FOUR MARKS OF A FALSE PROPHET/FALSE TEACHER

 FOUR MARKS OF A FALSE PROPHET/FALSE TEACHER

The Bible gives four (4) major identifying marks of a false prophet. This list refers specifically to Pseudo-Christian cults and to false preachers among the churches of Christendom:

(1.) - They make false predictions and preach false doctrines in the name of God and Jesus Christ. That is to say, they attempt to predict various future events in God's name, but such events never come to pass, or they teach doctrines that are false, and yet claim their doctrines are truly biblical and of God (Deuteronomy 18:20-22; Ezekiel 22:28). This is perhaps the most unambiguous mark of a false prophet given in the Bible.

(2.) - They preach doctrines that appeal to the fallen, carnal, and sinful nature of man instead of the righteousness and holiness of God and Jesus Christ. For example, they preach doctrines that make people feel more comfortable with their sin without genuine repentance. They preach doctrines that make people feel more comfortable with their pride, their selfish goals, their unrestrained carnal impulses, and their connections with this sinful world. They teach people a man-centered and humanistic gospel that moves people to love religion more than God, to esteem themselves far more than necessary, and to reject the Bible's command to "be holy as God is holy." (2 Timothy 4:3-4; 1 Peter 1:13-16; Jude 1:16-19)

(3.) - They may claim to be Jesus Christ himself, or claim to be His special representative, teaching doctrines they claim to have received through sources outside the Bible, doctrines that no one else has. Such extrabiblical sources often include dreams or near-death experiences about being in Heaven, visits from angels, supernatural signs and wonders, and philosophies or ideologies of human invention made to appear as if they came from God. They feel that the Bible can't be fully understood without such things. The false prophet claims to be a special channel of communication between God and humanity, and that everyone much listen to them to receive up-to-date revelations from God. (Colossians 2:8, 18; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; 1 Timothy 6:20-21)

(4.) - Many false prophets and false teachers among the churches are lovers of money just like the Pharisees of Jesus' time on earth (Luke 16:14), and they go to great lengths to deceive and manipulate their followers to contribute large amounts of money to them; they receive it as filthy lucre or dishonest gain (Titus 1:10, 11; 2 Peter 2:1-3). Their followers are deceived into donating money out of faith in return for salvation and/or greater material prosperity. This is called "Seed Faith" in some churches. John MacArthur once said "The treasury is at the heart of false Christianity."

We must obey Jesus' command to remain on guard against all false prophets and hypocrites whenever God reveals their true fruits and true colors to us. (Matthew 7:16-20). We must know all the marks and signs of false prophets and false teachers and avoid them at all costs for the love God our Redeemer, because God is testing us through the presence of false prophets to see whether or not we will love Him with all of our heart and soul (Deuteronomy 13:1-3).

GOD'S WORD IS THE SEED OF THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

GOD'S WORD IS THE SEED OF THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

We read about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, 23, and they are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these virtuous qualities produced by the Holy Spirit, and they are the exact opposite of the the works of the flesh listed previously in Galatians 5:19-21. Once we hear the Word of God, we should pray that the Holy Spirit will incline our hearts to apply the Word we hear. The Word of God is the seed from which the Fruit of the Spirit grows. The Holy Spirit will not produce fruit within us without the Word of God. The more we read and study the Word, and the more we submit to the Holy Spirit, the more good fruit we will bear in our life. Therefore cultivate the Fruit of the Holy Spirit by sowing plenty of the good seed, the Word of God, in your heart daily and meditate on it (Psalm 1:1-3), and keep yourself filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18; Jude 1:20-21).

HOW THE WORD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT WORK TOGETHER TO PRODUCE FRUIT

The seed is the Word of God (Luke 8:11) that is sown into a person's heart. We sow and water the seed into the heart, but God make it grow and bear fruit. Christians sow the seed and water it by preaching the Word to others and through personal Bible study, but it is up to God's Holy Spirit to make it grow and bear fruit (1 Corinthians 3:5-7). Without the Holy Spirit, the word will not change a person's life. A person who is ignorant of God's Word will not produce an abundance of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, because the Word informs the person of truth about love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23); but the Holy Spirit enables that person to understand and apply them in practice (John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:14).

BEING A BIBLE-WIZ DOES NOT MAKE SOMEONE MORE SPIRITUALLY MATURE AND MORE FRUITFUL THAN OTHERS; THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES THAT.

In other words, Bible knowledge alone does not does not create spiritual growth and fruitfulness, the Holy Spirit is also actively involved.

Regardless of how much head knowledge, academic knowledge, or Bible knowledge you may have, you will only bear good spiritual fruit at the rate and efficiency which the Holy Spirit enables you to do so. Knowledge, in and of itself, is a gift from God, but Bible knowledge (God's Word) cannot be successfully applied and practice without the Holy Spirit working within the person. Myself, You, or anyone else can be one of the smartest Bible scholars around (even with seminary education), and yet still bear spiritual fruit only according to how the Holy Spirit himself works within us. Whether we bear a small amount, a moderate amount, or a tremendous abundance of spiritual fruit depends upon the will of the Holy Spirit and how He operates within us. Many of us bear no spiritual fruit at all, despite having a great deal of Bible knowledge. Yes, knowledge of the scriptures is important and frequent Bible study is also important, but the amount of scriptural knowledge alone does not determine exactly how much spiritual fruit you produce for the glory of God; it is the Holy Spirit that determines such things. In order for our accumulated knowledge of God's Word the Bible to profit us with the greatest possible level of spiritual fruitfulness, we must daily invite into ourselves a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit through prayer (Ephesians 5:18; Jude 1:20, 21), and, at the same time, we must humble ourselves, stop feeding our sinful flesh, and submit totally to the desires and influences of the Holy Spirit; that is, "walk in the Spirit" (Romans 8:5-14; Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:16-26; Galatians 6:7, 8; 1 Peter 2:11).