22010.174 Test the Fruit!

“Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.” —Matthew 7:15–20

Jesus is warning his followers to watch out, to be on our guard against those who would lead us astray. While the “false prophets” may appear harmless, they are anything but! We would do well to remember what Scripture tells us regarding Satan and his minions. The devil disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, we should not be surprised that his servants do as well:

“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.” —2 Corinthians 11:13–15

Before believing, we are to test all words against Scripture. When words are proven false, avoid and have nothing to do with following those who speak them! God blesses those who diligently search the Scripture for truth. Even the Bereans checked the teaching of the Apostle Paul!

“For they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so.” —Acts 17:11

We are to be cautious! This is certainly not anything new. From the serpent in the garden until this present-day, people have been bombarded by those who desire to take them on the path of destruction. God has continuously warned His people against this:

“The LORD of Heaven’s Armies says to the people of Jerusalem: ‘Do not listen to what those prophets are saying to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They are reporting visions of their own imaginations, not something the LORD has given them to say. They continually say to those who reject what the LORD has said, “Things will go well for you!” They say to all those who follow the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts, “Nothing bad will happen to you!” Yet which of them has ever stood in the LORD’s inner circle so they could see and hear what he has to say? Which of them have ever paid attention or listened to what he has said?’” —Jeremiah 23:16–18

Jesus tells us we can know these false prophets by the actions of their lives. A tree produces fruit according to its own kind. If we want to know if a person’s teaching is from God, an easy test is to examine their life! The works of a person’s life will testify for or against them. If the direction of their teaching leads to godliness, humility, patience, love, joy, and a host of other Christian graces, it surely points us to the truth. However, if their doctrine is one of dissension and pride, and takes people away from governing themselves or their families, we had better flee or at the very least dig deeper ourselves to discover the real truth.

Each person is ultimately responsible to God for what they believe.

Become More

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical. And the fruit that consists of righteousness is planted in peace among those who make peace.” —James 3:13–18

Further Reflections

“Holiness is the visible side of salvation.” —Charles Spurgeon

“A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine.” —D. L. Moody

“Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.” —2 Timothy 3:16–17

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