Feb

21

Recognize The Cults

Filed Under Cults 

Recognize The Cults By Dr. Johnson C. Philip & Dr. Saneesh Cherian

A number of false cults are spreading around the world. Many of the cults claim themselves to be Christian, but they are far away from the Biblical Christianity. Such groups instead of providing their promised bliss, only take Christians away from Christ.

A false cult is a religious group based on false doctrines. Many of these cults depend on the natural curiosity of the human nature, and the widespread ignorance of the Word of God to lure people into its net. Sincere but sentimental Christians are the easiest targets. Once a person yields to them, it is virtual slavery for him all the rest of his life. One or more of the following teachings will reveal a cult.

God speaks to us today only through the Bible. We do not need any revelation outside of the Bible to guide us in any matters of faith and life. A person coming to us with a claim about revelation not originating in the Bible is most probably a cultist. A careful study of their teachings on the Bible will reveal that their respect for the Bible is only superficial. According to them these new revelations can even alter, cancel, set aside (or even add to) the revelation already found in the Bible.

Every biblical Christian must clearly know all the basic doctrines. Such a person will find that many cults are utterly confused about the various categories of truth in the Word of God. For example, many cults do not distinguish between baptism, indwelling, sealing, and filling of the Holy spirit. Lumping up of all these distinct doctrines into one group makes things so ambiguous that it opens the way for any type of teaching that the cultist may want to push. One may read hundreds of pages from the attractive cultist literature without understanding a thing clearly. Such confusion should always warn us against the danger of cults.

It has been estimated that in the past few centuries hundreds of people have claimed themselves to be the Lord Jesus. This is another important trend to be watched. Many of the false cults slowly and subtly identify their Leader with the Messiah. But we know that the Lord Jesus is not going to appear as a Celtic leader. These groups then exploit our fear of Messiah to keep us in bondage. so even the most in significant suggestion identifying any leader with the Lord Jesus should be seen with alarm.

The new testament clearly teaches that salvation is by grace through faith and it is not of our works lest any man should boast. Many false groups tamper with this fundamental doctrine to include our works for salvation. Such a perversion is necessary to keep people in bondage, because not knowing whether they have done enough good works to obtain salvation, these people keep doing all the “works” ordered by their cult’s leaders. Since salvation to them is not a grace affair, they are never sure of their spiritual state or future.

Many groups do not believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus, His virgin-birth, His literal death and bodily resurrection, the personality of the Holy Spirit and trinity of God and the canon of 66 books. Jehovah of the Old Testament is said to be an evil or interior god. Every important doctrine is affected in some way or other.

Whenever one is faced with the problem of understanding a new group, these points will be a great help for recognizing their stand. The closer His coming approaches us, the more will be the rise of false cults. But let us know our foundation, so that we may not be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.

 

 

 

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