Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.
A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit.
Every tree that produces bad fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
Matthew 5:15-18 HCSB
I like to say that if it waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck. You would never mistake an elephant for a giraffe, or vice versa, right? You don’t have to have a Ph.D. in botany to tell the difference between a rose and a sunflower.
God distinguishes many species in the plant and animal worlds so that they are easily recognizable. People can be a different matter altogether. We can look at a person and think that they are a good person and perhaps come to believe that they are a good friend and they can betray us and leave us feeling empty and confused.
In our scripture passage today, we are instructed to inspect the fruit. We are to go beyond outward appearances to determine what’s in a person’s heart. Now you may think that this is a daunting task, but not really. As Christians, we begin by asking God to give us wisdom and discernment (James 1:5) in recognizing these wolves in sheep’s clothing. Also, what is in a person’s heart will spill out of their mouth (Luke 6:45). When a person’s heart is not focused on God, it will be evident in the things that they say and do.
We are told to avoid every form of evil, this includes people who perpetrate evil against others (1 Thessalonians 5:22). In Corinthians 15:33 we are warned that we should not be misled because bad company corrupts good character.
As a newly rededicated Christian, I wanted to share the love I had found in Christ with others. I quickly realized that there were those out there who wanted no part of it. There were those out there who would only want to destroy my witness and corrupt my morals. I had to avoid these people. I had to stay away from them. I tried to share what I had found in God with them, but when they rejected it I knew that I had to do as Jesus had instructed his disciples and shake the dust off of my feet and move on.
We are in some troubling times here on planet earth. We must not be deceived or misled. Don’t accept everything you may read on the internet or even hear in your church at face value. Check it out. Be sure that the teachings in your church line up with the word of God.
Be leery of dessert preachers who sell you only sweetness and sunshine. Life is full of bitterness and heartache, but as Christians we know that we can have peace and joy even during troubling times (Philippians 4:6, Isaiah 51:11).
We are to be the light that shines and leads others to Christ. Light always overcomes the darkness. Trust in God and His Holy Word, pray for wisdom and discernment in dealing with others. When you are seeking for a church home or listening to a new teacher or pastor, trust but verify. Be sure that they are preaching God’s Word accurately and not taking away from or adding to God’s word. We are warned against this in Deuteronomy 4:2.
Stand your guard, pray for wisdom and discernment, lean on God and not your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). These are troubling times and many will come before us claiming to be Christians or even preachers or prophets, but we must inspect the fruit.
Have a great day!