A liar lies because they are a liar. They are not a liar because they lie.

A sinner sins because they are a sinner. They are not a sinner because they sin.

You will know them by their fruit. It is their fruit (ie. the lie, the sin, the bondage, etc.) that bears witness as to what they are.

A false teacher will bear the fruit of Believers who are bound by sin. These Believers are indeed sincere and zealous for the Lord but yet they remain bound. Their bondage may be a religious bondage that is the hardest for them to see. Seeing, they see not and neither do they hear, nor understand. I know this because I was at one time among them myself.

Other bondages may be oppression. Think of the Israelites in Egypt who were slaves to the Egyptians. Sadly, too many Believers are slaves to the world. The world’s ways and precepts have them bound in the miry muck. Their intellect and talents have led them astray and they are being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine as they grasp to keep their heads above water.

No matter the case, the sin that has so easily beset them is the object of their faith has been moved from the Cross of Christ to another method…a seemingly biblical method but in reality it is a doctrine of man.

There is freedom from bondage at the Cross of Christ…no matter the circumstance. There is peace beyond all understanding because you know that you know that you know that you are just passing through this pilgrim land. You know in Whom you have believed and are fully persuaded that HE and HE alone is able to keep that of which you have committed unto Him.
Jesus Christ came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin for the believing sinner AND break the power of sin for the believing Saint…all we must do is choose this day to BELIEVE; to BELIEVE that His Grace is sufficient.

Jesus Christ alone can heal the sin sick heart. That sin sick heart may not drink, smoke, fornicate or do any other of the fleshly sins that we all recognize but it still may be so buried in the muck of sin and under the dominion of the sin nature of which we are all born with, that they are as the Egyptian slaves bound by Egypt.

“15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.” Matthew 7:15-20

Judge the fruit. Judge the fruit righteously. Take the mote out of your own eye and judge your own fruit and then come out from among them and be ye separate.

-Donna Clark Warren