A stranger approached Jalonta Freeman and her family to try and sell a sparkling new $800 iPad for the wonderfully discounted price of $200. With the holidays just around the corner, this seemed like a deal Jalonta and her family couldn’t pass up. She handed over the money and watched as the man drove off. Excited about their good fortune, they opened the box, pulled out the Apple product and quickly discovered the so-called “iPad” was actually a mirror carefully wrapped up as an iPad. They had been cheated (Huffington Post).
Sometimes people are gullible. From silly childhood jokes to elaborate business frauds, people become the victims of deceit all over the world. Sadly, the religious world is not exempt. Jesus warned in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” What a scary thought! False teachers do not announce they are wolves. Instead, they talk sweet and act soft and cuddly (1 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; etc). How can we protect ourselves from this spiritual deception? Let’s examine three defensive barriers.
Barrier #1: Stand on Scripture (Galatians 1:6-9). We must follow the Bible’s words above all others. This should be the constant standard and ultimate rule-of-thumb when determining what to believe. God’s message in Galatians is for Christians to follow the Bible’s teachings above any religious leader or even an angel! Therefore, if anyone teaches something contrary to Scripture, it is false doctrine and the person could be a “wolf.”
Barrier #2: Test For Truth (1 John 4:1-6). Science has discovered the laws of nature, cures to illnesses, and many other incredible feats. These conclusions were verified through testing. The same must be true when determining false teaching. The church in Ephesus was praised for putting evil men, claiming to be apostles, to the test and finding them to be fakes (Revelation 2:2). The way this is done today is by filtering a person’s teachings through the perfect truth of the Bible. If any teaching does not match, then it has failed the test.
Barrier #3: Investigate Actions (Matthew 7:16-19). Immediately after Jesus’ warning about the wolves in sheep’s clothing (vs. 15), He says to “look at their fruits.” In other words, take a close look at the person’s works, actions, teachings, and lifestyle. Are they busy doing God’s work or pushing their own thoughts and agendas? Do they teach God’s words or something else? Do they cause unnecessary division or foster unity? Much can be determined about people by observing their actions.
Keep in mind our God is not a God of confusion, but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). Our Lord did not establish hundreds of confusing denominations and religions; He established one church (Ephesians 4:4-6; Acts 2:38-47). There are many fake, false, and ferocious teachers in the world (wolves in sheep’s clothing). They are trying to deceive us. We cannot afford to be gullible in matters of eternity.