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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.
Seems like ol’ Douglas...just posted and ran.
Haha, I love your screenname! Even though you’re coming up to your 1 year anniversary here, let me say: welcome to FR!
Agreed. It's something we all need to work on and I admire those who have and use that compassion.
Agreed. The majority of people on FreeRepublic are wonderful and civil people.
lol....but it sort of loses it's bite...
Mat_7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolfhounds.
Kind of makes you think that if you just feed them some Alpo everything will be okay.... :-)
...If someone exhibits these characteristics on a consistent basis they do have the spirit of God and they are a Christian.One glaring error in that statement, and I put it in boldThere 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.
The LDS started out in the very beginning discounting ALL Christianity (It's well documented the horrible blasphemous statements Joseph Smith said about God's church) and started a new belief system.
And for decades did not call themselves Christians.
Long story short, unlike the other orgs in your list, the LDS is not a Christian belief system. Their belief that their god used to be a man and like his father (God did NOT have a father) worked his way up to "God."
Just wanted to clear that up.
The logical conclusion of 45-plus years of being told that they’re the elite, that they’re 10 times smarter than they really are, etc.
Dude, doncha know: “Hell is other people!” — Jean Paul Sartre.
They were bred to be wolf killers but are great with people.
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That’s no way to talk about mormonISM
ravenous false prophets
Gee, would that be like the thief on the cross?
Or maybe Ted Kennedy or Chavez who get Catholics funerals because at the last minute they *repented* and asked for the sacraments after a lifetime of murder and destroying this country with their pro-abortion, pro-homosexual marriage; socialistic politics?
LOL...I’m stealing that!
Sorta like former(?) Father Corapi’s “Black Sheep Dog”.
PM. I’m giving it to you.
Interesting read.
I don’t think this refers to me, but I will say that if someone refuses to reveal their faith that isn’t a clear sign of being a ‘wolf’. Religion is a very deep, personal thing for myself and others I know, and it’s really none of your business what I profess to believe.
Having said that, if that’s what you enjoy, knock yourself out. Biblical interpretation is a never ending argument IMHO. Some things we could probably all agree on, while others have myriads of different interpretations.
Or maybe Ted Kennedy or Chavez who get Catholics funerals . . . ?
Pretty clever analogy. Except that in the former case it was Jesus Christ himself offering salvation, not some self-appointed spokesman.
And in the later case, it is a funeral, not a pronouncement of salvation or lack thereof. Not so different from that great old Protestant tradition of singing hymns to the condemned on the gallows before the trap door was sprung.
A tradition which, by the way, I find both admirable and commendable. The condemned get their justice but the hymn singers put them in a proper frame of mind to ask for the mercy of the final judge, who is God, not some self-appointed expert.
That works great if it's sincere and truly exhibited with love and patience. Unfortunately it too often gets exploited and used as an excuse to just be nasty....
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