5/8/2024
Elijah McSwain, Sr.
Matthew 7:15-20 NKJV — “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.
The writings of Matthew Chapter 7 present the stark contrast or difference between knowing those who are Christians and those that are hypocritical in nature. Matthew 7:15-20 deals with the regularity of those among God’s people that pretend to be a part of the Christian faith. The designated passage sets forth several truths concerning the reality of those that are placed within our presence to stir up chaos and plant false doctrine in the local church and abroad.
Warning Against False Prophets
In our world today across the spiritual landscape of the universal church, there is an enormous amount of false people who claim to be Christians but serve Satan. In alignment with this reality verse 15 calls us to “beware”. This word implies that we should proceed with caution regarding those who sit among us as a means to impersonate us. The old saying goes “everything that shines is not gold.”
False followers of God impersonate us as a means to infiltrate our assembly to promote an atmosphere of hostile intent. Their tactic involves getting behind enemy lines in an effort to distort the truth that we teach about God.
As Christians, we are engaged in a spiritual warfare against those who are under the influence of darkness as governed by Satan. We are considered their enemies. Therefore, we are called to be on guard and to be aware at all times as it pertains to workers of iniquity, false teachers and impersonators who attempt to sow discord among the body of Christ. Colossians 2:8 underscores the sentiment “beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”
The Disguise of False Prophets
In verse 15b, it is declared that false prophets come clothed in the attire of sheep. As God’s people we are often referred to as sheep. Hebrews 13:20 states that we are the sheep of the great Shepherd. Psalm 100:3 emphasizes that we are the sheep of His pasture. John 10:10-11 denotes that the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. We are depicted as sheep but yet and still false prophets aim to undermine our nature and disguise themselves as us.
False prophets disguise themselves like the children of God by talking Christian lingo by using the speech that we use, mimicking our actions, imitating our posture, and behaving like us, all as a ploy to paint forth the imagery that they are Christians.
Matthew 24:4-5, 11 states to “take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.” “When an English robber called Captain Thunderbolt escaped the law and moved to the eastern US in 1818, he began practicing medicine. He took on the name Dr. John Wilson. Often he wore three suits of clothes to escape recognition by making himself look larger and covering up a deformed leg. Just before the man died, he asked his friends to bury him without removing his clothes. But to prepare his body for proper burial, that request could not be honored. The mortician was surprised to find scars from wounds and a withered leg. A search of Dr. Wilson’s house revealed a stash of watches, jewelry, and diamonds. The sheriff learned that the doctor was in fact Thunderbolt, a thief in disguise. Satan clothes himself as an angel of light as well as those who are under his influence.” 1
We need to be spiritually discerned in order for us to detect those who wear the mask of Christianity but are really wolves.
The Nature of False Prophets
In verse 15c, we are instructed that false teachers are ravenous wolves. A wolf in sheep’s clothing is a metaphor used to describe those playing a role contrary to their real character. It is the idea of being double faced, that is to present themselves one way and then act contrary to the way that they originally present themselves. Dr. Grant Richison wrote “although false teachers appear non-threatening, they are “ravenous wolves.” False teachers are exceedingly dangerous. The Greek for “ravenous” is wild, greedy, preying. These are wolves ready to attack sheep by preying on them with false teaching.” 2 Ravenous wolves are often portrayed as being without restraint. They temporary blend in but it does not take long for their true colors to show through hostility. Their job is to extort believers of the truth of God. This is accomplished by forcing us to adopt human philosophies and manmade doctrine that rob us from the absolute truth of the Lord. Often people of this nature use deception, manipulation, trickery, persuasion, intimidation or whatever means necessary to rise to power. Once they are in a position of authority, these individuals will use their platform to beguile Christians to mislead them. The primarily course of operation is geared toward causing us to drift away from the things of God by being lured to sleep spiritually. The manner of falling asleep spiritually causes our senses to become weakened and opened to every kind of attack from false teachers. Ultimately, false teachers are not concerned about the well-being of the sheep.
Fritz Chery articulated “a wolf does not concern himself with the opinion of sheep.” 3
Billy Graham mentioned that “I am convinced that hundreds of religious leaders throughout the world today are servants not of God, but of the antichrist. They are wolves in sheep's clothing; they are tares instead of wheat.” 4
Author Michele Faison added “beware of wolves in sheep's clothing, for they will feed you delicious morsels that they may later feast upon your tender flesh.” 5
Galatians 2:4 gives a summation of the nature of people who are ravenous in their character makeup. “False brethren secretly come in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage.” Those that oppose the work of God want to bring us under bondage to doctrinal error, human tradition, human reasoning, and the system of worldly influence that is opposed to the ways of God.
The Difference Between a Good Tree and a Bad Tree
As we see in verses 16 to 18, the biblical language describes that “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. In planting fruit different types of fruit manifest different characteristics. There are some distinguishing qualities among fruit that help us to recognize an apple from an orange, a pear from a kiwi, a pineapple from a melon and so forth.
Likewise, there are some distinguishing factors that will make known unto us the fruitfulness or fruitlessness of an individual.
The writing of Matthew implies, do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs trees thistles? A thornbush does not have the genetic makeup to produce grapes, it only has spikes and thorns. Therefore, it’s demonstration represents the spiritually lifeless sinner who cannot produce spiritual fruit. In contrast, a fig tree which produces plants does not have the genetic make up to produce thistles which are pointed prickly leaves. The fig tree depicts that a true Christian is not fruitless but produces what God has designed for him or her to produce. Therefore, 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.
A sinner can only produce sinful acts because they are fruitless in the things of God. They are cut off from the life source which prevents them from reaping a fruitful harvest of God. However, they produce the fruit of sin that is catered after the flesh and rotten to its core
Galatians 5:19-21 reveals “now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” John 15:4 inserts the spiritual depravity of the lost by the declaration “as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” As a result of being cut off from the life source found in God, eventually as a malnourished plant that lacks the proper nutrients of light and water will wither away and die.
Without the Living Water and the Light of the World, sinners will die in their darkened and waterless sinful condition.
Whereas, those who are saved, we bear fruit that God has planted within us. Galatians 5:22-23 is penned “but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” John 15:5 further gives insight about the fruitfulness of the believer in our connection with Jesus. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” The reason why we as believers bear the right fruit is because we are connected to the Vine, Jesus Christ.
The End Demise of the Bad Tree
In verse 19, “every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” The phrase “cut down” implies that there is a separation through the severing off of dead branches. It denotes that when something is dead the best thing to do it cut it off. “As the farmer throws unhealthy trees into the fire to be burned, so God throws false teaching into the fire. Jesus could not have given a sterner warning about false teaching.” 2 People without Christ are considered dead in sins and trespasses. God elects to give them time to repent but their ultimate rejection of Him leaves Him with no choice but to cut them off for all eternity. People that go through life living in rebellion to God, being willfully defiant to God, willfully ignore God, willfully undermine God and ultimately reject Him at the point of death will be cut off and cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15 states “anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” John 15:6 adds that “if anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
Hell is the place where the spiritual dead will spend all eternity because of their failure to acknowledge Christ as Savior, Redeemer, and Lord. Hell is the eternal sentence of doom, ruin, destruction, condemnation, and damnation for those who choose to live as they please and transition into the life hereafter without having a saving relationship with Christ. Hell is a place of torment, anguish and pain. It is a place where the fire is ever consuming and never stops. It is a place where sinners will experience the wrath of God. John Bunyan explained the torment that false teachers and sinners alike will face. He said that “their bodies will be raised from the dead as vessels for the soul-vessels of wrath. The soul will breathe hell-fire, and smoke and coal will seem to hang upon its burning lips. Yea the face, eyes, and ears will seem to be chimneys and vents for the flame, and the smoke of the burning which God, by His breath, hath kindled therein, and upon, them, which will be held one in another, to the great torment and distress of each other.” 6
To paint the reality of hell for those who desire to without Christ even to the point of death........
“A young man was converted during special evangelistic meetings held in a mining village. Wanting to do something for God, he bought some tracts and was distributing them one day, when he met some former companions. They decided to deride him for his faith in Christ. “Hey! Can you tell me where hell is?” After a moment’s hesitation, the newly converted man replied, “Yes, at the end of a Christless life.”7
This does not have to be anyone’s reality, if they would only repent, confess, and believe in the salvific work of the cross of Calvary.
In summation, false teachers are known by their conduct (v. 20) and will be rewarded accordingly (v.19). We are able to detect false teachers by their conduct, lifestyle, and the information that they present through their teaching in relation to unbiblical doctrine.
References
Ministry127.com (Disguised As A Thief)
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/8588317.Michele_Faison
Ministry127.com (Where is Hell)