"Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"
False teachers are dangerous. Jesus says that they are like wolves disguised as sheep -an interesting description. They look just like the sheep, yet they are not sheep, and, in fact, they feed on sheep.
I'm convinced that we all have some doctrinal error. Our understanding of spiritual things comes to us through denominational perspectives and cultural perspectives and our own filter of hurts and desires, fears and dreams. On our own, we are incapable of truly grasping the depth and wealth of what God has for us. There is much that we misunderstand and misinterpret. None of us has perfect doctrine as God would describe perfection. I'm convinced of this.
Since none of us gets it perfectly correct, what makes false teachers so dangerous? If we are all in at least partial error, what makes them any different than us? The answer is, of course, the same answer to most of our spiritual questions. The answer has to do with heart motivations. God is not nearly as concerned about doctrinal correctness as He is about love for Him.
This brings us to one of the great ironies of the Kingdom. We can teach correct doctrine with the wrong heart, and God is not in it, and we would be numbered among the wolves who are dangerous to the Kingdom. You simply can't pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles. Bad roots produce bad fruit. And the ultimate test to discern false teachers is to examine their fruit.
Have nothing to do with any minister or teacher that leaves a trail of wounded people -any teacher that is self-absorbed attracting glory to himself -any teacher that lacks integrity and doesn't care -any teacher that causes people to question Father's love -any teacher whose ministry cannot be described as producing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
"Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"
I can't imagine agreeing with anything more whole heartedly than I do this post. Thanks for thinking it through for us. Larry A. Brown
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