"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." Most sheep can easily be deceived into accepting any hireling wearing sheep's clothing. Most believers may be impressed by the outward qualities and characteristics of false prophets and false teachers, if they look no farther than external manifestations. Our process of admitting workers, leaders and preachers into the ministry must go beyond the evaluation of "sheep's clothing," which human skill can make and wear. What the prospective workers and preachers are "inwardly" is more important than all impressive outward qualities. But what if we have difficulty discerning a prophet's inward desire, ambition and motivation? How else can we identify false prophets? "Ye shall know them by their fruits." Men do not limit themselves to the leaves, barks or flowers of trees to evaluate and identify them. The flowers of a tree may be beautiful and fragrant, the foliage may be thick and green, the appearance may be great and gorgeous, but the fruit is what determines its identity and usefulness. The outward appearance, public image, physical environment, external worship and visible resources of a prophet-preacher may be impressive and attractive but we must ask: what is the quality of the fruits being produced?
If the man in sheep's clothing has the nature of a wolf and produces corrupt fruit, his apparent meekness, gentleness, devotion, zeal, affability, and good humour are all meant to deceive and destroy the sheep. When Satan transforms himself to an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14); the tormentors may put on the faces of men and wear crowns like gold (Revelation 9:5-8); the beast may have "two horns like a lamb" and "do great wonders" (Revelation 13:11-13), the people of God must not be deceived. We must examine the fruits of the prophets, then shall we know whether they are of God or not. Whatever fruit any preacher produces, it is through preaching. Fruits of life and labour, fruits of character and converts, fruits of belief and behaviour, fruits of doctrine and disciples, fruits in families and followers are produced by the seed we sow, by the messages we preach. The greatest power for deception and destruction of the false prophet is his faulty preaching. He corrupts the Word of God, not only by misquoting it, but also by misinterpreting it. He makes his hearers believe a lie, not by denying the strait gate and the narrow way, but by never speaking of them. He may not deny the necessity of repentance, the absolute condition of saving faith, the importance of holiness, self-denial, separation from the world with all its lusts and pride, but he never mentions them. He may preach very comforting and reassuring messages on the love of God, but he is forever silent on the holiness of God, the justice of God, the righteousness of God and the wrath of God.
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