Focus: Beware! (Pt.2)

Text: Phil.3:2

"Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision."

How God longs for us to be aware and to beware! He wants us to have sense and to be sensitive.

Three times in one verse, Paul tells us by the Spirit to beware, to watch out for things that infect and pollute us from within our souls and spirits. In another place, Paul describes them as "the filthiness of the spirit and of the flesh." Things that ruin our spiritual wellness and wholeness.

The Bible makes us understand that dogs return to their vomit. Isaiah talked about "dumb dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber." He also mentioned "greedy dogs which can never have enough" (Isa.56:10,11). Jesus Christ tells us not to "give that which is holy unto the dogs" (Mt.7:6). 

In Second Timothy, Paul tells us about Alexander the coppersmith who "did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words" (2Tim.4:14-15). People, like Alexander, are the evil workers whom Paul tells us to beware of. The psalmist declares, "Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God" (Ps.119:115). 

The Lord Jesus Christ talks about workers of iniquity. He says, "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Mt.7:23). John also tells us that "without are dogs…" By using the word 'dogs' the Lord Jesus Christ is referring to the unconverted people who shall be excluded from the kingdom of God (Rev.22:15).

Paul himself is referring to the disease-infected dogs. They are 'vicious, disease-carrying scavengers, and they happened to be very common in those days. We read in Deut.23:18, that male prostitutes are called 'dogs,' and the psalmist describes "wicked men" as dogs that go about making noise, or simply put, they are snarling dogs (Ps.59:6).

These dogs worry the sheep, and Paul is warning us to keep away from these dogs that worry and infect the sheep with their moral filths and spiritual diseases.

God wants us to avoid evil infecting human dogs. He wants us to beware of evil workers and religious mutilators. He wants us to beware of spiritual scavengers "who prowl around the churches nipping at the heels of God's people." We must see them for what they are: vicious and dangerous.

God doesn't want us to be part of those who have eyes, but who fail to see with them. Understand that evil often disguises itself as fanciful stuff and fantastic fantasy. They are appealing to the eyes. Religious mutilators make us believe that Christianity is performance-based. They make us believe that we must always deny ourselves of the good things of life to be accepted or approved of God. 

Be aware! Beware! Be wary of such people - dogs in human form, evil workers in sheep clothing, and religious legalists who add to Christ, because they think that Christ alone is not enough.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter