Matthew 7:15-20: 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. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruits, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.
False Teachers are Camouflaged
Verse 15 is the introduction. It teaches us that false teachers can be difficult to spot, especially if you don’t know what to look for. They come camouflaged, are hard to spot, and they’ll do whatever it takes to maintain their disguise before you. If all you do is look at how they appear, you will be thoroughly tricked. They will come to you in sheep’s clothing. They’ll say all the right things about giving their life to Jesus. You’ll find yourself saying amen to many of the things that they teach. They’re going to be the most passionate speakers and they’ll talk the christian talk, go to church, be very kind. They’ll come to you in sheep’s clothing. However, watch out because inwardly they are ravenous wolves. Don’t trust a false prophet, guard yourself from them because they’re like wolves. They’re not going to physically bite you and chew you up, but they will spiritually tear you to pieces… they will teach you false doctrine… point you away from the gospel.. and lead you to your destruction in hell. That’s if you trust their teaching. But they look like sheep… harmless… maybe even part of the flock. So how can you tell?
A Genuine Teacher of the Word is a Consistent Doer of the Word
In verse 16, we learn that there is an easy way to spot them, especially if you know what to look for. You will know them by their fruits. The trees represent the person and the fruits represent how they live. A Christian will live like Christ. A non-christian will not live like Christ. Put it another way, a teacher of the Word is a doer of the Word. Just as it is impossible for grapes to be gathered from thorns, strawberries from weeds, and oranges from grass… a false teacher will not have good fruit… and the reverse is true as well… a genuine teacher will have good fruit. That’s the logic of verses 17-18… you can’t get good fruit from a bad tree nor bad fruit from a good tree. These false teachers that Jesus is talking about are not genuine, saved Christians. That’s why in verse 19, we learn that the bad trees are cut down and thrown into the fire. False teachers go to hell. They say the right things, but because they have not experienced spiritual regeneration… they do not have a changed heart… and it is seen in their unchanged life.
Explanation of Good Fruit vs. Bad Fruit
But it’s important to know how to tell if the fruit is good or if the fruit is bad. What are some things to look for so that you aren’t deceived by a false prophet. There’s a couple of things. Examine how they live, what they teach, and who is around them. A person’s character –his motives, standards, loyalties, ands ambitions—will eventually show in what he does and how he acts. Example of this is in Luke 3:8 when John the Baptist is baptizing people and tells the Pharisees and Sadducees who come to bear fruits in keeping with repentance. This was because they claimed to love God but they did not live like it. They questioned John asking him, “then what shall we do?” In other words, how do we bear fruit? He replied, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” (v11) John was not telling them that they could save themselves by doing good works… he was pointing out to them that how they lived revealed who they really were. Christians are not saved by good works, but they are saved for good works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The content of someone’s teaching also reveals the quality of the prophet. They may sound great, get you excited, pumped into, and motivate you to live a better life… but if someone is not teaching you God’s Word from God’s Word… separate from them, you have a false prophet. When judging whether a teaching comes from God, Isaiah teaches in Isaiah 8:20, “to the law and to the testimony! (to God’s Word) If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have now dawn (or light).” Look to see that the teaching is coming from the Bible… and that it actually is consistent with what the Bible teaches.
Lastly, when examining fruit, look at who is around this person. The false prophets will have false crowds around them. They will attract to themselves people who have the same kind of false, religious beliefs. They take pleasure in wickedness and have departed from God’s Word. A disobedient, rebellious crowd points to a disobedient, rebellious teacher.
Explanation of Genuine Teachers vs. False Teachers
A genuine teacher of the Word delights in the laws of the Word because the genuine teacher delights in Jesus whom the Law reflects. A genuine teacher of the Word delights in the laws of the Word and is one who demonstrates faith in Jesus by living out God’s commands. What sets apart a true teacher from a false teacher is his devotion and obedience to God’s commands. What marks someone as a false teacher is both their lack of obedience to the Word and also their natural rebellion to God’s commands.
Check Who You Are Trusting Yourself To
Check who is teaching you. Check who you are trusting yourself to. Check if I’m a false teacher. If my life is not lived in such a way that I have not earned the right to be heard… don’t listen to me. If all I have is bad fruit, if I live in a lifestyle of sin… don’t listen to me. Separate yourself from me. This is very important… those who teach must earn the right to be heard. Those of who you desire to teach must earn the right to be heard. This applies to all of you as both the hearers who are being taught… and also because you might be teachers cause it’s the same when sharing the gospel with others. You must earn the right to be heard, your life can potentially disqualify you from being heard by the others. Faith in Christ leads to life in Christ. Without a life in Christ, you may really have no faith… and you might be a false prophet. Verse 20, “so then, you will know them by their fruits.” So watch out for preachers who do not live out what they teach. False teachers can talk the talk… but they cannot walk the walk. Bad trees will bear bad fruit.
The Love of Christ
Take this passage and reflect upon how much Jesus loves His flock. This is the love of Christ, that He would watch out for His sheep that they would not be led astray. This is the caring, compassionate, concerned Shepherd who protects His sheep from dangerous wolves.
John 10:11-15 – “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”
Watch out for false teachers, listen to the shepherd who cares deeply for your soul and entrust yourself to His teaching. This is the love of Christ. If you are His sheep, listen to your Good Shepherd.
