By Mike Chaffin
You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:16
To the untrained eye the Tree of Heaven, also known as Chinese Sumac and Stinking Sumac looks like a Walnut tree. However, it is far from beneficial, or fruitful. Its flowers give off a foul odor, it poisons plants around it and will grow back from the taproot repeatedly when cut down. It is an invasive plant.
The question Jesus asked refers to the warning He gave one verse earlier,
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15
False prophets can look like the real thing. They speak eloquently. Some of their messages might even be correct. However, they are either in the church to enrich themselves or to subvert the gospel of Christ. Just like the Tree of Heaven they look fruitful, but are poisonous, and invasive. Their kind return again and again. Jesus tells us we will know them by their fruit.
Jesus tells us these are false shepherds and if we know Him, we won’t listen to their voices.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. John 10:11-14
If we know the voice of the Lord, and abide in His word, we will not listen to false prophets.
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32
False prophets, imposter preachers, and bad teachers are like leaven. A little goes a long way and in a church, can do a lot of damage.
The Apostles had to warn the early church about false teaching and as Satan ramps up his attack the church has been under continual attack. One of the first attacks was Gnosticism, a false teaching that secret knowledge had to be attained. This is like today’s Buddhism. Idol worship was a huge problem and still is. Hinduism is the worship of idols. Islam and Mormonism deny the deity of Christ. Any religion that says there are other ways to Heaven, or cannot know if Heaven can be obtained, is a false religion.
Today the church is being wrecked by those saying homosexuality is a perfectly acceptable lifestyle. Greed and pride are more ways churches are led down the wrong path.
However, in all these attacks, the church will prevail. God’s people will know the voice of Jesus, abide in the scriptures, and see through these attempts to subvert the Gospel of Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He came to save all humanity from sin and eternal death. We only have to believe, receive, and make Him Lord of our lives.
Contemplation: Do I know the scriptures well enough to know a false teaching when it is presented?
