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.
You’re just dodging.
There is no Christianity outside of Church Christianity.
There must be hundreds that feel exactly the same as you.
Perhaps NOW is the time for YOU to gather them together and start the TRUE church of the Living God.
My wife says I never listen to her, so why should a lady preacher think I’d listen to her?
Perhaps NOW is the time for YOU to gather them together and start the TRUE church of the Living God.
My wife says I never listen to her, so why should a lady preacher think I’d listen to her?
, i am lost.
At any rate she makes a good point.
You’re just dodging.
There is no Christianity outside of Church Christianity.
Trying to treat my fellow man the way Jesus said to do is what i am interested in doing.
What are these elders of the church?
Heb 13: 17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Who are these leaders to whom you are to give obedience?
Who are these leaders to whom you are to give obedience?
you are just dodging.
But any way, elders can be just that or they can be bishops or deacons which are leaders of the Church.
That means they are leaders over the members of the congregation.
I am not a member of any congregation.
Because like i said i do not want some one leading me that does not know the difference between tithes and alms.
I also do not want some one leading me that thinks that the Sabbath day can be changed to the first day of the week.
Basically, it is a historical FACT that Jesus claimed to be God. How you deal with that FACT and come to an understanding is your own issue. But it does not have bearing on the historical FACT itself.
“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.”
***Au contraire, Pierre. The ravenous wolves of Free Republic are those who deny that Jesus is God Himself. And now there appears to be a new breed of wolf who accepts that statement but when push comes to shove, doesn’t really mean it. A LYING, ravenous wolf whom Jesus properly condemns as a false teacher, a viper, a son of satan.
Talk about loopholes — the ravenous wolves Jesus talks about are those who push false teaching, and this vanity article tries to pin the label onto mainstream believing Christian souls who don’t twist scripture in their quest to push heresy.
I think your post pointed out some very good points about the early church. It was very much focused on relationships and how to get along better. Much of Paul's writings and the lessons of Christ were how the church was to be different, to knit and grow together. Love between it's members was to be the identifying mark.
Paul summed it up:
1Co 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Doctrine is important, but it's purpose is to teach us how to love God and how to love others.
On another thread, you said this “thread wasn’t about me or what I believe.”
***How can you say that about this thread... it’s ALL about your beliefs.
Following the RM’s guidelines on...
Linking to Previous Posts on the Religion Forum:
The objective, on the Religion Forum, of not bringing forward disputes from prior threads is to discourage flame wars spreading, in particular the needling or badgering of other posters by bringing up their past remarks, again and again.
***My intention is not to needle nor to badger but rather to keep that thread as a caucus thread (which it was originally designated) and not pollute it with heresy.
However, if you were to say “I recall your saying something else on an earlier thread”
***I think I want to say something similar to that, but it’s more like “how can you say this thread isn’t about your own beliefs?”
and the poster challenged you “Oh yeah, where?” then you would be obligated to link to the previous thread and I would not pull it.
***Since you never said “oh yeah, where” I am simply hoping everyone will see that I intend to keep the caucus thread a caucus thread and operate in this open thread with this pertinent question.
If you want to argue the previous claim, then go back to the earlier thread,
***The reason I don’t want to do that is that it was a caucus thread.
ping all the interested parties and say something like “Here you say the sky is green. Why?”
***So I ask you, how?
The respondent will be obligated then to explain the green comment in context with that particular thread and parties involved in it.
***Given the fine edge we’re on, I doubt you’ll be obligated.
If however you are seeking to “impeach the witness” by showing he waffles back and forth
***Not my intention. Only trying to keep a caucus thread clean and let this kind of stuff occur on the open thread.
THAT is “making it personal” and I will pull it to avoid a flame war.
***Hopefully, my approach makes sense for you to answer here rather than there.
Lost?
Didn’t you type this at #410:
I have had my own experience with women preachers, i can not say i did not like them.
My fault for referring to it when posting a reply on a different number.
It is as you say.
It IS?
These are not things that concern me, but that doesn't mean there aren't churches out there that cover your concerns. It strikes me that the Messianics might cover at least one of those issues.
Nonetheless, I don't imagine a positive conversation with the Lord over them. "Well, Lord, I blew off the church for which You died over the alms/tithe thingie...."
"Oh, OK. Don't worry about it. I always meant to add a verse about how the tithe/alm thing would louse up the entire plan of redemption."
Are we in this for the long haul??
Only for a year and a half
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