Prophetic Voices And Their Fruit

This morning I was reading through some of Matthew's Gospel, and the following verses caught my eye - Matthew 7:15-20 NIV:

[15] “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. [16] By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

As I  was reading through these verses, which Jesus spoke as a warning to His disciples, I thought about the call of the New Testament prophetic ministry.  I thought about the fact that so many "prophetic" voices seem to focus on doom and destruction, sowing fear and calling out judgment.  I find this very interesting fruit, when one considers the following verses from 1 John 4:11-18 NIV:

[11] "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [12] No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

[13] "This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. [14] And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. [15] If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. [16] And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. [17] This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. [18] There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

God's call is to love!  The fruit of love is not fear, it is the antithesis of fear, according to John.  What is the good fruit that Jesus says we should see coming from  those that minister by the Holy Spirit?  Quite simply the fruit of the Spirit as described here by Paul in his letter to the Galatians 5:22-23 NIV: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."  I believe that as we look at the fruit of the "prophetic" voices, we can tell which of them speak from the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Paul, further described the purpose of the prophetic ministry in his letter to the Ephesians 4:11-16 NIV:

[11] "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, [12] to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

[14] "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. [15] Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. [16] From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

The purpose of the these ministries, including the prophetic, is the building up of the Body of Christ, and the equipping of the Body for works of service, aiding the members of the Body to grow and mature and stand strong against the winds and waves of alternative teaching.  If the words coming out of someone's mouth are not building up the Body of Christ, are not loving, then again we can tell by the fruit that they are not faithfully representing the ministry of the Jesus.

Finally we do see that there were prophets in the New Testament who foretold things, but it was for preparation and provision for the Body of Christ that these prophecies were made, not to incite fear, or call down judgment upon a fallen society (see Acts 11:27-30).  The result of this particular prophecy was that people helped others in the church.  There is no mention of judgment, just direction and action, allowing the Body to strengthen itself and prepare.

So, let us be wary of the voices we listen to, the voices that take scripture and use them to incite fear, panic, judgment, pride or anything else that is not a fruit of the Holy Spirit.  We are called to love the Lord and each other, and by this love to be a light to the lost.  The fruit of the prophetic should be inline with this core call, and by the fruit we can recognize those that are false (Matt 7:16).