Jesus said, "By their fruit you will recognize them." (Matthew 7:16 NIV) The Saviour knew that many false prophets and teachers would try to deceive us, and that's why He warned us to put people to the test by examining their actions. He told us not to just pay attention to their words, but to look at how they live. He said: "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart. You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit." (Matthew 7:15-16 ) Jesus goes on to say: "Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to Me as 'Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey My Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
No matter how good or convincing someone sounds, if he is bearing bad fruit, his message should be rejected. Godly teachers will display good “fruit”.
While we can never know anyone else’s heart, we can make wise assessments by observing the fruit of their lives. . We can definitely identify those whose hearts have been redeemed, by the fruit we see in their lives.
