Are You Who You Profess?

Matthew 7:15-20 ESV

“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.”

We live in an age here in America, and I assume in the world, as a whole, where liars and deceivers appear to be everywhere, where sometimes it seems as though no one tells the truth, that no one is really who he says he is, and where we can’t trust anything we see (or think we see) or hear or read. So much is being altered and doctored and modified, and so we must be very discerning people who test everyone and everything in prayer and in the Word of God and against what we know of the character of God.

So, how do the Scriptures define a “false prophet,” particularly in the New Testament? Well, this context tells us a lot, as do the verses right before this which talk about the broad road/gate versus the narrow road/gate, which is the way to God and to heaven and to salvation and to eternal life with God. For false prophets teach the broad way that leads to destruction, while true servants of the Lord teach the narrow way which leads to eternal life with God. So what a person teaches tells us a lot about who he is.

But… and I will add a word of caution here, some false prophets (teachers) will teach a lot of the truth, and it may appear that what they are teaching is right, but they will throw in many subtle and hidden lies in the mix, sometimes in the form of what are called misimpressions, which are indirect but deliberate lies. So, on a surface listen, they may sound like they are telling the truth. So that is why we have to keep listening and keep testing and keep praying for much spiritual discernment.

But one of the main tricks they use in order to deceive the people is to take Scriptures out of their context, then to twist them to say what they do not say in context so as to teach what is false while making it appear as though it is biblical. And many people are buying into these lies. But we must look at the Scriptures in their context, and look at other Scriptures which teach on the same subject, and compare them one to another, for they should all agree together. And then we must pray for spiritual discernment.

And false prophets come to us in sheep’s clothing. They make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and they give the appearance that they are true believers in Christ, but they are really wolves in disguise. And the way we recognize who they really are is by their fruits (their teachings, their actions, their behaviors, their words, their deeds, etc.). Do their actions match their words? And do their words match their actions? And are their messages and their actions in agreement with each other, and are they consistent? 

Are they walking in obedience to the Lord? Are their hearts, minds, and behaviors, in practice, dedicated to the Lord and to his service? Or are they worldly minded and fleshly in the words they speak and in the things that they do? Do they reflect Christ or the world or the flesh? Are their messages consistent? Or are they on a “teeter totter” going back and forth between opinion and belief and practice? Are they living holy lives in moral purity? Or are they still living in deliberate and habitual sin?

For, those who are true teachers of the Word are going to be people of God who lead us to humbling ourselves before our Lord in genuine repentance and in the forsaking of our sins so that we can now follow our Lord in obedience to his ways and in living morally pure, upright, honest, godly, and faithful lives to the glory and praise of God, and not to the glory of our sinful flesh. But false teachers will lead us to believe we are saved and on our way to heaven while we still live in deliberate and habitual sin against God.

So, what did Jesus teach? He taught that if we want to come after him that we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, we have eternal life in him. For he also said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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