The Challenge Of The Cults

THE CHALLENGE OF THE CULTS

The world of apologetics and the confrontation with the false teachers of our times is not a popular theme in the church today. It was just as unpopular in the early days of the church. The twisting around of God’s Word by man has been going on about as long as man has walked the earth.

I. Our responsibility as Christians in respect to the false teaching.

A. Jude 1:3 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

B. I Peter 3:15-16 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. And be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience. That, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ."

II. What is a cult.

A. The dictionary defines cult as "a system of religious worship or ritual"; "devoted attachment to, or extravagant admiration for, a person, principle, etc.", "a group of followers."

B. Generally, a cult is a group that is unorthodox in its beliefs and teachings, and calls for devotion to a person, object, or a set of new ideas.

C. The term cult can range from any group of worshippers of any God who pay no attention to the Bible, to a small, highly paranoid, apocalyptic people who gather around a charismatic leader that uses the Bible to control them.

II. Four Categories of Cults

A. Pseudo (False) Christian Cults

1. Jehovah Witnesses

2. Mormonism

3. Christian Science

4. Unification Church (Moonies)

C. Oriental Cults (including Hinduism, Buddhism, TM, Hare Krishna, Zen, Yoga, etc.)

D. Human Potential cults (New Age, Scientology)

E. The Occult ? Spiritism, Astrology, Witchcraft, Satanism, Native American/ Shamanism

III. Characteristics of cults.

A. They all claim special revelation and privilege.

B. Those that use the Bible invariably interpret it in disharmony with standard biblical understanding.

C. They distort the true biblical doctrines that effect salvation sufficiently to void salvation.

D. If it doesn’t use the Bible, it is a non-Christian religion and does not participate in the benefit of divine revelation.

E. Some cult groups add to the Bible.

1. Mormonism ? the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price.

2. Christian Science ? Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.

3. The Jehovah’s Witnesses ? New World Translation

4. Revelation 22:18 "For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:"

F. All cults add to the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

1. At the end of the life of Jesus, he cried out from the cross, "It is finished." So it must have been a success. But by human standards, his ministry at that point would have been judged a failure.

2. Hebrews 12:2 "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

G. Cults add works of righteousness to the finished work of salvation accomplished by Jesus on the cross.

1. James 2:17 "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

2. Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast."

H. The twisting of Scripture.

1. Take Scripture out of context

2. Read into the Scriptures information that is not there

3. Pick and choose only the Scriptures that suit their needs

4. Ignoring full counsel of Scripture

5. Combine scriptures that don’t have anything to do with each other.

6. Incorrect definitions of key words

7. Mistranslate the Scripture.

IV. Witnessing to the Cults

A. If you want to be able to witness well to a person in a cult, you need to understand their doctrines as well as your own.

B. Know what you believe about

1. The Bible

2. God

? On both his television program and in his book, Benny Hinn asserted that all three persons of the Triune Godhead have their own independent bodies, souls, and spirits, as well as wills (10/13/90, TBN). In referring to the separate elements of the Trinity: three bodies, souls, and spirits. Hinn states there are nine of them.