Posted on 01/02/2014 10:13:07 AM PST by DouglasKC
The Ravenous Wolves of FreeRepublic
How do we deal with the insults and pain of those whom Christ called "ravenous wolves"?
Many aren't aware of it but the phrase "A wolf in sheeps clothing" has biblical origins.
Mat 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
The word translated "false prophet" here is not referring to a Godly person who has a prophecy that fails. Instead it's referring to a person who pretends to be a Christian but in reality is not. They are compared to "ravenous wolves" among the flock.
These ravenous wolves exist in life. And they exist here in the religious forum of FreeRepublic. They can be a challenge to our faith and to our Christianity. In this article we're going to examine how to identify these wolves in sheep clothing and how to use our shepard, Jesus Christ, to combat them.
How can we know them? Jesus Christ gave us the answer in the very next verse:
Mat 7:16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
In other words, says Christ, real Christians have a certain, identifiable "fruit". The wolves among the sheep will NOT have these fruits. You can't get grapes from thorns.
Jesus then goes on to make another comparison:
Mat 7:17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
The word translated "bad" means harmful, or evil. Something that is intended to hurt or destroy. So the hallmark of bad fruit is something that is harmful or destructive to people. "Good" on the other hand is something that is beautiful, beneficial, or worthy.
Mat 7:20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
So the mark of a wolf in sheeps clothing is whether they bear good fruit, or any. In John 15, Christ gives more detail on this fruit.
John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
This fruit is something that Christians have. If someone doesn't have Christ they then won't have this fruit.
The Fruit of the Spirit
But what is this fruit? How can we know whether the fruit is good or bad unless we know what it looks like? Luckily the apostle Paul gives us a good idea of what this fruit looks like in the book of Galatians.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
This fruit, these characteristics, are the natural result of living and abiding in Christ, in having his spirit.
Paul sums them up beautifully in 1 Corinthians:
1Co 13:4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
1Co 13:5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
1Co 13:6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
1Co 13:7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
These characteristics apply across all organizations. Organizations do not have a lock on the spirit of God. If someone exhibits these characteristics on a consistent basis they do have the spirit of God and they are a Christian.
There are many people in various organizations on FreeRepublic that exhibit these traits. Many Catholic, LDS, Protestant and Messianic and other members of FreeRepublic exhibit these traits and thus do have the spirit of God and are Christians.
However there are a very few that rarely if ever exhibit these traits. In fact they exhibit something else....the works of the flesh:
Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
These behaviors are not just physical but are also spiritual. They are destructive and harmful to themselves and those they come into contact with.
That should not be surprising because the emanate not jut from the flesh, but are demonic in origin. James highlights these works.
James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
Note that good behavior and meekness are hallmarks of of wisdom, having the spirit of the Lord. James contrasts that with other behavior.
James 3:14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
James 3:15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
James 3:16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
And back to the righteous:
James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
James 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Animal Behavior
So these are the fruits. The ravenous wolves of FreeRepublic generally act like their namesakes....wolf like.
You've seen them. They'll post derogatory things about others and their faith. The purpose isn't to defend their own faith which often is hidden or not evident. . The purpose is to satisfy their hunger for division, acrimony and blood.
Like animals they seem not to know how to behave civility. They can't address others with whom they disagree without snarling, spitting and insulting. They bare their teeth and pretend that their animal nature is noble and Godly.
They justify their animal nature by pretending that they're just like us. They show us their sheepskin but they can't hide their true nature.
Like a wolf pack there is hierarchy and anyone outside of the pack is instantly set upon if one so much as questions the rules of the pack.
Like a wolf pack they howl, or ping others, when they think they've identified a victim. Peter describes their behavior perfectly:
1Pe_5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
That's how the ravenous wolves of FreeRepublic operate. They bait. They hunt down. They attack. They devour and all the while pretend that they're one of us.
Christ is the Shepherd
How do we deal with these wolves? These impostors? These fake Christians? After all they seem to have the advantage of aggressiveness, viciousness and have no qualms about personally attacking others.
The answer is that "we" can't do anything. We're sheep. We're weak. We're helpless. We don't have the teeth or claws they do.
But we have something else. Something they don't have. We have Christ as our shepherd protecting and guiding us. They can't harm us if we depend on Christ and stay in the flock.
Really all the wolves can do is sit just outside the flock, snarling, biting and snapping at us. And maybe that's why they're bitter and angry. They realize that they're not real sheep. They envy that the sheep have real faith in their shepherd. They wonder why Christ doesn't accept their disguise as being the real thing.
Now certainly we're not perfect sheep. I'm not. Sometimes we take their bait. It's not easy to see other sheep begin attacked or to be attacked. Sometimes we want to snarl back with our little sheep teeth. But it rarely works because to do that we have to leave the side of Christ.
The best strategy is to let Christ take care of them. They're not fooling very many and they're certainly not fooling Jesus. They're interested only in satisfying their hunger. They don't want to debate. When they pretend they are they're really only dangling bait to draw others out where they will be vulnerable and away from the shepherd.
About such Christ said:
Mat 7:6 "Don't give what is holy to dogs or throw your pearls to pigs. Otherwise, they will trample them and then tear you to pieces.
These ravenous wolves of FreeRepublic have figured out how to manipulate and find the "loopholes" in the forum rules so their rude, crude and unChristian behavior is tolerated. But they're not fooling anyone. A leopard can't hide his spots.
Ultimately they are to be pitied. Clearly they've had experiences in their lives where they've been hurt deeply. They've been betrayed. They've been picked on. They've been abused. So not knowing Christ they do the same to others. They behave like animals as all Christians did before becoming Christians.
But they don't have to. One day God will open up their eyes. He will show them that they are only pretending to be sheep and they will realize their animal nature and be ashamed. And then Christ will show them HOW to become sheep.
Our prayers should be that they will change. That they will bear fruit worthy of repentance. And we should examine ourselves and our attitudes toward them and others. To pray that God gives us the wisdom, kindness and gentleness to deal with those who would use us and spitefully accuse us.
Mat 5:43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.'
Mat 5:44 But I tell you this: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.
Mat 5:45 In this way you show that you are children of your Father in heaven.
This should be our goal. To let the light of our Father shine through and to glorify him. A tall order to be sure but the only way to stand up to the wolves.
“Is this about Mormonism?”
A few posters have mentioned Mormonism, probably thinking that Douglas is a member of the LDS. However, he is NOT. He is a member of the United Church of God, which is an offshoot group of the Worldwide Church of God, originally founded by Herbert Armstrong. They do have common cause with the LDS, however:
By a resurrection, we become born God personages personages just as our God the Father and Christ the Son! We shall have the entire universe put beneath our feet (Hebrews 2:8). (Herbert Armstrong, The Plain Truth (September 1980): 40)
Their particular spin is that God is part of a “God Family,” which we can join. Thus, it is still “one God,” because to be “God” is a group noun which encompasses all its members.
Though they’re still rivals with Joseph Smith:
I know of no other who has ever become a founder of a religion... who ever came into the truth the way God brought me into it... God brought me through a process that erased former misknowledge and, as it were, gave me a clear start from scratch. I wonder if you realize that every truth of God, accepted as truth doctrine and belief in the Worldwide Church of God, came from Christ through me, or was finally approved and made official through me... I was appointed by Jesus Christ, the head of the church. (Herbert Armstrong,
Personal From... The Plain Truth (Feb. 1967): 47.
The UCG also believes that baptism and the laying on of hands, both to be performed by their ministers, is necessary for salvation and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. You also must follow the Jewish dietary laws, follow the Sabbath strictly, and celebrate the Jewish feast days. They also teach soul-sleep, the annihilation of the soul in the lake of fire, and, if you are sufficiently ignorant enough of the Gospel, they believe you get a second chance to repent after death.
Vigilanteman wrote: “Telling a Mormon, who otherwise lived a righteous life, that they are going to hell, because their concept of Jesus Christ, as the son of God, is different from the mainstream view that he is actually God in a different form.”
The absurdity of this argument is that both the LDS and the UCG disbelieve that Christians are Christians. They both teach that they are the only ones who “have things right,” who have special revelation, and have refounded what was lost, and that anyone who does not believe as they do is a member of apostate Christianity. Hence the hypocrisy of these groups’ complaints that Christians do not acknowledge them as legitimate churches.
Our stand against ALL religious cults which deny the Trinity goes to ancient times. Freepers did not invent it. They just inherited it:
Blame God:
Exo_34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
Blame Paul:
Gal_1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Blame the Athanasian Creed:
“Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith... And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;”
Blame 2,000 years of Christianity. It isn’t about to change because Vigilianteman thinks we’re bigoted, or because the UCG and the LDS wail and complain and call us “animals” because we hold to what the scripture says.
Wolves are actually pretty “civil” among themselves. It’s their opposition that pay.
Your church is a SDA type, sabbath keeping and Jewish feast days keeping church. Everyone of this type I have met describe what you are writing against to a tee. We who believe these are “works of the law,” you tell us we disobey the commandments of God are rank sinners, and we all know a sinner can’t be saved.
And then there is the persistent and false claim pushed by your church, that Constantine and the Catholic church, the great whore of Revelation, changed the keeping of the Jewish sabbath to the keeping of Sunday.
Considering these things, it appears your criticism of the RF is hypocritical. Sure, the RF geta pretty rough and tumble at times, this, however, is to be expected in the free market of ideas, whether political or religious. You need to get a thicker skin.
Thanks for that research. Interesting read. Odd that they still practice the Jewish dietary laws and celebrate Jewish feasts. I did not know this.
Jesus had VERY harsh words for false teachers of His day.
Matthew 23:33 You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
John8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your fathers desires.
Those who push the heresy that Jesus is not God Himself onto Free Republic would have us speak in soft and fluffy tones when even Jesus didn’t do so. They uphold a standard for FReepers that’s even higher than the standard that God Himself held.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3069049/posts?page=2727#2727
Well; I for one am sure glad THIS has been cleared up!
This; too!
NOW I know that someone who comes along proclaiming yet another line of Spiritual Bullshit is to be dealt with KINDLY and LOVINGLY; while showing what they preach is HERESY.
“Blame 2,000 years of Christianity. It isnt about to change because Vigilianteman thinks were bigoted, or because the UCG and the LDS wail and complain and call us animals because we hold to what the scripture says.”
Hmmmmm....On no threads have I seen more personal insults hurled or more vulgar innuendo used than on the religious threads and the number of comments removed as compared to other threads will, I think, bear this out.
So if “we hold to what scripture says” I have to wonder just what scripture you’re talking about.
Yeah; from the INSIDE!
Let it stand for ALL to see!
Giving legalists a place to gather?
I counsel Christians to unite with a church in their own community. I am a biblical Christian, so I would encourage one that has a high view of scripture. Scripture teaches that Christ sets us free, so I’d counsel one that does not impose legalisms.
Read the letters to the churches in Revelation and pick one of those. Then find one as close to that as possible.
“So if we hold to what scripture says I have to wonder just what scripture youre talking about.”
Depends on what you’re actually disagreeing with. Your post isn’t very clear.
Yet you are a MORMON!
It mattereth not; as LURKERS will read the repliues that you don't!
Oooooooooh, now you gone and done it...
You’re going to make the “special lists” that some FReepers keep because you won’t conform to their way of thinking.../s
ping to post 121
It’s too late now to send it to the trash bin.
What’s not clear? Vulgarities, profanity, personal attacks, this is holding to scripture?
took this about 30 minutes ago
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