In this article we will delve into the evil fruits that identify a false prophet.
Let me begin with Matthew 7:15-17
Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Before we look at evil fruits, let’s consider what a good tree is.
Jeremiah 17:7&8
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and who’s hope the Lord is.
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
This tree was faced with the scorching heat of the sun, yet it’s leaf remained green.
Why? because it was planted by the waters and its roots spread out by the river.
It never ceased to yield fruit because it never ceased to abide IN and drink from the river.
What does the river represent or what is water symbolic of in the bible?
If we look at the gospel of John we see chapter after chapter makes reference to water.
The first reference is water baptism. John the baptist was baptising people unto repentance.
Now water baptism is a physical illustration to help us understand salvation, how it works and what one must do to be saved.
Rom 6:3-6 says we must be… baptised into Jesus Christ through repentance. Repentance is being crucified with Christ. Once crucified with him, we can be resurrected with him, that is, born of the Spirit.
If we go back to the gospel of John we find another reference to water in chapter four where Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman and offered her living water. He said that whosoever drinks of living water will never thirst (John 4:14).
This ties in with Rev. 22:1
And he showed me a pure river of of water of life, clear as crystal…on either side of the river was there the tree of life which…yeilded her fruit every month.
vs 17…let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely.
The tree in Jeremiah 17:8 who’s roots continually abide IN the river, represents a person who has been baptised in Christs death through repentance and is therefore drinking of his Spirit.
1 Cor. 12:13
For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body….and have been all made to drink into one Spirit
Now, the Spirit is love.
Ephesians 3:17
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love
A person who is rooted and grounded in love will manifest what? LOVE.
Even when faced with the scorching heat of the sun.
Galatians 5:22-24
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The fruit that one produces when under pressure, reveals wether one is a good tree or a corrupt tree.
A false prophet can put on a loving facade for a time. He can imitate the fruit of the Spirit for a time but when the heat is on, when the pressure is on, he WILL manifest the works of the flesh.
These are listed in Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkeness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
A false prophet may not manifest the obvious sins of adultery, fornication, murder or drunkeness, rather the subtle sins of strife, envy, hatred and wrath.
This is more likely what one will see in the behaviour and attitudes of a wolf.
We find the perfect example of this in 3 John.
3 John is a very short letter written by the elder unto Gaius.
The elder commends Gaius for his hospitality towards brethren who were traveling about ministering truth.
In vs 8 he says
we ought to receive such that we might be fellow helpers to the truth.
Then he continues in vs 9
I wrote unto the church but Diotrephus who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
Preeminene means a desire to be first.
This is STRIFE an evil fruit.
Strife eritheia er-ith-i-ah means a desire to put oneself forward or self-promotion.
Self-promotion is one of the hallmarks of a wolf.
He may say something as blatant as “i am the lamb of God” or something a little more subtle like
“where would you be without me?” “if it wasn’t for me you’d still believe false doctrine” “You need to respect the office of pastor” in order to keep his followers in passive submission to him.
Why? Because a wolf HAS to have the preeminence.
Any thing that looks or sounds remotely like self-promotion should be a red flag to us.
Lets continue to verse 10
Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren and forbidden them that would and casteth them out of the church.
When a person is busy promoting self they WILL be envious of anyone more successful or capable than themselves.
ENVY is evil fruit.
There are many verses which show how strife and envy go together. Here are just a few…
1 Cor. 3:3
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying and strife…
James 4:14
But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not and lie not against the truth.
James 3:16
For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work.
The envious wolf has to cut down or drive out anyone he finds threatening. This means he WILL make us stories, spread rumours and straight out abuse people from the pulpit.
This is where WRATH comes in, more evil fruit.
Wrath thymos thoo-mos is anger that boils up.
Wolves often use the pulpit as a means of safely expressing their rage.
Who was it that Diotrephus spoke malicious words against?
Vs 12 Demetrius hath good report of all men and of the truth itself…
How could Diotrephus speak malicious words against a man who had a good report of all men and of the truth itself?
Because wolves are full of HATRED, another evil fruit.
Hatred mis-eh-o miseo means to detest, especially persecute.
Wolves actually persecute Christians.
What piece of advise did “the elder” give to Gaius in regards to Diotrephus?
Vs 11
Beloved follow not that which is evil but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
Doesn’t this sound similar to Matthew 7:17
A good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Strife, envy, malice, hatred and wrath are all the characteristics of a wolf and prove that he is not a Christian for the bible says one must “lay aside” these things before one can be born-again.
1 Peter 2:1&2
Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby:
When the wolf pokes his head out from his sheep’s clothing and we see the works of the flesh in his attitudes and behaviours should we look the other way? Ignore the evidence? Forgive and forget? Just keep praying for him to change? Put up with evil fruit because after all, he’s a good preacher…he has amazing bible knowledge…he does missionary work…he feeds the poor?
Jesus said beware of false prophets meaning seperate yourself from them, flee them.
I was personally under a pastor like Diotrephus for many years and it was a situation very similar to that described in 3 John that caused me to finally come out from under his influence.
I didn’t make that decision lightly, it was a huge thing for me to leave that group but evil fruit was so clearly evident that I had to make a choice. I couldn’t go along with something I deeply disagreed with. To do so would make me a dishonest person and just a guilty as the wolf.
In conclusion…
A good tree is rooted and grounded in love and therefore manifests love, even in the heat of the sun.
Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance are the fruit of the Spirit.
A false prophet, has not died to self or received the Spirit.
Therefore he can put on a loving facade for a time but when the heat is on he WILL manifest the works of the flesh such as hatred, wrath, malice, envy and strife.
The fruit one produces when under pressure reveals ones true character. Wether one is a good tree or a corrupt tree.
Ye shall know them by their fruits.
God bless.
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