How and Why to Discern False Prophets

Editors Note: I constantly get contacts that accuse me of being judgmental. Please read my article about discernment!

The Lord Jesus spoke often about the danger of false prophets and false "christs". His disciples were constantly warning of false teachers and false disciples. Satan’s chief attack against the church has always been to produce a counterfeit. After Satan has produced his counterfeit preachers and prophets, he uses the world to talk about how crazy all Christians are by pointing out the false crowd. How clever and double-tongued the devil and his spirits are in their evil design.

The next time you hear or see a false prophet, just remember that he/she does not represent the true church of Jesus Christ. You can always remember that a Christian acts and lives like a Christian and the false is always the work of Satan to destroy. Do not be discouraged because the devil is doing his job and producing his false disciples. Let us do our job and produce the real and the pure so we can outshine the other crowd.

Error will be seen as error when the truth is seen clearly as the truth. When we hide the truth because somebody is producing the false, then we have helped the devil’s cause. I know too many real Christians to be discouraged about the hypocrites. Jesus warned us that false prophets and false disciples would arise and told us how to know the difference. When somebody says that you are judging, just tell them, "No, I am just inspecting the fruit."

Listen to the Lord of the Church. "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s 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. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matthew 7:15-20).

Remember, you are a fruit inspector. Be careful that you do not overuse this and become a slanderer. There is a fine line between the two.