“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”[1]

This warning from the Lord Jesus regarding false prophets provides confirmation of their existence and a caution of their potential harm to believers. The Lord cancels all confusion and doubts regarding their presence. They do exist; they are not the invention of fear or imagination. He commands us to watch out for them and to guard against them.

Christ’s warning provides four declarations to His followers for their protection. First, His warning emphasizes the duty of examination. Second, He identifies the deceit of the false prophets. Third, His caution enables the discernment or the discovery of the false prophets. Finally, He outlines the destiny of the false prophets.

First, the Lord’s warning emphasizes the duty of examination. Since the Lord Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets,” we dare not set aside that command. As followers of Christ, we have a responsibility to heed His caution.

However, many avoid such examination of others, because they think that the Bible forbids it. They mistakenly apply Christ’s teaching at the beginning of Matthew 7 on judging others as prohibiting it. However, a careful reading of Matthew 7.1-5 will show that Jesus did not forbid judging but instead gave direction on the manner of judging. In fact, the Bible frequently gives guidance in Romans, 1 Corinthians, Paul’s advice to Timothy and Revelation on how to examine others and ourselves. We must approach it carefully, knowing that He will judge us in the same manner that we judge others.

Believers have a duty to examine those who come to them as teachers and assume positions of leadership in the church. We must scrutinize them and their fruits to insure their authenticity, so that we do not follow false prophets. The devil and the pressure of the world has cleverly blinded our eyes and pulled us away from that responsibility. We must examine our leaders thoroughly, because Jesus warned us that false prophets would come. To ignore this duty opens the door to our following false prophets.

Second, Jesus cautioned believers on the deceit of the false prophets. Notice that in His warning, the Lord Jesus did not refer to a blatantly wicked, evil person. He did not caution us and give direction on how to discern the diabolical man or woman who would stand and deny God and say, “There is no God.” Instead, He talked about someone who purports to follow Christ.

These false prophets would say they are Christians. They would claim to follow the truths of Scripture. They would declare, “I want to tell you and teach you what the Bible says.” We must examine our leaders carefully because false prophets can come disguised as sheep. They will look like sheep, but that is just their façade. Underneath they are wolves. 

I do not raise sheep. But, I know that no shepherd would want a wolf in his flock. As soon as a shepherd locates a wolf mixed in with his flock, he does everything that he can do to destroy that wolf, to protect his sheep. That describes the warning of Jesus. He cautions us about wolves coming into the church deceptively. They do not come marching into the congregation in a fashion that clearly identifies them as wolves. Instead, they come disguised as sheep, professing to follow Christ.

Paul identified these kinds of false prophets in his day. He warned his friends in Corinth in a fashion similar to Christ's warning.

 “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”[2]

When satan comes to tempt you, to draw you aside, he does not always come in a blustering fashion, like the picture of the red devil with the pitchfork in his hand. Sometimes he disguises himself as good, even an angel of light, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

We need to evaluate those that come to us as teachers and pastors, who present themselves in churches, on television and radio, and in books. We have a duty to examine them because of the deceitfulness of false prophets lest we follow them to our spiritual harm. 

Third, Jesus enabled discernment of false prophets by providing a means of their discovery. Notice the picture that the Lord Jesus gave as the basis to show us how to make this identification. He used trees. In His explanation He says, “You don’t find grapes on a thorn bush” and “And you don’t find figs on a thistle bush.”

It sounds too obvious. Well, why is that so obvious? Fig trees produce figs. Thorn bushes produce thorns. Then, Jesus went on to say, “Listen to me,” He says. “Good trees bring forth good fruit, not bad.  Bad trees bring forth bad fruit, not good.” “You will know them by their fruits,” He said.

To evaluate whether a prophet, pastor, or leader comes from God, we must examine their fruit. The fruit will tell us the nature of the tree. If the fruit is not good, he did not come from God, no matter the extent of his skills and abilities. Good trees do not bring forth bad fruit. Bad trees bring forth bad fruit.

Jesus gave a means to help believers to identify false prophets. When He said that we would know them, He did not say we might know them, or we could know them. He used a statement that says we shall know them; more literally, it means we shall fully know without question.

A logical question, then, follows, “Well, what qualifies as good fruit? How can we discern the good fruit from the bad fruit?” A shortened list identifies three crucial criteria for spiritual leaders.

First, what does (s)he teach? What does (s)he present and propose as doctrinal truth? True doctrine includes the sovereignty and transcendence of God, the deity of Christ and His atonement for sinners, and the inspiration and authority of the Scriptures. They are good fruit. If the one you are examining does not hold to these, you should suspect a false prophet.  In later chapters, I will explain them more completely and include other crucial doctrines.

Second, examine the character and nature of the lives of the teacher, prophet, or pastor whom you follow. What is the pattern of life? What is the persistent manner and character of life? A check of these matters will help you to evaluate the character of this person. The Scriptures teach us about the world, the flesh, and the devil, the three unholy temptations that come to us in life. 

How does this person view the world?  Does (s)he love the world? Does (s)he want to be like the world? Does (s)he encourage you to live like the world, to conform to the world to win the world? That is very popular in our day. Television and radio personalities and many authors proclaim messages that emphasize these elements. They proclaim that as a Christian you can have all of the world’s goods and tell you to pursue it, because you are entitled to it. It is your right and privilege as a child of God to have all of the abundance of the world and to go after it, because God loves you and wants you to have it all. 

Please take note of these warnings from 1 John:

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”[3]

The wrong attitude toward the world can provide a glaring signal of bad fruit.

Another character issue that signals bad fruit includes a person’s attitude toward the flesh. What does (s)he say about the flesh? How does (s)he purport himself in his manner of life? Galatians chapter five provides a description of the works of the flesh. You can read them starting at verse 16.  It explains the works of the flesh and describes one who lives to satisfy the passions and lusts of his or her life.

After that section follows one that says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is...” The passage then lists nine qualities of someone who lives under the influence and control of the Holy Spirit. The difference between the two lists is like night and day. At the end of that whole passage, Galatians 5.24 says, “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

Do you see the works of the flesh in the life of this person? If you do, it signals bad fruit. On the other hand, if you see the fruit of the Spirit exhibited in this person that, shows good fruit. 

In addition to the world and the flesh, there is the devil. The Scriptures describe the devil in a variety of ways. One of them calls him the prince of darkness. Ephesians chapter six provides the hierarchy of the devil and all of the various powers that he has under his power and authority. One is called the powers of darkness. Does the person whom you want to examine have a dark side? Does (s)he have some features and characteristics that you observe in this person that you would describe as dark?

John in his first epistle tells us:

“This then is the message which we have heard of him [the Lord Jesus], and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”[4]

Jesus said in John’s gospel chapter eight, “If you follow me you will walk in the light.” Is this person in the light or darkness? 

The third area of examination involves the kind of fruit (s)he produces in others. How would you describe them? Do they pursue after the world? Do they believe that they can be a Christian and do anything they please? Do they have no interest whatsoever in holy living? Do they have no interest in obeying and following God? Do they have no interest in a love affair with Jesus Christ? Do they make no mention of the Holy Spirit?

One last suggestion comes from Isaiah chapter eight.

“When they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?  To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”[5]