In his “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount,” D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones takes a chapter to discuss false prophets. Upon reading this section (an exposition of Matthew 7:15,16a) the reader finds that much (if not all) of the Doctor’s analysis are still very much relevant.
First off, in identifying false prophets ML-J makes it clear that it is not one who is easily seen to be a hypocrite that is a false prophet, for Christ describes these men as wolves in sheep clothing. Thus, the falseness of their teaching “is to be detected by what it does not say rather than what it does say.” (p.500) Meaning, that simply judging what they do say, is not sufficient. The Doctor continues by saying that among these men, “the most dangerous person of all is the one who does not emphasize the right things.” This explains why so many are undetected, because they are able to use Scripture to support all that they preach, and yet they do not preach “the whole counsel of God.” With that stated here is a brief overview of what is contained in the exposition:
1. The false prophet is always a very comforting preacher. As you listen to him he always gives you the impressions that there is not very much wrong.
2. His teaching has an almost entire absence of doctrine as a whole in its message. It always talks vaguely and generally; it never gets down to particularizing about doctrine.
3. The false prophet very rarely tells you anything about the holiness, the righteousness, the justice and the wrath of God. He always preaches about the love of God, but those other things he does not mention… He does not say things that are obviously wrong, but he refrains from saying things that are obviously right and true
4. The false prophet never emphasizes the final judgment and the eternal destiny of the lost.
5. The false prophet does not emphasize the utter sinfulness of sin and the total inability of man to do anything about his own salvation.
6. His teaching does not emphasize repentance in any real sense. It has a wide gate leading to salvation and a very broad way leading to heaven.
7. The false prophet does not emphasize the absolute necessity of entering this strait gate and walking along this narrow way… They offer an easy salvation, and an easy type of life always… They tell you not to examine your own soul.
In conclusion ML-J points to false prophets as a primary reason for the state (“weak and ineffective”) of the Christian church.
That is the cause of the trouble. They still talked about God; they still talked about Jesus; they still talked about His death on the cross. They did not stand out as obvious heretics; but they did not say those other things that are vital to salvation. They gave this vague message that never upsets anybody. They were so pleasant and ‘modern’ and up-to-date. They suited the popular palate, and the result is not only the empty churches about which we are hearing so much at the present time, but, as we shall see, the poor quality of Christian living of which most of us are so guilty. – p. 505,6
While going through a season of what Pink referred to as “the worst ones spiritually I have passed through for many years,” a time when he considered his gratitude towards God as “mechanical and lifeless,” he wrote in his “Studies in the Scriptures”:
