Some thoughts on “prophets”

¹⁵“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

²¹“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ ²³Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Matthew 7:15-23

This scripture makes it clear that not all who call themselves “prophets” ARE prophets in the Biblical sense. It’s quite evident – when one loves the truth – that not all who claim to be of God ARE of God. When our Lord said “Watch out for false prophets” it is clear that a false prophet is someone that one can spot. And by spotting him or her one is not judging, one is merely doing what the Lord said to do, “Watch out for false prophets.”

So, what is the sign of a false prophet? That is a fairly easy task, especially when the “prophet” claims to speak for God. The Bible is clear on this:

²¹ You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD ?” ²² If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

Deuteronomy 18:21-22

Someone who claims to speak for God and yet his word falls to the ground (does not come true) is not from God. It matters not that occasionally they “get it right” – what matters is that even one time they didn’t get it right. God is 100% accurate. The practice of speaking about signs and wonders and dreams and visions that never took place is not a new one. From time immemorial people have sought influence by claiming some kind of special connection to the Lord. Here’s what the Lord said to Ezekiel about this practice:

¹ The word of the LORD came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the LORD! ³ This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the foolish ^[a] prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! ⁴ Your prophets, O Israel, are like jackals among ruins. ⁵ You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the LORD. ⁶ Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, “The LORD declares,” when the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled. ⁷ Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The LORD declares,” though I have not spoken? Ezekiel 13:1-7

Does this mean that God is not active today like some claim? This is not so. God is just as active as He has always been. He heals, He directs, He protects and demonstrates His power in many ways. But just because someone CLAIMS they have a “direct line to heaven” does not mean that it is so.

The Lord was not favorable towards those who came to Him seeking signs and wonders. He performed many miracles and signs and wonders but when folks came seeking those signs He had something to say about it:

²⁹As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. Luke 11:29-30

³⁸Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” ³⁹He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:38-40

⁴A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away. Matthew 16:4

The sign of Jonah. The resurrection of Jesus the Christ on the third day. That should be enough for us to believe in Him. In fact, the apostle Paul said that the resurrection of the Christ from the dead is the pivotal point of the Christian faith. If it didn’t happen then we’ve nothing to believe in at all.

¹²But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. I Corinthians 15:12-19

So what is the mark of a true disciple of Jesus the Christ? Is it the ability to cast out demons? Is it the ability to heal? Is it the ability to speak in some language that they’ve never studied? Or to translate a language they’ve never heard before? Interestingly enough, that’s not what the Lord said about the matter. He said:

³⁴“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

Oh, it’s not as “sexy” as some gifts the Spirit may give, but it’s the true mark of a disciple. Love. Simple, pure, not easily counterfeited. That is what He said would set aside His disciples “if you love one another.”

When I hear folks stressing physical blessings it saddens me. There’s nothing wrong with being blessed in this life – but that’s not why Christ died! What is it that separates man from God? Is it not the sin that so easily entangles? Adam and Eve lost the daily communion with God not because they got a cold – but because they disobeyed His command. The greatest benefit of the Christian life is not physical healing and material blessings. That does not mean that God does not heal and that He does not provide for His children – it means that those who emphasize those aspects of the Christian life over the REAL blessing of the New Life have missed the whole point of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross! After all, this body we live in is GOING TO DIE! No one gets out of this life alive in the same body that they were physically born in. The Bible is clear that even those who remain until the Lord comes will be transformed – because this body is not designed to live forever.

²²“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” ²³ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ²⁴He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. ²⁵For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. I Peter 2:22-25

Beware of those who preach health and wealth and ignore the true benefit of Life in Christ – the forgiveness of our sins. His wounds healed us – from our sins. He bore our sins on the cross, not our virii, bacteria and physical ailments. His wounds heal us of the most deadly illness of all – SIN. His Grace is bestowed on the faithful so that they can enjoy a New Life in Jesus the Christ – free from the deadly effects of sin.

This doesn’t mean that we’ll never sin again – it means that we are free to live in Christ and to be cleansed by Him. It means that He helps us to overcome sin so that we can live a new life of victory over evil.

⁵This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. ⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

¹My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for^[a] the sins of the whole world. ³We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. ⁴The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. I John 1:5-2:4

As Christians we are called to renounce sin and allow God to cleanse us from sin. The Christian who claims never to sin is in effect calling God a liar. God expects His children to be truthful and open so that He can transform them into the image of Christ by renewing their minds. And once you learn to follow His paths and to allow His Spirit to fill you – you’ll realize that God’s blessings are far greater than mere material things. God’s greatness is indeed made manifest in weakness. And His true power is shown through those who allow Him to govern their lives.

Yes, beware of those who claim to be prophets. Hold them to strict account for the words they utter in the name of God. And beware of those who emphasize the material over the spiritual. Both are important but the spiritual takes precedence over the material every time.