Paul said,"Beware of dogs" (Phil.3:2). The "dogs" he referred to were the two legged, human species. Further, his reference was not to a cuddly puppy or a friendly family pet. Paul equated certain men with ferocious, savage dogs. The dogs that often roamed in snarling packs as scavengers and destroyers were the objects and subjects of Paul's analogy, He likened men unto such dogs. These canines professed piety and purity, but they were, in reality,"the enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18). These dogs are not licensed. They have not had their shots. They feed on the putrid. They attack the weak and the infirmed. They seek the favor of the unlearned and immature. Them teeth are bared against the righteous, but they are capable of feigned sweetness if it will allow them to get close to their prey. Some areas and congregations are fearful of the dogs that seek to intimidate and rule in fear. They cower and quiver before their fierce growls. They do not stand and fight the dogs. They are led by them. And they wonder why the church has fleas.Whose Child Am I?

The apostle John tell us how we can know whose child we are, the Lord's or the devil's (1 Jn. 2:29; 3:10). Another related passage is Romans 6:16,"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Two texts commonly overlooked in establishing who one's spiritual Father is are John 8:39 and 1 Peter 3:6. Our Father is the one we imitate and emulate. A woman is a daughter of Sara as long as she is pious and submissive as was Sara and as long as she does well. One is not a child of Abraham if his works are evil. To be a child of Abraham is to live a life of trusting, obedient faith. The same principle is involved in determining whether or not one is a child of God or a child of the devil (Cf. Jn 8:44; Acts 13:10.)

Truth Magazine XXI: 25, p. 392
June 23, 1977