Opening Prayer
Lord, enlighten us, and lead us in the way of truth. Amen.
Text: Matthew 7:15–21
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
Devotion
It is of the highest importance to have the pure doctrine of God’s Word, without lies and errors mixed in. For false doctrine is poison to the soul; if it enters our heart, it drains our spiritual life. God’s pure Word is powerful to give us new birth and to keep us in living fellowship with the Lord, so that we grow into spiritual perfection. “The gospel of Christ… is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). When the light of God’s holy love in Law and Gospel shines upon you and by the Spirit who is in them enters your soul, then humble yourself and bow in heartfelt confession of sin, and then the living faith is kindled within, so the powers of darkness must vanish, and the heart becomes the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. And when the same faithful Spirit gradually explains to you more and more the demand of the Law and the gift of the Gospel and keeps the flesh under the discipline of the Law, but keeps the life of the Spirit in the freedom of the Gospel, then the new man is nourished by the sincere milk of the Word. But false doctrine, falsehood under the guise of the truth, half-truth, Law without Gospel or Gospel without Law, mixing of Law and Gospel or rejecting them both, doctrine of rationalism and commandments of men mixed into the holy truth of the Word: such doctrine effects no true conversion and living faith, does not lead the searching soul rightly and does not feed it with the life of grace, but it works instead security in sin, or spiritual slavery, or spiritual complacency.
Since we are dealing here with eternal life and eternal death, the matter is of the highest importance. The pure doctrine of God’s Word is the sun that shines on our heart, warms it and makes it alive, and calls forth the fruits of righteousness. It is more than important that we have God’s Word pure and true, it is more than very important, it is the highest and most important thing. There is nothing as precious as God’s Holy Word. Therefore our Lord Jesus has also taught us in the Lord’s Prayer to pray for this first of all.
But how shall teachers and listeners distinguish truth and error? All doctrine and all life shall be tested on the testing stone of Holy Scripture. Doctrine that is taken from the Bible and is established by the Bible is true and pure. But the doctrine that does not stand up to this test is false. If anyone teaches that Jesus is not God’s Son and true God, then you know that that teacher is a liar, for the Bible says that Jesus is God’s only-begotten Son and true God from eternity. If anyone teaches that man is by nature good, but simply weak, then it is false doctrine, because the Christ says that we are evil. If anyone teaches that Baptism is only a bath in water and a sign of the purification of the heart, then you know from the Bible that he is wrong, for it is written that Baptism is “a washing of regeneration by the Holy Spirit” (Tit 3:5) and it “clothes us in Christ” (Gal 3:27) and “saves us” (1Pe 3:21). If anyone teaches that people are justified by the law and their works, then send him away as a false teacher, for the Scripture says: “by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (Rom 3:20; Gal 2:16). Or if anyone teaches a way of faith without conversion and sanctification, we see from the Bible that he is a liar, and the same with all points of Christian doctrine. But if there is anyone who seems to teach the truth and yet lives an ungodly life, then beware of both his example and his doctrine, for there is poison in his beautiful words.
Closing Prayer
Holy Father, sanctify us in Your truth; Your Word is truth (Joh 17:17). Amen.
Hymn
God, let Your Word in grace now flourish
And spread abroad both night and day,
For plantings that You do not nourish
So quickly die and fade away!
All Satan’s lies do now remove,
And fill Your House with truth and love!
Let no false prophet ever lead us
Into the night of fear and loss;
Let no false doctrine ever rob us
Of comfort from our Savior’s cross!
All wolves who in sheep’s clothing creep
Chase off! Good Shepherd, keep Your sheep!
Landstad: Gud, lad dit Ord L 496:1-2 tr. DeGarmeaux;
tune: Wer weiss wie nahe (ELH 111); alternate hymn: Gracious Savior, gentle Shepherd ELH 367:4-5