For several years now, I’ve been corresponding with a pastor in the Philippines who somehow started listening to my sermons on the internet. Each week, I send him copies of my messages and he often asks me questions about stuff he’s dealing with there in the Philippines.
This week, he asked me to pray because there have been some pastors that have come into his city that are preaching false doctrine. As I was writing him back, encouraging him about how to deal with their false teachings, I realized these are things we all need to be reminded of.
Our world is filled with all sorts of lies and disinformation. We are being taught falsehoods by people all around us. And in our journey of following Jesus, it’s so important for us to be discerning and cautious when it comes to false prophets and teachings. In Matthew 7:15-16 it tells us: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit, you will recognize them.”
False prophets often appear as sincere and righteous individuals, making it challenging to distinguish them from true believers. They may speak eloquently and seem to have good intentions, but their true nature is often hidden. Whether intentional or not, their motives are off and their priority is all about self.
In their quest to promote themselves they distort and misinterpret God’s Word. In 2 Timothy 4:3-4 we are warned, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” We need to be wary of teachings that cater to personal desires rather than aligning with the truth of Scripture.
Listening to lies can lead us astray, causing us to deviate from the path of righteousness and truth. 2 Peter 2:1 says, “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.”
To protect ourselves from false prophets and teachings, it’s important for us to strengthen our knowledge of Scripture. It’s important that we regularly read and meditate on the Word of God so that we are firmly grounded in truth. We must also pray for discernment, seeking God’s guidance and wisdom to discern God’s true teachings from false teachings.
Jesus tells us that we will recognize these people by their fruit or lack of fruit. So, we must pay attention to the character and actions of those who claim to be prophets or teachers in the faith. Do their lives align with the teachings of Christ? Are we seeing them display love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control. This is the kind of fruit Jesus was talking about. By staying rooted in God’s Word, and seeking discernment through prayer, we can protect ourselves and others from being led astray by those who would distort the truth of the Gospel.
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