Part One page 2

One explanation of the meaning of the word ‘cult’ is that the word is derived from the Latin ‘cultus’ which means ‘any kind of ritual, ceremony or liturgy’. The word ‘cult’ was also recently defined as being ‘a teaching, group or movement which deviates from orthodoxy while claiming to represent the true faith’.

Remember, all cults deviate from what is regarded as being orthodox. Christianity is for everyone - from the intellectual to the uneducated. A good litmus test is to question if what is being put to you is capable of being understood by a member of a remote tribal community! When confronted by a person who tries to tell you that you are in the wrong place spiritually, you need to be able to apply Biblical standards in order to know if that one comes to you in ‘truth’ or not. Why? Because there are many similarities between true Christianity and ‘false christianity’. Matthew 24:24 says, "If it were possible, they shall deceive even the elect". The ‘elect’ referred to here are true Christians. Logically, if a true Christian is in danger of being deceived, then how much easier must it be to deceive one who has no understanding of the Bible or sound Christian teachings?

Satan the Devil (yes, he really does exist and he is known as the Father of Lies), tries to frustrate the building of the true Kingdom of God by raising up false prophets (Matt. 7:13-23), false apostles (2 Cor. 11:12-13), false teachers (2 Peter 2:1-22) and false pastors and shepherds (Acts 20:29-30). In simple terms all of these are going to look and sound just like true Christians!

Satan's foremost strategy is to always try to confuse you. He is the creator and author of confusion! People who reject the false (or the counterfeit) are placed in the real danger of rejecting what is true - because of its very close resemblance to the false - simply due to a lack of knowledge and discernment. The true and the false will therefore have the following similarities:-

    a) both will require strong leadership
    b) both will stress the need for loyalty, and commitment to their leaders
    c) both will believe in a deep commitment to the group, its purpose and goals
    d) both will share the belief that we are living in the ‘end times’
    e) both will work to establish a hope for a different and better life-style.

A good point to remember is that true leadership always works under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ; whereas the false will tolerate and encourage the deification (or the exalting like a god) of their leader, or leaders. The true always looks to the Bible for instruction and guidance; the false invariably will have other writings that embrace material supposedly superior, or additional to Scripture. For example, the Latter Day Saints have their Book of Mormon and others; Jehovah’s Witnesses have their Watchtower magazine and a multitude of other books. You can always recognize a dangerous religious cult by their rejection of:-
    (a)the Authority of the Bible,
    (b)the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ,
    (c)the Cross of Calvary, and
    (d)the Blood Atonement paid by the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary.

Dangerous cult groups will always promote the idea among their followers that they alone have the truth and that every religion other than theirs is of the Devil. Logically, this leads their members to believe that everyone else is the enemy! Cults will reject (or suspect) all authority but their own. To illustrate, the Jehovah's Witnesses will place themselves above the law of the land when it conflicts with their own ideals and teachings. They justify themselves by quoting Acts 5:29 which says, "We must obey God rather than men." Such teaching leads to a group believing and actually practicing that they are above the law; which can have disastrous results as it did for the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Malawi in the 1960's when thousands of their members were slaughtered and many more had to flee for their lives into neighbouring nations!

~Copyright Mandate Ministries 1997~