Day 29 – What’s Considered a Cult?
Today’s picture is also from my dear friend, Jill. The different shells are all very beautiful and each has its own purpose in God’s beautiful creation. A cult is very much the same as these shells. How, you may ask? All cults claim to lead followers to a peace that is lacking in that follower’s life. However appealing their teaching is, the Bible states it is wrong. So let’s find out why.
A cult is any religious group (“Christian” or otherwise) that denies one or more of the fundamentals of the truths from the Bible and results in causing one not to be born-again according to the Scriptures. One of the more common teachings of a cult is that Jesus Christ is not God. In my opinion, this is the most important one.
Two good examples of cults that deny Christ as God are the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons. Both of these cults believe similar teachings of the Bible but these two very important foundational elements are not taught. Some cults have “extra” revelations left behind by their founders. The leadership of these cults use these extra revelations or teachings as a means to supersede the Scriptures and, therefore, their members are leery about reading the Bible because they have been taught that the extra books or teachings were also given by God. This is also true of Judaism and Catholicism.
~Revelations 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth 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: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.
God does not contradict Himself. His word is true – from beginning to end. (John 17:17) What does the Bible say about cults? Let’s look deeper at the first obstacle that Jesus Christ is God. If the Bible cannot prove that Jesus Christ is God, then all the other obstacles are obsolete. However, if the Bible can prove that Jesus Christ is God, then it stands to reason that salvation is through Him and He is God.
~Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
~Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
~Revelation 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
~Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
~John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
~John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
~Isaiah 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.
~John 5:17-18 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
~John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
~Exodus 3:13-14 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
~John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
~John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
~Acts 4:10-12 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
~Philemon 2:5-11 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
~Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
~1 John 5:7-9 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
These verses are merely a few – there are over 100 verses prophecies of Christ’s deity, His purpose to save mankind, and of His death and resurrection. Cult leaders don’t want their members to find the truth in the Scriptures and that is why they distract them with “extra” doctrine through other writings. All, I might add, are written by man – God’s word says that all men have wicked hearts (Jeremiah 17:9)! Better to trust in God and His word than man.
When it comes to the truth and the Scriptures, Peter said to obey God rather than men!
~Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
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