False Prophets
Shortly after the often misunderstood “judge not” verse (which I discuss in more depth here) Jesus gives this warning:
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
Matthew 7:15-20
The church must be wary of those who claim the name of Christ and may even have a good deal of stated doctrinal soundness if their “fruit” is diseased. The fruit, in this case, is the outworking of their ministry.
Do they proclaim a message that brings people to give greater glory to God, greater conformity to the image of Christ, and less esteem for man or are they leading the flock into the waiting jaws of the world and its schemes?
More Than You Think
To be sure, there are many false gospels out there. Prosperity teaching has been around for a long time and claims the name of Jesus while teaching a selfish message of personal gratification for the faithful. This certainly qualifies but while many still flock to these teachers with itching ears, the church has done a good job of calling this out as the fruit is distasteful to many in the world as well(not on the grounds that it is spiritual shipwreck but rather that it often leads people to financial ruin also).
The most insidious false teachers are those with the blessing of the world. They are those who put on the sheep clothing but inwardly are in accord with those who are not simply unbelievers but actively against Christ.
The damage done by these people is not simply that they will lead astray those who will listen but also that it creates a distrust amidst the faithful. Failing to identify and address the subversive element within the flock sows disunity among believers because, without right discernment, they cannot tell the difference between a brother who is mistaken (and who hasn’t been?!) and a wolf who has merely put on the wool.
The more that well-meaning leaders attempt to preserve the unity by discouraging “fruit inspecting” (as it is often disparaged) while the flock knows there is at least one wolf in their midst, the more skittish the flock is going to become. Proper distinction is required to preserve unity. Instead of discouraging all discernment, elders ought to edify the faithful in how to properly divide matters.
Betrayed By Leaders
Even worse are those who actively encourage the world to participate in Christian ministry. When the same people proclaiming the winds of doctrine popular in the moment are invited to instruct the church on how we can “be better Christians”, the flock is being betrayed by their shepherds in an attempt to win over the wolves.
My amazing wife was kind enough, many years ago, to sketch an idea I had for sort of comic regarding this situation (if enough people encourage us we may create more of these, let me know!). It has sat in my desk drawer and survived a move in boxes (not without some creases and stains). This is what we ended up with:
Instead of exposing the sins which are most besetting the culture in which God has placed them in order to call those who’s hearts have been made sensitive to repentance, many pastors have fallen for the narrative that what is best is to go soft upon the culture’s pet sins or even promote them as an olive branch to those most militantly opposed to the faith.
Examples include the rebranding of climate alarmism to “creation care”, selling churches on the ideas once called “positive discrimination” (which the Bible would consider dishonest scales), and even convincing many that disordered sexual desires provide a unique benefit to the church rather than being a result of the fall. All of these things are happening, not in congregations led by pastors in drag or Jesse Jackson but in the SBC and many other doctrinally sound organizations.
Some even went so far as to require members to read the works of Ibram X. Kendi. This is a man who openly opposed “Savior Theology” in favor of “Liberation Theology” in a speech. That is to say, he explicitly denies that man’s greatest need is to be free from his own nature of sin and instead teaches that it is freedom from having his nature declared sinful (it is baptized lawlessness).
I call them “doctrinally sound” because they have all the right textbook answers to specific theological questions. However, the clear meaning of scripture is always being subtly undermined as word after word is rebranded or just emptied of meaning entirely.
A common pattern believers should watch for is when a teacher can tell you why scripture doesn’t say what it seems to say, but they cannot tell you how it does apply. When a person is more concerned with making sure you don’t understand scripture than that you do, flee from that false teacher! Their “nuance” is not intended to lead to greater understanding, but simply to confuse the topic so that what ought to be clear can no longer be understood.
