anything but thorns. Jesus is not speaking about men producing actual fruit, but He’s talking about their works. How do they act? How do they speak? How do they conduct themselves? Verse 17 speaks of good trees bringing forth good fruit and bad trees bringing forth bad fruit.
Our works are a direct result of what is in our hearts. Sinners sin, because that is what is in their hearts. Thieves steal, rapists attack, and adulterers cheat because those sins are the fruit being produced from an evil heart.
Concerning false teachers, their message does not line up with God’s Word, so they are anti-God, and so will be their works. Jesus compares these false teachers to wolves in sheep’s clothing. A wolf is dangerous and frightening to a herd of sheep, but when disguised as one of them, the wolf is free to roam amongst the sheep without causing any concern at all. Like the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the false teacher knows how to dress, knows how to talk, knows how to walk, knows how to interact with Christians without raising any red flags.
When trying to decide if somebody is a false teacher ask yourself these questions: What did they say about Jesus? Do they say that He is the Son of God? Do they teach or preach that Jesus is the only the way to salvation? Do they preach the gospel of the Bible? The death, the burial the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
False teachers say things like “There are many ways to get to heaven,” but John 14:6 says, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Another thing that you will hear false teachers say is, “We all have our own truth,” but John 17:17 tells us, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
Another thing that you will hear a false teacher say is “Listen to your heart and follow it,” but Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Something else you will hear false teachers say is “You are enough,” but John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
Here’s one more thing that you hear a lot of false teachers say is that you’re a good person, everyone is good, however, Psalms 53:3 says, “there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
It is so important that we know the word of God. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We will never know the truth, if we never study it.
Category: Uncategorized Tags: false prophets, false teachers, wolves, wolves in sheep's clothing