Beware Dogs and Evil Workers

On our local community Facebook page, there was a police notice to beware an armed man who had attacked a local resident. That’s all it said. And judging by the comments under the post, it was the most useless warning ever issued.

“Who was the offender? Male? Female? What were they armed with? Flamethrowers? Were they on foot or roller skates?”

I appreciate the police tread a fine line when they issue these sorts of warnings. They don’t want to do anything that might lead to discrimination or lawsuits.

Which makes Paul’s New Testament warnings all the more stark in comparison:

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision. (Philippians 3:2)

When Paul warned you, you knew exactly who he was talking about.

The “false circumcision” were those who promoted the circumcision of the flesh as a means of getting right with God. These religious men hounded Paul from town to town which may be why he called them “dogs.”

Why beware dogs and evil workers?

Evil workers are those who preach self-righteousness. Their works are evil because they promote unbelief in the finished work of Christ.

Self-righteousness comes in at least six flavors but in context, Paul was referring to law preachers. He was talking about those who preach law as a means of salvation or sanctification.

To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. (Philippians 3:1)

Paul made it his habit to warn people about false teachers who try to draw us away from Christ. In just about every one of his letters, there’s some kind of warning:

• Watch out for those who put obstacles in your way contrary to what you have been taught (Romans 16:17).
• See that no one takes you captive through philosophy which depends on men rather than Christ (Colossians 2:8).
• If anyone preaches a different gospel, let him be cursed (Galatians 1:8).
• Charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3).

Paul was motivated to write the same things again and again because of what had happened to the Galatians. The Galatians never meant to cut themselves off from Christ, but this is what happens when religious dogs and evil workers come to town.

In New Testament times, the dogs and evil workers were easy to recognize. You just had to look for the circumcision knives.

But those who preach self-righteousness can appear in many guises. They may be highly educated, articulate, and persuasive. Yet their rotten fruit are unmistakable.

You might have fallen under the influence of self-righteous dogs and evil workers if…

• you are battling guilt and condemnation
• you think working out your salvation means working for your salvation
• you treat the Bible as a rule book or instruction manual
• you think the remedy for lukewarmness is to get zealous for God
• you are conscious of your debt to God
• you think your illness is God punishing you for your sin
• you think we must do all the things Jesus said
• you don’t think of yourself as righteous and holy
• you think you have disappointed God
• you think God has given you a burden to bear

Perhaps you have swallowed the poison pill of self-righteousness or imbibed the toxic swill of mixture. If you have fallen from grace, you will be miserable and barren. You will have no peace and joy in your walk. This is not how God wants you to live.

What is the remedy? Remember your First Love (hint: it’s Jesus). Remember what you did at first (you trusted him) and do that.

Get settled in the unconditional love of God and let nothing move you.

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Last week, more than 300 readers grabbed their free copy of my new book The Grace Bible: Philemon. It’s not too late to get yours.

More articles about the Law:

• What is the law in the Bible?
• What is the purpose of the law?
• What is the royal law?
• What is the law of Christ?
• Law + works + grace = ?
• Kept in custody under the law?
• Under the Gentiles under the law?
• What is the law written on our hearts?
• Who was the greatest law preacher?
• How does faith establish the law?
• What is the law of liberty?
• Why are we not a red-letter church?