The Sermon on the Mount_ The Key to Success in Life - Emmet Fox [55]
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
(Matthew VII)
Is there any infallible way in which man can find out the real Truth about God, and about life, and about himself? Is there any way in which he can tell for himself which is the true religion, and which is not? which of the churches are genuine and which are false? which books or teachers teach the Truth, and which teach error? How many honest seekers for Truth, confused and worried by the babel of conflicting theologies and brawling sects, have yearned with their whole hearts for some simple test whereby the honest seeker could discover for himself what the Truth really is?
Is there a single sincere Christian who would not eagerly strive to follow the wishes of Jesus Christ if only he could find out what they are? He is told by all sorts of people and by all sorts of churches that they alone represent the true teaching, and that he will disregard their doctrines and their discipline at his peril; and yet they all disagree among themselves upon vital points both of theory and practice; and each of them individually is full on inconsistencies.
If man really were left without a simple practical test of religious truth, he would assuredly be in a sad plight; but happily this is not the case. Jesus, the most profound, and at the same time the most simple and practical teacher the world has ever known, has provided for this need, and has given us an utterly simple and universally applicable test for Truth. It is a test that any man or woman of any kind, anywhere, can easily apply for himself. It is as simple and direct as the acid test for gold. It is the simple question—Does it work?
This test is so staggeringly simple that most clever people have passed it over as not worth considering, forgetting that all the great elemental things of life are simple. Yet, just this is the fundamental test for Truth—does it work?—because Truth always works. The Truth always heals. A true story always turns out to be consistent when thoroughly sifted, while the most plausible lie will break down somewhere if sufficiently investigated. Truth heals the body, purifies the soul, reforms the sinner, solves difficulties, pacifies strife. From this it follows that, according to Jesus, teaching that is true will automatically prove itself by practical demonstration. “They shall cast out devils, speak in new tongues, take up serpents, drink any deadly thing with impunity, and they shall lay hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.” False teaching, on the contrary, no matter how attractively it may be presented, no matter what social or academic prestige may be attached to it, will fail to do all or any of these things; and, failing to measure up to the test, must be condemned. Its sponsors are false Prophets clad in the sheep’s clothing of true religion; but, although they are usually perfectly sincere in their claims and pretensions, still they come between the seeker and the saving Truth, and are therefore, despite their good intentions, spiritual wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them.
Now that we understand clearly that a successful demonstration is the proof, and the only proof, of true understanding, we have no further excuse for straying from the Path. Our progress on the Path may, for one reason or another, be comparatively slow, but at least we shall be able to keep on the Path. We shall always know when we have left the Path, because demonstrations will cease. Most people find