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 sheep’s 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 sheep’s 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.
No Other Gospel
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. (Mormons, Muslims)
9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Mormons)
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man (Douglas KC), or of God? Or am I trying to please man?
If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
I think Jesus would have probably chased out the teachers of false faiths out of the temple along with the money changers, with a whip.
>> Catholics and Mormons seem to be the most popular targets of said worms.
The attacks are driven by arrogance.
Bwahaha!!
Happy new year. :)
Well, yes, and no, Douglas.
I mean "yes" that the "wolves" referenced in Scripture are indeed "internal" within the Church (see Acts 20:29-30) versus, say, almost-complete strangers you encounter on a Web site...oh, say, just to throw out such a Web site, Free Republic for example...
...and yet, ALL: See what Douglas claims here: "ANY" -- and the clear implication is "ANY" as in "ALL" church organizations, a "Satanic" agenda is afoot; and that this "tendency" is somehow INHERENT "within ANY church organization..."
Now when somebody representing themselves as your average "Joe Christian," I'm not sure how to take the above. BUT when a poster who is representing the following teaching says the above, Yup...I sit up and take notice:
United Church of God teaches that they are the "continuation of the one and only true church of God" (tracing their origins to "the church that Jesus founded in the early first century" and following "the same teachings, doctrines and practices established then.").3 (HWA likewise proclaimed his organization was the "one and only true church of God.") What UCG actually follows are the teachings, doctrines and practices of Herbert W. Armstrong who founded the Worldwide Church of God in 1934 (it was originally called "Radio Church of God"), proclaiming it was the "one and only true church of God." UCG believes they are "God's true church" evidenced by their "obedience to God's Laws" and being a "small flock."
Source: What You Should Know About United Church of God-AIA
>> Blame 2,000 years of Christianity. It isn’t about to change because Vigilianteman thinks we’re bigoted
In regards to the religions being attacked, Vigilanteman also mentioned Catholicism which receives a fair amount of hostility.
I’m not aligning myself with any posters on this issue; however, to imply the charges made are without merit is absurd.
There are plenty of FReepers that recognize our brotherhood in Christ. They certainly stand above those that don’t.
“I’m not aligning myself with any posters on this issue; however, to imply the charges made are without merit is absurd.”
If what you are advocating is censorship of all religious debate on FR, then that is what is truly quite absurd.
“There are plenty of FReepers that recognize our brotherhood in Christ.’
A “brotherhood” without scriptural standards is not brotherhood at all. It’s just a marriage of infidels who are indifferent to scriptural truths.
>> If what you are advocating is censorship of all religious debate on FR,
Don’t dangle that stupidity in front of my face.
Thanks for posting that scripture...
“Don’t dangle that stupidity in front of my face.”
Then don’t dangle the stupidity of winking and nodding to religious cults in mine.
Are you #ing telling me my Catholicism is a cult?
I mean, I’m NOT exactly sure why Douglas cites Matthew 7:15, then 7:16, then 7:17, then 7:18, and then 7:20 — skipping over v. 19 in the process.
***You beat me to it. Good work.
I did quite a bit of research on this church and Armstrong a few years ago. I knew it was a cult as my neighbor got sucked in, got pregnant by a follower, left her husband and two children to be part of this group. Both she and her married BF left everything behind and never looked back. Long sordid story. I had never heard of Armstong until then.
I did not know the author of this thread was a follower so thank you for the information.
“Are you #ing telling me my Catholicism is a cult?”
Check out the faux offense from the fellow who, just a second ago, accused Christians of “arrogance” for asserting that Mormonism is a false religion.
For Roman Catholicism, you’re not going to find EVERY Catholic on here running to defend religious indifferencism. Just maybe a few, who do so contrary to the teachings of their church. That said, I didn’t say Catholicism is a cult, though, as a Protestant, I can’t say I approve of it.
If you want only posts that agree with your view that’s what the caucus is for, otherwise KC can say what he wants and it is that that should be addressed not who says it.
***Is Heresy a recognized caucus tag on Free Republic?
"Like animals they seem not to know how to behave civility."
C'mon, Douglas, do you really have to slander all animals in trying to make your point?
I mean, I've had pets -- cats & dogs -- who've gotten along together beautifully...with greater civility than you might see on any block among humanity within this country.
But...that's just it...once you presume & assume that to be uncivil is an "animalistic" trait, you wind up presenting an overly broad brush that stereotypes the whole bunch...which, seems like what you're accomplishing with this thread in attempting to sour the world toward FR in the way you portray FR as "animalistic."
Depends on who gets to define heresy, ask the mods. The heresy of yesterday is the orthodox of today.
This needs to be repeated...and in larger type:
“Depends on who gets to define heresy, ask the mods. The heresy of yesterday is the orthodox of today.”
If its the Bible that defines it, then your relativism will never even get a say.
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