WOLVES IN SHEEP CLOTHING

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them"
Matt. 7: 15-20 (NKJV)

Beware of false prophets: Deuteronomy 13:1-11; 18:20-22 provide information on discerning and responding to false prophets. The way to differentiate false teachers from teachers of truth is by their fruits. Fruits here refer to their deeds as well to their belief in the doctrine (see 16:12; 1 John 4:1-3). A person speaking in the name of God is to be tested by the doctrines of Scripture. Speakers and teachers should be tested against the truths in God's Word (see Jude 3; Rev. 22:18, 19)

- Nelson Study Bible

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CHRISTIANS BEWARE OF FALSE TEACHERS!

They creep into the church subtly. They hold theological degrees and are eloquent in teaching and preaching the Bible. There is only one way we can weed these people out-it is through the Word of God. We will have to know our Bible well. I call us all to be a "Berean Christian"! You know what is a Berean Christian? Look at Acts 17: 10-11

"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

We must never be gullible Christians, swallowing everything a preacher or Bible teacher teaches. Search the Scripture and see if these things are biblical, because the truth will set us free. Let us not be easily tossed to and fro by all forms of doctrines (Eph. 4: 14).

We live in a confused and perilous time today in Christendom. With the rise of the Charismatic Movement in the 1960s and the Prosperity Gospel in the 90s the Church has been heavily infiltrated by these teachings.

Christian youth are seeking to have livelier songs in the church and are not bothered about the theological content in the songs they sing. Messages have been shortened to a mere 20 minutes with lots of stories and visions told. Who cares about the doctrine of Justification by Faith alone or The Five Points of Calvinism, etc.?

Christians feel that as long as they attend Church they have done their duty as a Christian. Theology is not important to many believers. That is for the theologians, the Pastors and Bible Seminary Professors, and not for the lay people. How wrong can we be! If we don't know God's Word, or theology we are easy targets for these false teachers.

Pastor