Matthew 7:15-23
Beware False Prophets
Trinity 8
August 6, 2017
Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID
The Bible is a book for heretics. Yes, you heard me correctly. What I mean is this, the Bible is a book which most heretics will claim for themselves. No other book has been misused as much as that of Holy Scripture. There has never been a heresy so bad or coarse that it did not attempt to conceal and cloak itself with Scripture. Thus, the Bible is a book for heretics, not that it is Scripture’s fault, but the evildoer’s fault, who misuse it and the name of the Lord our God (Luther’s Works 78, p 287).
We shouldn’t be surprised at this in the least. The most effective lies are those that contain some truth. Jesus tell us near the end of the Sermon on the Mount, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” These false prophets come, in sheep’s clothes meaning that their preaching and citing Scripture in such a way that it is regarded to be true teaching. Outwardly, these prophets seem to be followers of Jesus, but inwardly their goal is to devour the sheep.
One of the best Biblical passages about this comes in 1 John 4:1-3, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come into the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world.”
Jesus makes this even more clear when He says that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven. There are hypocrites within the visible church, people who do not believe, yet who say and do all the right things. The Pharisees and scribes in Jesus’ day were just like this. But saying the right words does not gain someone entrance into heaven. There isn’t a password on the pearly gates. Jesus says not everyone who says to Him, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?” And Jesus’ answer to them is a harsh truth, “I never know you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.”
So who then will enter the kingdom of heaven? Jesus answers, the one who does the will of the Father who is in heaven. What is this will? Jesus answers that in John 6:40, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” So you see, the difference is simply between one who stands before God with nothing but faith in Christ, and one who tries to bring his good works.
So how do you know the difference? How can you tell which is a sheep and which is a wolf in sheep’s clothes? How can you spot a false prophet, that is a false teacher and preacher, a pastor teaching falsehood? This is a pretty important question. Jesus says, “You will recognize them by their fruits,” that is to say, by their teaching and preaching. You cannot see into a person’s heart, and their outward appearance and show may still be deceiving. No one can judge or condemn this except with spiritual eyes. You recognize what a person believes in their heart by what they profess with their mouths and practice with their hands.
Remember, the Bible is a book for heretics. The wolf dresses up like a sheep, outwardly acts like a sheep, and tries to pass himself off as a sheep. He uses the same tools as a sheep, namely the Word of God. But he takes that Word, twists its meaning into something different than how God intended, redefines terms. We see this happening here in our own town. Where some will talk about “Jesus”, but the “Jesus” they define is not the Jesus of the Bible. Some will talk about grace, but they do not mean the free and undeserved favor of God upon a sinner, but rather God giving someone a special power to do good works. Some will take the words of St. Peter, “this baptism now saves you,” and mean “baptism doesn’t save, but it’s your work showing that you are saved.” Some will take the words of our Lord, “This is My body, this is My blood,” and redefine the word “is” to mean “represents,” which basically means, “is not.”
Learn here to beware and to take a good look at whether teaching correctly conveys and emphasizes this important point: Does is preach Christ correctly and purely? What does it say about Jesus? Who is He? What has He done? Be on guard against anyone who teaches something different or new. To do that, you have to have and know the true teaching of Christ and judge all other teaching according to it, whether or not it conforms to it and is built on the true foundation of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus gives Christians the power and command to test and pass sentence on all teachings, He requires that we be wise and sensible Christian who know the true teaching and can distinguish between the truth and falsehood. We judge this not based upon our opinions or feelings, but by the clear and straight rule of Christ’s word. St Paul says in Romans 12:6 that if anyone has prophecy, let it be in keeping with faith. That is to say, all teaching is to agree and be in keeping only with the faith once delivered to the saints, and the pattern of sound words. Don’t look inside for what feels right or sounds right, but rely only upon the Word of God as the source and norm of our Christian faith.
By the grace of God, the same Gospel, the same Christ, as when Zion begun 100 years ago, as Luther preached 500 years ago, as the apostles taught 2000 years ago, as the prophets proclaimed in the Old Testament will continue here. The Word of the Lord endures forever, in spite of false prophets, in spite of ravenous wolves, in spite of persecution and hatred and apathy and rejection. Where the Word of God is taught in its purity and the Sacraments are administered rightly, there Christ establishes His Church and the Holy Spirit sustains faith in Him. You must hold on to the chief part of the Christian faith and accept nothing else: That God has sent and given Jesus Christ, His Son, and that only through faith in Him does God forgive us all our sins, justify, and save us (LW 21:254).