“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits…” (Matthew 7:15-16).
Jesus affirmed a truth regarding false prophets (and false teachers) that many Christians have forgotten. It is not all about their motivation or heart, it is about their fruits! When people say, “He is a good man” despite the fact that he preaches a distorted gospel, the correct response is “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit” (18).
Understand the analogy. It is not that you can’t find a rotten apple on a “good” apple tree. You can. In the same way, Christians can be guilty of sin. However, if you try apple after apple, and they all are without taste, or taste bad, then the tree is bad. And a Christian who persists in spreading a false gospel, even after he is presented with the truth, can’t be considered good. “You will know them by their fruits” (16).
This truth is relayed by our Lord within the context of the proclamation of error. But, the truth is universally so. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” Consider the words of the apostle John, which mirror Jesus’ teaching:
“He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him” (1 John 2:4-5).
Stated even more forcefully in the next chapter, John writes, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (3:9). John does not mean by this that an occasional transgression does not happen. In fact, he affirmed that truth earlier, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1:8).
What John and Jesus both affirm is that sin is utterly incompatible with the Christian’s profession. When we do sin against God, as faithful disciples we are indignant at our own transgression. We repent with sackcloth and ashes. We do whatever is necessary to vindicate ourselves, and “prove [ourselves] clear in this matter” (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:11). What we do not do is say we have no sin.
Do you see how incompatible with Christ it is for a false prophet/teacher, when presented with the truth, to refuse to acknowledge his error? It is the same as the sexually immoral man, who when confronted with his sin denies wrongdoing. Imagine David, when confronted by Nathan of his adultery with Bathsheba, contending that he was not guilty! He couldn’t do it, because he was “a man after His [God’s] own heart” (cf. 1 Samuel 13:14). Instead, a penitent David proclaimed to Jehovah, “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight…” (Psalm 51:4).
Every Christian must strive against the tendency to deny his sin, either to man or to God. With honest and penitent hearts we need to acknowledge our transgressions, so that we do not deceive ourselves.
“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:7-9).
