Now the works of the flesh are manifest

Can the followers of Jesus be actively practicing Christian murderers, those who murder people on a regular basis? Can people depend upon spirits that the Bible warns against and forbids people to have any contact with and be Christians in willful disobedience, or can there be Christians who practice necromancy contacting the dead for advice even though this is called an abomination? There are those who do not accept the whole counsel of God and see Jesus as a nice guy that reject Him as God the Son. Jesus came not to judge the world but to save us out of it. The next time He comes, He will come in judgment. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit revealed the Law to Moses, who in turn presented this revelation to all of mankind through the Children of Israel.

The Bible warns clearly that we are not to practice witchcraft. I have noticed that those who are wise in the things of this world and of the kosmos would teach and rebuke the Christian who holds to the direct revelation of God as it is found in the Bible. Although there is not a religion composed of murderers that call themselves by that name, there is a religion that commonly accepts the term witchcraft as descriptive of it. I have also noticed that the truth scandalizes people to where they are deeply offended and have many good reasons as to why the admonitions of the Bible are not true, or at least do not apply to them. Jesus is the stumbling stone and we get the English word scandal from the Greek which Paul calls a rock of offence.

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

I Peter 2:6-8

Those who are at variance with Jesus or find that they are at enmity with Him are scandalized by the Bible, hotly angered by its words. Being double-minded some who would fancy that light and dark go together find that their claim to follow Christ is used in discussions to disprove or judge God's revelation, reviling the Bible with its own words.

I know one witch who takes great delight in finding a nominal Christian who is for all intents and purposes a fool and converts them to paganism as a lark. One time she took someone who was very anti-Catholic and convinced him to convert to Catholicism to show her abilities of persuasion. Within a year she was delighted to take things that he had confided in her about and expose him publicly in a humiliating way and mock him for being so easily led. I think she could have been harsher and he may have deserved the humiliation in some sense. Sometime ago I met someone from the town of Salem who told me the attitude of the witches that were around when he was growing up many years ago. Pretensions to tolerance are encouraged only as a means of disarming the Christian as a rule. Most of the time I have seen their pretensions dissolve into judgment and finally expressed contempt and hatred towards Christians. Very young people often are idealistic and sometimes tolerance and idealism truly motivate sharing their beliefs to a large degree. Seldom is it that someone who is a pagan is truly seeking a way out of it or has anything less than contempt with arrogance for Christians.

I have found that sometimes we can stand in between someone who really is seeking answers and the Holy Spirit. We see that the point is to convince them of the Lord on our terms in a controlling way. There is a fine line and it is best that we truly know ourselves should we decide to take a witness of the Lord Jesus to them. More than self-awareness is awareness of the Holy Spirit.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;

Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry,

witchcraft⁵³³¹,

hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:

of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past,

that they which do such things

shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

For without are dogs, and

sorcerers⁵³³³,

and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Revelation 22:14-17

See The Church and Apostasy and In the Beginning