Beware of False Prophets — Part 1
How do we identify a false prophet? And how do we identify one who is speaking the truth? It can be confusing because outwardly they can look the same!
Beware of False Prophets
Where this command is found:
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
Matthew 7:15
In our day and age, there can be great confusion about what is true and what is not. This is largely due to the deluge of false teachers that all seem to proclaim their own idea of what truth is. This problem is further magnified when false teaching infiltrates our churches. At times, such teachings can even come from those who we trust such as our friends and family.
In the command Beware of False Prophets in Matthew 7:15, Jesus addresses some of these issues. He speaks about being on guard against falsehood and those who claim to be speaking for God but in reality are not. False teachers might also be motivated by selfish gain to lead the Body of Christ astray. So what is the solution to this problem, and how can we heed this command?
The first and most important step in guarding ourselves from false teaching is knowing the Person of Truth: Jesus Christ. We deepen our fellowship with God by daily spending time in His Word and in prayer. Secondly, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, we must wisely discern the fruit of the lives of those whose teachings we listen to. Do their words, attitudes and actions agree with God’s Word and bring glory to Christ? By taking these two simple but critical steps, we can both abide in the truth and avoid those who desire to lead us astray.
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Episodes
Beware of False Prophets — Part 2
Why do we fall for false teaching? Why do we get misled by them? In this episode, Nate and Gabe explore characteristics of true and false teachers.
Beware of False Prophets — Part 3
We might think that the best way to learn to spot falsehood is by studying counterfeits. Surprisingly this is not true! We actually learn to spot a counterfeit by immersing ourselves in the real thing!
Beware of False Prophets — Part 4
The goal of a true teacher ought always to be to point others away from himself and toward Christ. In this episode, we'll explore Biblical examples and descriptions that often accompany false teachers.
