Matthew 7:15-29

¹⁵“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? ¹⁷So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰So then, you will know them by their fruits.

²¹“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ²²Many 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?’ ²³And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

²⁴“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and its collapse was great.”

²⁸When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; ²⁹for He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.