Exposing False Teachers

Exposing False Teachers

Matthew 7:15-20

Matthew 7:15-20 (NASB)

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?

17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.

19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

New Testament writers warned about false teachings that sounded good but defied truth (2 Timothy 4:3; 1 John 4:1).

2 Timothy 4:3 (NASB)

3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.”

1 John 4:1 (NASB)

1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

Believers today must still heed these warnings! Ungodly leaders subtly twist truth with such conviction that unprepared Christians can be charmed by their lies. That’s why the Bible instructs us to evaluate the message of whoever desires to lead us (Matthew 7:20).

Matthew 7:20 (NASB)

20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

False teachers are deceptive. Verse 15 of today’s passage describes them as wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Matthew 7:15 (NASB)

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

They appear to want people to know the “real” truth about God, but their interpretation of Scripture may contain outright lies or a distorted mix of fact and error. Wise believers study God’s Word, so they can detect a “sheepskin” starting to slip. The wolves are further exposed by their personal lives, which won’t be consistent with righteousness (Matthew 7:16).

Matthew 7:16 (NASB)

16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?”

A close study of their decisions, actions, and words will reveal that they do not follow the Lord’s will or biblical principles.

False teachers’ lives and messages are self-indulgent. Their enticing ideas appeal to their listeners’ fleshly nature. In fact, false teachers will often permit activities prohibited in Scripture. Some deceivers describe God’s grace as a license to live without restraint (Jude 1:4).

Jude 1:4 (NASB)

4 “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Paul clearly denounces this lie, teaching that believers have died to sin and shouldn’t live in it (Romans 6:1-2).

Romans 6:1-2 (NASB)

1 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?

2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

The body of Christ is expected to use Scripture as the standard against which to measure our leaders’ lifestyle and words. When we seek divine truth, we are given the discernment to differentiate between a holy message and a misleading one.

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