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.
Hi Kevmo..thanks for the courteous question.
I would say the scripture clearly teaches that Jesus is and was God himself. I know that many people do not have this understanding. If I were to engage such a person I would attempt to persuade them from scripture that this is true if they would hear me. If not, I would shake the dust from my feet and move on. I would not "condemn" them in the sense that I would be insulting or hostile to them. I know that Christ will reach them eventually.
Hope that helps...
Vman: The incivility of these vile elements does nothing for the cause of FreeRepublic, Christianity
Kevmo: You would accuse Christ of being “incivil” or unChristlike or “doing nothing for the cause of christianity” when He condemned false teachers of His day as ‘sons of satan’. In addition, you would add ‘vile’ to one of the descriptions of Christ’s behavior.
Vman: Yep.
***Then you accuse Christ of being unChristlike. Why any FReeper would listen to you is a dangerous spiritual mystery.
***First they seek to be tolerated. Then, when they achieve sufficient power because they’ve been tolerated for too darn long, they demand that any opposition to their heresies be squelched. ***
Dog gone! That sounds like some other groups like the gays and lezies!
I would say the scripture clearly teaches that Jesus is and was God himself.
***Then all of this anti-trinitarian Universal Church of God stuff is baloney?
Jesus had such harsh words for false teachers. There is no reason for us to do anything but follow His lead on that. Such false teachers as those who deny that Jesus is God Himself are properly condemned as ‘vipers’, ‘sons of satan’ and, simply, heretics.
Then neither is it yours.
You can't be telling him he can't define it without you, by default, defining it yourself.
Because nothing gives you the right over someone else to dictate definitions.
Details, details......
It’s kind of the mote and beam thing, isn’t it?
OH?
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
I would not “condemn” them in the sense that I would be insulting or hostile to them. I know that Christ will reach them eventually.
***Jesus, who in your own words is God Himself, had very harsh words for such false teachers, calling them ‘sons of satan’. Why do you hold a higher view of how to deal with them than even the God of the Universe had? Christ “condemns” them in no uncertain terms to hell. He was insulting and hostile to them.
Who are the “Ravenous Wolves of Free Republic” that you rant so hard about? It appears it isn’t the trinitarian caucus. Who is it?
Thinking, apparently, that by doing so makes THEM holier than the church goers.
((“But so many churches/people condemning other people is the exact reason I don’t go to church! I just don’t, and I guess never will understand, why so many Christians must act holier than thou. “
The common thread that keeps many people from attending any church.))
Satan wins guys. I know how you feel though. Don’t let hypocrites wreck your fellowship, just politely write them off if they don’t respond to a loving reproach. And, yes, you will have to write some folks off.
Here is the essential divide my Friends, at least here on FR. It is between those whom I will call the “libertarian” Christian - the folks who believe that the ONLY opinion that counts is their own, and the Thomistic view that we, as individuals, are never complete by ourselves, but rather we need others. On the Natural level we need communities and on the Supernatural level we acknowledge the Mystical Body of Christ as a corporate body with decision making and teaching authority handed down to us from the Apostles.
Listen to a much wiser man than I explain:
In the Religion forum, on a thread titled The Ravenous Wolves of FreeRepublic, xzins wrote:
“The followers of Jesus is his Church, following Jesus is to live his gospel.”
It is not possible to read the letters to churches in the New Testament, to read of churches founded in Acts and of their loving to gather together, to read the letters to churches in the Revelation, and to come away from all that with the idea that “lone wolf” Christian is what Christ had in mind.
It isn’t. The entire New Testament is testimony that such is not the case.
I’ll go further: there is no such thing as individual Christianity.
Individuals can be Christians, but Christianity is corporate.
ALL my posts are king, theologically correct, none offensive to Anyone and perfect when I send them.
It’s not MY fault if some demonic force alters them before they get all the way to FR’s servers!
Because nothing gives you the right over someone else to dictate definitions.
***Except that earlier he seemed to hide behind the skirts of catholicism, so we should be able at a minimum to use catholic definitions. No doubt he will feel the relativistic need to assert relativism over catholicism, but that’s an exercise for future baloneyism.
I don't even know where to start to separate the wheat from the chaff that I've been accused of believing. So I won't. If you're curious there are links to my church on my profle page, both the local congregation and the UCG main site.
Jesus had such harsh words for false teachers. There is no reason for us to do anything but follow His lead on that. Such false teachers as those who deny that Jesus is God Himself are properly condemned as ‘vipers’, ‘sons of satan’ and, simply, heretics.
I think the main reason he was condemning them was for their hypocrisy. They pretended to be the gatekeepers of religion in their day but inwardly were rotten and corrupt...the ravenous wolves of his time. AND he was Jesus, the Lord, who could righteously judge a man's heart.
And yet:
"Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned;
and I will go still further and say, take this revelation, or any other revelation that the Lord has given,
and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned.
Brigham Young - JoD 3:266 (July 14, 1855)
I just KNOW you are going to comment NOW!
Yeah; Native Americans are althroughout the Book of MORMON; too.
“I saw a striking contrast in the progress of the Indian people today ... they are fast becoming a white and delightsome people.... For years they have been growing delightsome, and they are now becoming white and delightsome, as they were promised.... The children in the home placement program in Utah are often lighter than their brothers and sisters in the hogans on the reservation.
At one meeting a father and mother and their sixteen-year-old daughter were present, the little member girl-sixteen-sitting between the dark father and mother, and it was evident she was several shades lighter than her parents—on the same reservation, in the same hogan, subject to the same sun and wind and weather.... These young members of the Church are changing to whiteness and to delightsomeness.
One white elder jokingly said that he and his companion were donating blood regularly to the hospital in the hope that the process might be accelerated.
(Improvement Era, December 1960, pp.922-23). (p. 209)
HMMMmmm...
The chair recognizes CityCenter.
You have the floor.
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