Updated: May 27
In our daily meditations, we examine what Jesus taught His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount. In Chapter 7 of the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord warns us about those who approach us, appearing to be genuine teachers who proclaim the Word of God. However, with a discerning eye, one can see that the fruits of their words and lives reveal a different truth. Here are the Lord’s words:
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them (Matthew 7:15-20).
False prophets are delivering their messages every day. I’m sure we are all aware of those who spend five minutes teaching and 20 minutes explaining how we should contribute our finances to them, but in my opinion, it goes beyond that. The false prophet seems genuine on the outside, yet talks little, if at all, about repentance and faith in Christ. Without an adequate presentation of the Gospel, many hold onto a false hope and possess only an intellectual belief, rather than the genuine thing: a turning away from sin and toward a relationship with Christ.
In our time, the world’s false prophets reach us increasingly through lies and deception propagated by the media. With the repeal of the Smith-Mundt Act in 2013, it has become lawful to disseminate propaganda to the American public. False prophets appear on today’s news programs, presenting a distorted reality and discrediting anything related to God’s kingdom. The news programs and tech companies are all controlled at the board level by spiritual Babylon, advancing false narratives and promoting a world system governed by evil spirits operating through individuals behind the scenes. The believer in Christ should be discerning about what the major TV news and entertainment channels advocate. We need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes: “To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn” (Isaiah 8:20). With so much deception in this world, more than ever, we must be those who search the Scriptures daily. The Lord continues His warning to God’s people by focusing on false disciples:
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23).
There will always be those around us who behave in a Christian manner but do not have the life of God and His Spirit at work in their lives. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They appear to be genuine believers and even seem to walk in power and authority, yet they lack the fruit of the Spirit. They might say the right things, but when asked about the Biblical teachings of the Christian faith, they avoid clear statements regarding their stance on various sins of the flesh. Some are deceived into believing they will go to heaven because of their deeds, but Christ is the Door of the Sheepfold, and He knows if we truly believe and trust in Him. One of the most horrifying things that can happen to a person is to think they will go to heaven when they die only to hear the Master say, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" (v. 23). One can look the part and say the right things yet never enter an authentic relationship with the King of Heaven through faith in His substitutionary death on the Cross. May God open our eyes to distinguish between what is genuine and what is fake. Keith Thomas
This meditation is from the complete study found at the following link: