Mark 13:5-6 Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.”
False prophets lead God’s people/Christ’s flock astray, especially in the church. They look like the sheep on the outside but on the inside but they are ravenous wolves, fleecing the flock. Their fruit will reveal their hearts. They outwardly appear to be Christian, but their heart is not conformed to the image of Christ, they proclaim a false Christ. Some have even deceived themselves. Like the Pharisees, in the vanity of their own minds they teach that their performance and actions merit righteousness in their own power. Only God can reveal the deception of false prophets. Without the Holy Spirit that convicts our own hearts when we sin, we cannot spot the sin in the lies of the deceiver and his false prophets.
To identify the counterfeit means that you know the characteristics of the genuine; in the church the genuine is the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. Unless we know the Lord and His Word, we cannot perceive the false teachings of false prophets. In Matthew 12:33-37, Jesus said, the tree is known by its fruit. The good man brings from his heart good fruit. The evil man brings from his heart evil fruit. A false prophet will be convicted by his own words and actions which are contrary to the Word of Truth. False prophets say there is good news but they do not reveal the consequences of the bad news; that the wages of sin is death and that there is a broad way of the world that leads to destruction.
The good news, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, confronts sin and death. The point of repentance is when we humble our hearts under the mighty hand of God. Repentance starts with brokenness, meekness, and humility. Blessed are the poor in spirit who are broken and mourn over the sin that separates our heart from God’s heart. To enter into the narrow gate starts with understanding that “in my flesh dwells no good thing,” for there is none good but God. Then in meekness and humility I can turn from my selfish self, turn around in repentance and follow Christ. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
The good news of ‘life in the spirit of life’ in Christ is bad news for the “old man” of the fallen flesh, the natural man born of Adam’s fallen in sin seed. To turn from the sin nature and the wicked sin that separated us from God is to die to self and live for Christ. Therefore, the ‘true’ disciple of Christ is an example of Galatians 2:20... I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me, that we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace! Praise the Lord!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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