Further Instruction from the Mount - Pt 7

 

[Jesus said] “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).

 

A "wolf in sheep's clothing" is an idiom for someone who disguises a ruthless, malicious nature behind a harmless, friendly facade. It serves as a universal warning to be cautious of deceptive people who use charm or a veneer of innocence to mask their true, dangerous intentions. 

 

Throughout the Scripture we are warned about false prophets (cf. Ezekiel 13, Matthew 24:23–27, 2 Peter 3:3). False prophets claim to speak for God, but they speak falsehood. To gain a hearing, they look good and make promises of great blessing and gain from the following of their teachings.  No matter how innocent and harmless these teachers appear on the outside, they have the nature of wolves—they are intent on destroying faith, causing spiritual carnage in the church, and enriching themselves. They “secretly introduce destructive heresies,” “bring the way of truth into disrepute,” and “exploit you with fabricated stories” (2 Peter 2:1–3).

 

The false teachers wear “sheep’s clothing” so they can mingle with the sheep without arousing suspicion. They usually are not up front about what they believe; rather, they mix in some truth with their falsehood and carefully choose their words to sound correct. However, in reality, they “follow their own ungodly desires” (Jude 1:17–18), and “they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed” (2 Peter 2:14). By contrast, a true prophet teaches the Scripture fully (cf. Deuteronomy 18:20). Wolves in sheep’s clothing twist God’s Word to deceive or influence the audience for their own purposes. Remember, Satan masquerades as an angel of light (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:14), and his ministers masquerade as servants of righteousness (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:15).

 

The best way to guard against these false prophets is to heed the warnings of Scripture and know the truth. A believer who “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and carefully studies the Bible will be able to identify false prophets. Christians must judge all teaching against what Scripture says. We must trust and verify by the Scripture. We can also identify false prophets by their fruit—their words, actions, and lifestyles. If a teacher in the church does not live according to God’s Word, he is one of those wolves in sheep’s clothing. Be alert and aware!