Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing
By Susan Klein
“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.”
Matthew 7:15-16a
One memorable summer evening, my husband and I enjoyed dinner at a nice restaurant with a group of friends. The food was fabulous, the atmosphere relaxed, and the conversation flowed easily from one topic to the next. Until it came to an abrupt halt!By Susan Klein
“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.”
Matthew 7:15-16a
There is an old adage that says, “Never talk about religion or politics.” So, when one of our table guests brought up the subject of a well-known, yet controversial religious personality, my husband and I exchanged “uh-oh!” glances. We felt compelled to offer a response to her well-meaning inquiry on the subject. Boldly, yet lovingly, we challenged this friend to consider if this man’s views on self-empowerment and financial prosperity lined up with those of Scripture. Were his teachings good fruit, or bad fruit?
The word “fruit” here is used metaphorically to describe actions or deeds. In this verse from Matthew, it is in reference to the outward visible actions produced by the invisible power of the Spirit within. The Holy Spirit within us produces fruit such as love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22). Good fruit, which is from the Holy Spirit, will always line up with Scripture. Bad fruit, which comes from the sinful nature or from Satan, does not line up with God’s Word.
Earlier, when this man’s popularity was on the rise, my husband and I decided to do some research of our own. We read his bio, his mission statement, and even caught part of an interview with him. After comparing it with God’s Word, we were quite convinced that many (though not all) of his teachings were contrary to that of Scripture. He had a large following because he promised a life of financial prosperity, but not because he spoke of the redeeming work of Christ, or encouraged repentance of sin. He deemed that too controversial to talk about. The problem was that he mixed Scriptural truths with his own secular philosophies, causing much disillusionment in his audiences. What may have sounded good was actually potentially harmful.
Jesus warns us in Matthew that these men will appear and deceive many people. We must ask God for wisdom and discernment and test everything we hear against Scripture, so that we, too, are not deceived by bad fruit or false teachings.
Wolves are not easy to recognize when they are hiding under sheep’s clothing!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What steps could you take to guard yourself from being misled by false teaching?
FURTHER READING:
2 Timothy 4:3-4; Philippians 1:9-11; James 3:17; 1 John 4:1-3
Susan is a wife and mother of two. She leads a small group and teaches for Tuesday a.m. Bible Study.
