This is a quote from a book I am reading called "Invitation to a Spiritual Revolution-Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, by Paul Earnhart:
Quote:
The fear of pseudo-disciples has moved some Christians to paranoia. They sense false teachers behind every bush and are constantly in a questioning and investigative mood. But there is nothing in Jesus' words to make His disciples constitutionally suspicious, even cynical, towards all brethern. It is at the level of fruit that these judgments are to be made and not before the sprout is even out of the ground. As Bonhoeffer says: "There is no need to go prying into the hearts of others. All we need to do is wait until the tree bears fruit, and we shall not have to wait long" (The Cost of Discipleship, p.146).
For this reason, we need not hesitate to be fair with the teachers who come our way, giving them the benefit of the doubt until circumstances are clear. This will not make us trustingly simple or turn us into fresh meat for every deceiver. The fruit will reveal the tree soon enough. And it is likely better to be momentarily deceived by an occassional wolf than to be constantly and impetuously trying to jerk the wool off every one of the Lord's sheep.