Photo by Timotheus Fröbel on Unsplash
One of the most used and abused verses of scripture among cults and pseudo-Christian groups, in our opinion, is Matthew 7:16, where Jesus said to His disciples, “You will know them by their fruit.” Every cultic group, by ignoring the context, abuses this verse to prove to outsiders that their group are the true Christians. The common attitude of the cults is, “Look at our GOOD works and judge for yourselves whether or not we are the TRUE CHRISTIANS.” The Jehovah’s Witnesses (JWs) boast, “We don’t participate in war, and we are the only ones going door to door to spread the gospel,” etc. The Mormons brag, “Our founder, Joseph Smith, received the truth from an angel. We are the only group that has a living prophet and apostles, and we also have the strongest and closest-knit families, etc.” Marshall Applewhite of Heaven’s Gate fame might say, “Oh, you think that’s Christian? We have deserted our families to follow the new ‘ Christ’ — Applewhite himself — and we are the only ones who have truly followed Jesus’ advice about cutting off offending body parts. Isn’t it obvious from our ‘fruit’ that WE are ‘the truth’?”
For one thing, quite a few groups go “from door to door” proclaiming falsehood, claim to have received their truth from “angels,” and say they are the only true truth, etc. We don’t really know of another group besides Heaven’s Gate that has literally cut off “offending” body parts, and frankly, we really don’t want to know. The point is, any group can say they are the only true Christians based upon their squeaky-clean appearance or the “good works” their group supposedly exhibits, and most Bible-based cults do make that claim.
But Jesus Christ said that He, not any organization or religion or church, is “the truth” (John 14:6). And these cult groups really should give Matthew 7:15-20 another look because it does not say what they try to make it say. Jesus in the passage was not talking about identifying Christians at all! He was warning his listeners to beware of false prophets (verse 15) and instructing them to judge the false prophets by their fruits!
And what, my dears, are the “fruits” of false prophets that we are to judge? False prophecies! Apple trees bring forth apples, and pear trees bring forth pears, and “false prophet trees” bring forth false prophecies! You can bank on it. These false prophecies can be in the form of false predictions of future events (Deuteronomy 13:1-3), or they can be in the form of false teachings that contradict scripture (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). Cults often meet both criteria. Did Armageddon come in 1914, 1925, or 1975 as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (JWs) predicted? Has Jesus — allegedly Michael the archangel — already returned “invisibly,” as they also claim? Can human beings become gods, as the Mormons teach? Did Joseph Smith receive hidden golden plates from the angel Moroni, as Joseph — a tall tale teller if there ever was one — himself claimed? Was there, after all, a spaceship behind the Hale-Bopp Comet, as Applewhite confidently asserted? These are the fruits we ought to be inspecting — false prophecies and false claims and teachings.
Why did Jesus warn the people to look for false prophecies and false teachings to help them identify the false prophets? Shouldn’t they have been able to judge them by their “works”? No. In fact, Jesus cautioned them that the false prophets who came to them would be wearing sheep’s clothing. If one is wearing sheep’s clothing, what is one going to look like? A sheep! People cannot identify false prophets by the way they appear because they come to us disguised to look as one would expect true prophets, or true Christians, to look. You can only judge false prophets by their false prophecies and false teachings because when they appear at your door, online, or on television, they look like Christians.
False prophets, false Christians, and false religions might be able to show vou “good works,” but do not be fooled – GOOD WORKS DO NOT A CHRISTIAN MAKE.
You might say, “But wait a minute! The New Testament is full of exhortations to Christians to do good works, imitating the love and goodness of their Father in heaven.”
That is very true. In fact, Paul told us that we were “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). But faith in Christ is what makes one a Christian. Salvation is a free gift with no strings attached. Along with salvation comes a new nature; the good works that Christians do come out of hearts that have been changed.1See Bad Heir Day
We can demonstrate this with an illustration from an apple tree:
The apple tree at the top of this post represents a true Christian. See the apples? They represent his Christian works produced from his very nature as an apple tree. The new nature is one of love, and love produces good works.
But what about this tree? Does the fact that this tree has apples glued or tied onto it make this tree an apple tree? No! This is obviously an evergreen tree in apple-tree clothing! Beware! On the outside, he may be fully decked out like an apple tree — but inside, he is a ravenous evergreen! So instead of checking out the apples, we should be looking for the “pinecones” of false predictions and teachings.
Can we always tell a tree by its apples? What if we were to find a genuine apple tree with no apples on it? Would we then label that tree an evergreen? That would be silly because an apple tree, with or without fruit, is not an evergreen tree. We know that in nature, there are sometimes good reasons why a tree might not be bearing fruit. It may be out of season or perhaps merely immature. Maybe it suffered an injury from a particularly bad winter, a late frost, or a crippling storm. We cannot see into the human heart as God sees. We may know someone who claims to be a Christian, and yet, our outward “inspection” does not turn up evidential apples. Can we say with certitude that the fruitless one is not a Christian? It may be that we need to be patient while the tree matures, blossoms, and brings forth fruit.
But if someone you assume is a Christian based on outward appearance tells you that he or his great leader is the Christ, or that a comet is coming by to sweep you into glory, or that you must allow your child to die rather than receiving a blood transfusion, or that you can become a god over your very own planet, or you must get out and sell magazines door to door — those are some serious “pinecones.”
How can an evergreen tree be transformed into an apple tree and gain eternal life and acceptance into God’s family? The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 4:5, “To the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned [credited or counted] as righteousness.”
One does not “try to be a Christian.” Believe in Jesus and in His sacrificial death on the cross on your behalf — and receive forgiveness for your sins from the hand of God. It is the LORD working in one’s believing heart that accomplishes the transformation.Ω
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You left out the Seventh Day Adventist Church just like what Dr. Walter Martin did. In our town they have taken over everything. The hospital, The clinics, ‘Christian’ radio station, the food bank, the Salvation Army, the prison ministry, etc.. Many Christians have been deceived by the Seventh Day Adventists, I know I was one (because I thought and was taught, that any water baptism saved me), but I was not deceived by them, I was forced to go to their schools by my mom. I was not even a Christian when I said, “who is this Ellen G. White that I should listen to her?” I have witnessed to plenty of Christians who never speak to me again because of my firm stand against a very deceptive religion called SDA. They trick people with their Saturday “free” all are welcome potlucks, and cooking programs which push vegetarianism, and their prophecy conferences where all are welcome, all are welcome into their schools as well as long as you can pay the fee. Everyone knows the Mormons and Jehovah’s witnesses are a cult, but they don’t recognize the SDA as such. Ellen G. White got her doctrines from angels (demons). “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Gal. 1:6-8. You have to have the right God to be saved, and he is not Michael the archangel a created being, and the right gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
I appreciate your comments but perhaps need to point out a few things. The blog was dealing with a specific issue which applies to all that misue the passage whether Christian, cult, false teacher or authoritarian. We didn’t include all in that category for then we would have to write a multi-volume encyclopedia which is a bit longer than the blog. Second, our position on the SDA is not concealed but addressed in articles like, What You Need to Know About Your Adventist Neighbors and Palm Sunday and The Great Disappointment. We have also addressed this in our webcast, ” “Our Lives in and Out of the SDA” — Richard and Colleen Tinker” and “The Investigative Judgment and Spiritual Bondage” – Richard and Colleen Tinker. I appreciate your concern and this provides more information for those who are unaware.
Thank you for your reply. I wanted to point out in love that Colleen Tinker has abandoned the gospel to the gospel of TULIP. In which God makes you born again because you are so dead and unable to believe the gospel, the God has to awaken you first with the Holy Spirit before you understand John 3:16. Read the comments on the article: https://lifeassuranceministries.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8a3258beb1&id=f5fac51c03&e=90f53af679
Greetings,
I appreciate your zeal. Even so, there is a difference between attempting to answer the question of how god does stuff (the mechanics of the faith) vs. what one must believe (the essentials of the faith). Whether a persons systematic theology is Calvinism, Arminian, Molinism, mediate view of salvation or something else, they affirm that salvation by calling on His name and believing in Him as Paul writes in Romans 10:9-13 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-5 for example. If Colleen is denying the gospel that should be addressed. If she holds to a different view of the mechanics of how God does stuff that is not a denial of the faith.
Amen! And Amen! I especially appreciate your analogy:
“Can we always tell a tree by its apples? What if we were to find a genuine apple tree with no apples on it? Would we then label that tree an evergreen? That would be silly because an apple tree, with or without fruit, is not an evergreen tree. We know that in nature, there are sometimes good reasons why a tree might not be bearing fruit. … We cannot see into the human heart as God sees.”
And this, i believe, is why God doesn’t allow us to judge a person’s standing before Him, but only their teachings. We cannot judge intents & motives in someone else.
And to add to your Rom 4:5 reference:
“For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God.
For what does the Scripture say? “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
(Rom 4:2,3)”
Thanks for your teachings & articles. God Bless you bigly. ~Brenda
As was said to an earlier reply, you weren’t attempting to cover all cults.
But, I would like to include Roman Catholicism. It is by far the largest cult and way too many Christians think they are “Christian” too. They add to the gospel, not to mention all of their other false teachings including worshiping Mary who was born a sinner like all of us.
Without getting to entangled in the issues with Roman Catholicism it might be helpful that you are aware of our article, “Thus Saith Rome,” and a recent webcast we did, ““Salvation and the Gospel of Rome” – Mike Gendron“
Thank you brother Don for the great article. I’ll have to watch the video later. I knew the word “anathema” basically means “accursed”, I did not know there was a whole ritual connected with it. Larry
Have you seen this from Mike Gendron’s website? The Title, “Why Evangelize If God Has Chosen Who Will Be Saved.” Quote from it, “Although divine election is clearly presented throughout Scripture, it remains one of the most hotly debated doctrines in church history. Christians who reject the biblical doctrine of election do so for one of the following reasons: 1) pride – they believe man has the free will to release himself from the bondage and power of sin, and then come to Jesus; 2) man-centered evangelism – they enjoy taking credit for persuading people to “accept” Jesus; 3) fear – they refuse to accept that their loved ones may not belong to the elect; and 4) a distorted view of God – they say God is unjust by choosing to save some while passing over others. Paul anticipated these objections when he wrote, “Who are you, O man, who answers back to God…Does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use?” (Rom. 9:19-23). Is man so prideful that, as a depraved sinner, he has a better plan than an infinitely holy and eternally righteous God? Scripture soundly rebukes this foolish idea! “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts'” (Isa. 55:8-9). Those who deny election are usurping God of His absolute control over His creation and the right to choose His own family. They wittingly or unwittingly rob God of His glory, which is a dangerous position to take.” You many see it on his website under articles and scroll to the bottom of the list and you can read it for yourself.” It is good for us to know all the facts.