"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." Matt. 7:15
If you've ever been to the beach and stood at the shoreline and observed fins protruding out of the water in the distance, you probably very quickly questioned whether or not those were dolphin fins or shark fins. Being a product of the 1980s, I can't help but always think that every fin I see is bound to be on the back of a great white shark who snacks on arms and legs and eats entire bodies for dinner. If you're like me, the music from the movie, Jaws, is always playing in the back of my mind whenever I'm at the beach!
Thankfully, every time I've been to the beach and seen fins sticking out of the water, they have always belonged to a gentle and beautiful family of dolphins or porpoises. At first sight, their fins always startle me and make me wonder, but I'm always delighted to realize that there is nothing to be fearful of.
Jesus warned us that we should be on the lookout for sharks disguised as dolphins, or as He put it, wolves in sheep's clothing. What does that mean? Very simply, it means that there are going to be people out there who appear to be trustworthy, believable, and a legitimate follower of Christ . . . but they're not.
Rather than trying to imitate the Shepherd as believers are instructed to do, they are non-Christians who are trying to imitate the sheep (real Christians). It's been said many times that imitation is the best form of flattery. That statement holds true for sunglasses and handbags, but not for being a knock-off Christian.
Jesus doesn't just give us a warning to be on the lookout for these fake believers, but He tells us how we can differentiate whether or not someone's walk with the Lord is real. He says:
Jesus gives us the permission to look into the life of our fellow man to determine whether or not they are genuine in their walk by what kind of fruit they are producing. If they claim to be a follower of Christ, yet reflect the world more than Him, then we have a right to be concerned.
In this day and time, we're seeing more and more false prophets and false followers everyday. Christ told us that would happen. As Jesus was instructing His followers on what to be on the look out for concerning the end of time, He said:
We are living in a day of "false Christs and false prophets." All you have to do is flip through the TV channels whenever you can't sleep at night and see the multitude of false prophets who are using the name of Jesus to deceive innocent individuals into padding their personal pockets, all in the name of ministry.
Have you encountered any of these "false Christs" or wolves that Jesus speaks of?
One thing that is important to note here is that some of these wolves aren't preoccupied with betraying people, they just haven't fully given control of their lives to the One who can radically transform them from a wolf into a sheep. They live their life pretending to be a Christian but yet have not fully surrendered to Christ. Unfortunately, I think our church houses might be full of these type of wolves.
As I think about how I'm often deceived whenever I see a fin sticking out of the water at the beach, there's one way to know for sure whether or not it belongs to a shark or a dolphin. You have to keep your eyes fixed on it for some time. You have to observe its movements and style of going in and out of the water. If you have a pair of binoculars where you can see it at an even closer view, then you can get a good glimpse of what might be underneath the water.
The same is true for deciphering a sheep from a wolf. It takes time. It takes diligence. It takes intentionality. We must not simply believe that every "sheep" we see is a legitimate sheep. Trust God to give you wisdom and discernment in determining who is truly a sheep and who isn't.
I pray that you and I will be more diligent about reflecting the true nature of Christ's sheep so that it's easier to determine who the fakes are. Search your heart and make sure your life reflects a genuine follower of Christ today.
If you've ever been to the beach and stood at the shoreline and observed fins protruding out of the water in the distance, you probably very quickly questioned whether or not those were dolphin fins or shark fins. Being a product of the 1980s, I can't help but always think that every fin I see is bound to be on the back of a great white shark who snacks on arms and legs and eats entire bodies for dinner. If you're like me, the music from the movie, Jaws, is always playing in the back of my mind whenever I'm at the beach!
Thankfully, every time I've been to the beach and seen fins sticking out of the water, they have always belonged to a gentle and beautiful family of dolphins or porpoises. At first sight, their fins always startle me and make me wonder, but I'm always delighted to realize that there is nothing to be fearful of.
Jesus warned us that we should be on the lookout for sharks disguised as dolphins, or as He put it, wolves in sheep's clothing. What does that mean? Very simply, it means that there are going to be people out there who appear to be trustworthy, believable, and a legitimate follower of Christ . . . but they're not.
Rather than trying to imitate the Shepherd as believers are instructed to do, they are non-Christians who are trying to imitate the sheep (real Christians). It's been said many times that imitation is the best form of flattery. That statement holds true for sunglasses and handbags, but not for being a knock-off Christian.
Jesus doesn't just give us a warning to be on the lookout for these fake believers, but He tells us how we can differentiate whether or not someone's walk with the Lord is real. He says:
"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes,
or figs from thistles?"
Matt. 7:16
Jesus gives us the permission to look into the life of our fellow man to determine whether or not they are genuine in their walk by what kind of fruit they are producing. If they claim to be a follower of Christ, yet reflect the world more than Him, then we have a right to be concerned.
In this day and time, we're seeing more and more false prophets and false followers everyday. Christ told us that would happen. As Jesus was instructing His followers on what to be on the look out for concerning the end of time, He said:
"For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect - if that were possible."
Matt. 24:24
We are living in a day of "false Christs and false prophets." All you have to do is flip through the TV channels whenever you can't sleep at night and see the multitude of false prophets who are using the name of Jesus to deceive innocent individuals into padding their personal pockets, all in the name of ministry.
Have you encountered any of these "false Christs" or wolves that Jesus speaks of?
One thing that is important to note here is that some of these wolves aren't preoccupied with betraying people, they just haven't fully given control of their lives to the One who can radically transform them from a wolf into a sheep. They live their life pretending to be a Christian but yet have not fully surrendered to Christ. Unfortunately, I think our church houses might be full of these type of wolves.
As I think about how I'm often deceived whenever I see a fin sticking out of the water at the beach, there's one way to know for sure whether or not it belongs to a shark or a dolphin. You have to keep your eyes fixed on it for some time. You have to observe its movements and style of going in and out of the water. If you have a pair of binoculars where you can see it at an even closer view, then you can get a good glimpse of what might be underneath the water.
The same is true for deciphering a sheep from a wolf. It takes time. It takes diligence. It takes intentionality. We must not simply believe that every "sheep" we see is a legitimate sheep. Trust God to give you wisdom and discernment in determining who is truly a sheep and who isn't.
I pray that you and I will be more diligent about reflecting the true nature of Christ's sheep so that it's easier to determine who the fakes are. Search your heart and make sure your life reflects a genuine follower of Christ today.
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