TRUE AND FALSE TEACHINGS PART 1

     The next lesson that Jesus taught on in Matthew 7 was how to know true and false teaching. We are all to read God’s Word for ourselves to be in unity with God’s Promises, but when we are in fellowship with others, we need to be aware of what is being said by the leader or teacher. In the last days the “spirit of deception” will be mighty and only by our own closeness to God will we be able to withstand the enemy’s attack in this area. The Bible says the days have to be shortened because of just this thing.

 

     In Matthew 7:15-20 Jesus gave us an insight in how to recognize this problem. I’ll quote from Ferrar Fenton again here:

 

Vs. 15 “But guard yourselves from the false teachers, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but who in their hearts are plundering wolves. You can recognize them by their fruits. Do they ever gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Thus every useful tree produces fruit; but the worthless tree produces worthless fruit. A useful tree cannot produce bad fruit; nor can a worthless tree produce good fruit. Every tree not producing good fruit will be felled and used as firewood. Reject their produce; for by this you can recognize them.”

 

The next three verses are included in this teaching from Jesus but let’s look more closely at the first part of these verses first.

 

Jesus taught in parables quite a number of times. The Bible Dictionary says: “Two characteristics of the parable render it eminently useful in teaching. It is illustrative, assisting to make truth intelligible, or, if unintelligible before, to present it more vividly to mind. It is an argument, and may be summoned as a witness, the world of nature being throughout a witness for the world of spirit (Romans 1: 20).” (The word parable has almost three pages of comments in the Bible Dictionary---interesting reading I have to say.)

 

Romans 1: 20

Vs. 20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead (divine nature), so that they are without excuse.”

 

In other words, I believe, Jesus is trying to relate the world of spirit into a thought that can be familiar to what our minds can relate to here on earth. He is trying to relate by way of natural things, trees and fruit, to tell us of spiritual things in human nature. Things that are true in spirit and things that are false or bad in the natural. Everyone knows we eat good fruit and throw away bad fruit. Jesus is relating this knowledge into spiritual understanding. Look at the fruits of a person to tell if you should partake of it or not. Rely on the Holy Spirit in you/us to discern if we can accept the teaching or not. By being sensitive to the Holy Spirit “in” us we can know what is true and what is false. Be still and listen to God. He is communicating with us through His Spirit. We have to be still and listen to hear Him.

 

The last statement in verse 20 tells us everything we need to know to go in the right direction and path for knowing what we need to retain or reject in God’s TRUTH.

 

“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” That means knowing God’s Word and voice for yourself!

 

I’ll continue on in the next three verses in the next writing, but for now:

 

TRUST AND BELIEVE GOD

 

*Unger’s Bible Dictionary, The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, copyright 1957 to 1981. (page 824 under parable)*The Holy Bible in Modern English translated from the original Hebrew, Chaldee, and Greek languages by Ferrar Fenton, published 1903-1966.*All scriptures are from: New King James Version of Prophecy Study Bible, General Editor- John C. Hagee unless otherwise stated.