Read Matthew 7:15-23

“¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves…21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Jesus doesn’t give too many warnings, so when he does, we need to listen! This warning isn’t of any person who claims to speak on behalf of God, but of people who claim to speak on behalf of God but are intentionally fabricating their ‘prophecies’ in order to devour others! Jesus offers some practical help in identifying the false prophets by contrasting the difference between those we should listen to and those whose words we should reject entirely.

Firstly, Jesus warns us against listening to people who verbally claim to follow him but do not live out the will of his (and our) heavenly father. Jesus both models obedience to our father and teaches that all true followers of him don’t just speak well of Jesus, but similarly live their lives in obedience to their heavenly father.

Secondly, Jesus warns us against anyone who claims to obey God but doesn’t actually know him as their father. Rather than doing God’s will in God’s name, false prophets do their will in God’s name. This comes from them not actually knowing God personally. If they did, they wouldn’t possibly waste time on their own passions at the expense of God’s people. Jesus emphasises his warning by declaring that these people aren’t only dangerous, but they are not in his kingdom at all. Rather, they are living in the kingdom of darkness.

Jesus is so confident of the intentions of false prophets that he calls them ‘ravenous wolves’. This is not just for effect. Rather, Jesus says they’re like a wolf who kills one sheep to take on its appearance so that it can ravenously attract and devour more sheep! Jesus isn’t aiming to shelter you from new ideas, but from wolves who mimic Jesus in order to destroy his followers. The ravenous nature of these wolves has only one benefit, they eventually give away their true identity. If you observe a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” long enough, you will see what the Bible calls the “fruit” of their life. Good fruit means they are a sheep. Bad fruit means they are a wolf.

To protect yourself, simply look for leaders who not only know Jesus but lead you to truly “know” him personally yourself. The more you get to know Jesus, the less likely you are to be tempted by the bait wolves set in order to devour you. While we have Christ, his teachings and his Holy Spirit as our primary guides in life and faith, take a few moments to consider if there is someone in your life who can lead you into a new intimacy with God.