In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus warned, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves...." II Peter 2:1 states: "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring damnable heresies...." There is much in God's Word about exposing false prophets. We are to expose them and also preach the way of salvation.
Jesus said, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall now them." I want to provide three categories of fruit for this post: their creed, their character, and their converts. When we examine these three categories, we will be able to detect and expose false prophets.
First, the creed of a false prophet will eliminate the necessity of repentance. While the term may occasionally be referenced, the false prophet has never repented so he doesn't understand it, because he has never been there. The false teacher will seek to comfort the sinner, tell him that God loves him just as he is and he doesn't need to change. God is love and that love will be sufficient to take you to heaven. "Just trust Jesus," "accept Jesus," or "just make a decision for Jesus." Sometimes the illustration is given as follows: God votes for you, Satan votes against you, and you cast the deciding vote. This false teacher turns God into a powerless spectator wringing His hands on the sidelines hoping someone chooses Him. God is powerful and He is the one that chooses you. It is your responsibility to respond to His calling and if you don't you will be lost. The false teacher tells the sinner that he is in charge. The sinner is not in charge, God is.
Second, the character is the preacher's inward spirit, their attitude, and their walk. The false teacher is afraid to tell the sinner the truth. He refuses to tell the lost that he is unrighteous with no understanding of God, and who does not seek God. Read Romans 3 for a description of the lost soul. They don't want God. The true teacher will thunder God's truth and not be afraid of the results. The walk of the false prophet is to comfort the lost as they are on their way to hell. They most likely will never mention hell because they are afraid o do so. The true prophet of God puts man in his proper place. That place is a place of responsibility to respond to God's call with repentance and making Jesus Christ Lord and Savior.
Third, when you look at the converts of a false preacher, the difference between a false and a true prophet are very evident. An old preacher once said to me, "Brother, what you win them with, is what you will have to keep giving them to keep them. So just give them the Lord Jesus Christ." False teachers try to win to church membership, the latest gimmick or program, easy believeism, or free grace. A false preacher is just looking for numbers, statistics, or money. A true prophet of God will understand what it takes to be born again and will preach the truth about repentance. I personally believe there are more false prophets than true prophets today. I read one sermon from the 1960s and the pastor said he believed that 95% of all pastors in the USA were lost. We have no way of knowing the truth of that statistic, but the main takeaway is to use the ministers creed, character and converts as a way of determining whether he is real or a wolf in sheep's clothing. You will know them by their fruits.
No comments:
Post a Comment