“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:13-23)

According to Moses, a person who claimed to bear a message from God was a true prophet only if what he said actually happened. If a prophet spoke, but his words did not come to pass, then the Israelites were told that they could safely ignore such a person, because that so-called prophet was just making it up.

Jesus explained that just because a person talked a good game, who they really were was going to come out—and who they really were was what mattered. The person who makes extravagant claims on his resume is going to be very embarrassed when his prospective employer calls the reference and hears “we have no record of him ever having worked for us.”
Words are empty if they are not followed by actions. The Israelites were very practical people. If someone claimed he knew how to do something, people would believe him only if they saw him doing it. If a person claimed he could repair the brakes on his car, he’d better not be taking it the dealer for repairs.

That’s why the apostle James would later write that faith without works is dead. Empty words are just that: empty. Real faith is transformative. Real faith does the work of God.

Send to Kindle