Good News, Bad News
The way of Jesus Christ is not the difficult path… it’s the impossible path. Apart from God’s spirit we cannot approach our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 7, if we judge others and point out their sins, we’re subject to a greater judgement from God himself. You cannot see to remove the speck in your brother’s eye until you yank the plank from your own eye. The plank is the two by four of judgementalism. If we think we’re superior in our own power, then we have the greater sin. Our righteousness is in Christ alone.
Then Jesus said, I am the narrow gate and the narrow way that leads to life eternal. The broad way of the world leads to sin, death, and destruction.
Jesus reminded the multitude about false prophets who come to destroy the flock. They are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They appear to be righteous, but they are actually ravenous wolves. Jesus asked, how can you recognize a false prophet? Then he said, you shall know them by their fruit. A bad tree produces poisonous rotten fruit but a good tree produces good fruit. He didn’t call us to be judges. Instead he called us to be fruit inspectors.
The false prophets stand by the entrance to the narrow gate to tempt those who would enter into the narrow gate. They say, don’t enter into the narrow gate. Instead you need to be “tolerant.” However, the broad way of the world tolerates the lies of the devil and leads to destruction.
Jesus warned the multitude about the false teachings of the Pharisees. They do everything to be seen of men. They are concerned about their own vanity and vain glory… Their drug of choice is the praise of men. They preach about their own made-up laws that are contrary to the word of God. They clean the outside of the cup, but inside of the cup is rottenness… Their rules are fear based and works based. No one can follow their impossible self-serving commands. They outwardly appear as righteous men. Jesus said, You Pharisees are like whitewashed sepulchers… graveyards that appear green, beautiful and carefully manicured on the outside. But inside you are full of dead men’s bones.
False prophets never tell about the judgement of sin… of missing the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. They are “unconscious hypocrites” that never examine whether a person has come to the cross of Christ on God’s terms. They deny the consequences of sin and iniquity… of the fallen nature we inherited from Adam’s fall. They distract the unwary from the truth of the spiritual battle. They speak flattering words that appeal to vanity, pride, and self-sufficiency. They say, you can make it on your own…. You deserve to be in the limelight, to be front and center…. You deserve the praise of men. Jesus said, They seem to draw nigh unto God with great flattering words of eloquence, they say seem to say the right things, but it’s for their own vain glory instead of to God’s glory.
False prophets lead God’s people astray, especially in the church. They look like the sheep on the outside but on the inside they are ravenous wolves. Their fruit will reveal their hearts. They outwardly appear to be Christian, but their heart is not conformed to the image of Christ. Some have even deceived themselves. Like the Pharisees, they teach that their performance and actions merit righteousness in their own power… in the vanity of their own minds. Only God can reveal the deception of false prophets. Without the Holy Spirit that convicts our own hearts when we sin, we cannot spot the sin in the lies of the deceiver and his false prophets.
To identify the counterfeit means that you know the characteristics of the genuine… the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. Unless we know the Lord and his word, we cannot perceive the false teachings of false prophets. In Matthew 12 Jesus said, the tree is known by its fruit. The good man brings from his heart good fruit. The evil man brings from his heart evil fruit. A false prophet will be convicted by his own words and actions which are contrary to the word of truth.
False prophets say there is good news but they do not reveal the consequences of the bad news… that the wages of sin is death…. That there is a broad way of the world that leads to destruction.
The good news, the gospel of Christ confronts the law of sin and death. The point of repentance is when we humble our hearts under the mighty hand of God. Repentance starts with brokenness, meekness, and humility. Blessed are the poor in spirit who are broken and mourn over the sin that separates our heart from God’s heart. To enter into the narrow gate starts with understanding that “in my flesh dwelleth no good thing,” for there is none good but God. Then in meekness and humility I can turn from my selfish self, turn around in repentance and follow Christ.
The good news of life in the spirit of life in Christ is bad news for the “old man” of the flesh… the natural man born of Adam’s seed. To turn from the sin nature and the sin that separated us from God is to die to self to live for Christ. Therefore, The true disciple of Christ is an example of Galatians 2:20…. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me….
… That we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
