Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:15
Sometimes in life, things are not what they seem. There is no place in life where that is more certain than in religion. Religion will always trip up the unwary. That is because the devil wants things confusing. He has no desire for you be able to find your way through to the truth. The question so many people ask is, "With so many people claiming to speak the truth, how can you sort them out? How can you tell who is telling the truth and who is not? Jesus warned us about religious leaders, who claimed to have the words of God in their mouth, but really had deception and pride in their hearts. He called them ‘ravenous wolves’ in sheep’s clothing.
A false prophet is, by definition, someone who names the name of the Lord, but is not really speaking from the Lord. He is saying “The Lord said”, when the Lord has not spoken. A false prophet is someone who comes to us as a teacher, a preacher of the Word of God - one of the sheep.
Jesus certainly had no need to warn against the preachers of other religions. We are usually on guard when it comes to other religions we don’t believe in but someone who says they believe like we do and claims to be a Christian can catch us off guard. We need to be paying attention.
In sheep’s clothing– prophets wore sheepskin over their shoulders as a sign of their calling from God. Shepherds wore sheepskins for a variety of reasons and were known by the uniform of their trade. A big Bible and a Commentary don’t signify a good teacher. The clothes don’t make the man. Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, their real intent is to devour the flock. They have the appearance of sanctity but are inwardly greedy, manipulative, and exploitative. Paul says that they will appear to be “ministers of righteousness” while in fact being servants of Satan. - I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Acts 20:29-30
Marks of a False Teacher - You can know a false teacher by these traits:
False Fruit– His message satisfies without challenging, it is non-offensive. He speaks of blessing without sacrifice or services. His message is not from God, but himself, but discernment reveals truth.
False Following– Merely confessing with our lips is insufficient. Lip service makes us feel good but not God. - v.21a Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven. Paul said, “no man can say Jesus is Lord apart from the Holy Spirit”. I Cor. 12 :By the tests of time and character, assurance of salvation can be realized.. False activity or non-activity display the same incongruity of confession, and a heart for God without a knowledge of God = vulnerability.
False Prophets Today- Cult leaders and False Prophets give people what they want and take everything they have. A little knowledge is dangerous when it comes to faith and religion. Human reason outside of God’s revelation is dangerous to religion. All cults draw the person away from the truth concerning Jesus Christ.
A heart for God without a knowledge of God = vulnerability. There must be a basis for truth and that is the Word of God. It is not enough to know what you believe but also why you believe. The wolves are out there hoping to catch us at our most vulnerable point and we have to be ready. We have to know the truth we believe and constantly turn to that truth as a filter for everything in our lives.
