September 30, 2022 8:00 pm
“Will the real [person’s name] please stand up?” That’s the familiar line at the end of the game show To Tell the Truth. A panel of four celebrities ask questions of three individuals claiming to be the same person. Of course, two are impostors, but it’s up to the panel to discern the actual person. In one challenging episode, the celebrities tried to guess “the real Johnny Marks,” who wrote the lyrics to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The celebrities found out just how difficult it is, even with asking good questions, to figure out just who’s who. Impostors lie and finagle the truth, which makes for entertaining television.
Discerning who’s who when it comes to “false teachers” is a far cry from television game show antics, but it frequently proves to be equally as challenging and infinitely more important. The “ferocious wolves” often come to us in “sheep’s clothing,” and Jesus warns even the wise among us to “watch out” (Matthew 7:15). The best test in such cases is not so much good questions, but good eyes. Look at their fruit, for that’s how you’ll recognize them (vv. 16–20).
Scripture gives us some assistance in seeing good and bad fruit. The good looks like “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). We’ve got to pay close attention, for wolves play by deception. But as believers, who are filled with the Spirit, we serve “the real Good Shepherd,” full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
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Our Daily Bread Ministries
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Truth for Life
Alistair Begg
Welcome to another word of encouragement from the Our Daily Bread devotional.
Today's reading is titled, Look at the Fruit, and it was written by John Blaise. Of course, two are imposters, but it's up to the panel to discern the actual person. In one episode, the celebrities tried to guess the real Johnny Marks, who wrote the lyrics to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The celebrities found out how difficult it was to figure out who's who, even when asking good questions. Imposters finagled the truth, which made for entertaining television. Discerning who's who when it comes to false teachers is a far cry from television game show antics.
But it can be equally as challenging and is infinitely more important. The ferocious wolves often come to us in sheep's clothing, and in Matthew 7, Jesus warns even the wise among us to watch out. The best test is not so much good questions, but good eyes. Look at their fruit, for that's how you'll recognize them. Scripture gives us assistance in seeing good and bad fruit. The good looks like love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We've got to pay close attention, for wolves play by deception. But as believers who are filled with the Spirit, we serve the real Good Shepherd, full of grace and truth.
Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Matthew chapter 7 verses 15 through 20. Good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them. Let's pray. Great Shepherd, evil is often disguised as good, which can make it difficult to know what is truly good. So, would you please give us eyes and ears to be able to discern what is best for us and pleasing to you. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening. My name is Wes Ward, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2022-12-29 10:05:10 / 2022-12-29 10:06:32 / 1
