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God's Time
By Archie White II
Matthew 7:13-20
13
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the
way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which
leads to life, and there are few who
15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes
from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?
17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree
bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor
can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire.
20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. NKJV
Life Application:
7:13-14 The gateway to eternal life (John 10:7-9) is called
"straight," an old word for "narrow." This does
not mean it is difficult to become a Christian, but that there is
only one way to live eternally with God and that only a few decide
to follow it. Believing in Jesus is the only way to heaven because
He alone died for our sins and made us right before God. Living
His way may not be popular, but it is true and right. Thank God
that there is only one way!
7:15 False prophets were common in Old Testament times. They
prophesied only what the king and the people wanted to hear, claiming
it was God's message. False teachers are just as common today. Jesus
says to beware of those whose words sound religious but who are
motivated by money, fame or power. You can tell who they are because
in their teaching they minimize Christ and glorify themselves.
7:16-20 We should evaluate teachers' words by examining their
lives. Just as trees are consistent in the kind of fruit they produce,
good teachers consistently exhibit good behavior and high moral
character as they attempt to live out the truths of Scripture. Everyone
is subject to sin, and we must show the same mercy to others that
we need. When Jesus talks about corrupt trees, He means teachers
who deliberately teach false doctrine. We must examine teachers'
motives, the direction they are taking, and the results they are
seeking. HEAR W.E. GO! IT'S ALL ABOUT HIM!!
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