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CULTS--A Systematic Teaching
- Thread starter Major
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Hello Major,
When the word cult comes to my mind, my thoughts go on to people who are in bondage under some leader who makes them bend their will to the leader who is charge over them. Most of the time people who fall into this are people that could be living on the street, abusing drugs, or alcohol. That is what a cult is to me, a culture of people following what a person deems they should do even if it is against that persons best judgement (in which they could have had their life threatened).
That is what I believe a cult is.
I believe that God sent Jesus to set people free from bondage of sin and death but also from the bondage of religious burdens, and also the burdens that people demand on others in what they must do, and to live a life for God devoted towards Him, in faith of the Gospel of Christ which brings such freedom.
The problem is - does a person know what the Bible really says about God and Jesus cause knowing God is life eternal from what Jesus said.
John 17:3
When the word cult comes to my mind, my thoughts go on to people who are in bondage under some leader who makes them bend their will to the leader who is charge over them. Most of the time people who fall into this are people that could be living on the street, abusing drugs, or alcohol. That is what a cult is to me, a culture of people following what a person deems they should do even if it is against that persons best judgement (in which they could have had their life threatened).
That is what I believe a cult is.
I believe that God sent Jesus to set people free from bondage of sin and death but also from the bondage of religious burdens, and also the burdens that people demand on others in what they must do, and to live a life for God devoted towards Him, in faith of the Gospel of Christ which brings such freedom.
The problem is - does a person know what the Bible really says about God and Jesus cause knowing God is life eternal from what Jesus said.
John 17:3
What you described is the thought of most people. THAT is exactly why I did this study and to show that a cult can be a lot more than a bunch of people running around selling roses.
Most people believe that A cult is most often referred to as an organized group or solitary person whose purpose is to dominate other cult members through psychological manipulation and pressure strategies.
Acts 20:29-30...........
"I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them".
To one degree or another, all cults deny the deity of Jesus Christ. Their teachings and principles will eventually leave a person unsaved, without a relationship with Jesus Christ, and spending eternity in hell.
The Bible teaches that faith in Christ, plus nothing else, equals salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9........
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
The three most obvious cults today that I tried to list are........
1. Jehovah’s Witnesses, Watchtower Society,
2. and Mormons.
3. Muslims.
All three put good works in the place of “nothing else," suggesting the redeeming work of Jesus is not sufficient by itself. Faith plus anything else is heresy.
Now, I am not looking to fight with anyone but if we add the Roman Catholic Church to this list because we all know, even every Catholic believer, the RCC teaches that salvation is in Jesus Christ, PLUS......water baptism, works, sacraments and traditions. That makes them a Christian faith unto it self apart from Bible Christianity.
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Hello to you Major,
You decided to do a study on the topic you posted I believe that is a great. While I agree with you - that faith plus anything else is heresy. It has always been faith that pleases God in which God rewards those who seek him out (Hebrews 11:6).
The thing is that most organization when it comes to Jehovah witness, Mormons, Baptists, all of them believe that Jesus Christ died, was buried and raised again. They simply have their own ways about going to do things when it comes to scripture.
The question I have is not God also calling to all of these people, even muslims, Buddhist? Just think about it for a moment.
Genesis 20:3
3 But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”
God is capable to commune with people by and through means that we may say he can not. Which is a relief to believe that God by the Spirit is calling to all to come and be able to enjoy freely the waters that he gives, and food that he also gives who are spiritually hungry.
While it comes down to works, yes I agree with you - there is no way to by pass Christ to be made right with God. God also weighs out the measure of a persons heart in how they decide to live in relationship with him - Even Muslims as crazy or out there it may be for anyone to hear.
Even though people harp on works - God created us in his image to work - in which Good works (https://christianforumsite.com/threads/bible-scripture-studies.61307/post-555261) are performed by and through the spirit of a person who seeks in faith to look towards the things of God, which leads to the believer allowing God to work in and through them in their hearts and mind through the spirit - and the person submitting in the flesh with prayer to God to help them by the spirit.
That is simply my thoughts on the matter, doesn't make it right and some people can go pretty extreme with some of their views, if they are not careful, but does God still love those people? Has their sin been paid for? I would say yes, and each person will receive their reward after leaving this life and going onward to the Heavenly Realms, be it on the outside of the kingdom or on by faith going into the kingdom of Heaven where God resides.
You decided to do a study on the topic you posted I believe that is a great. While I agree with you - that faith plus anything else is heresy. It has always been faith that pleases God in which God rewards those who seek him out (Hebrews 11:6).
The thing is that most organization when it comes to Jehovah witness, Mormons, Baptists, all of them believe that Jesus Christ died, was buried and raised again. They simply have their own ways about going to do things when it comes to scripture.
The question I have is not God also calling to all of these people, even muslims, Buddhist? Just think about it for a moment.
Genesis 20:3
3 But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.”
God is capable to commune with people by and through means that we may say he can not. Which is a relief to believe that God by the Spirit is calling to all to come and be able to enjoy freely the waters that he gives, and food that he also gives who are spiritually hungry.
While it comes down to works, yes I agree with you - there is no way to by pass Christ to be made right with God. God also weighs out the measure of a persons heart in how they decide to live in relationship with him - Even Muslims as crazy or out there it may be for anyone to hear.
Even though people harp on works - God created us in his image to work - in which Good works (https://christianforumsite.com/threads/bible-scripture-studies.61307/post-555261) are performed by and through the spirit of a person who seeks in faith to look towards the things of God, which leads to the believer allowing God to work in and through them in their hearts and mind through the spirit - and the person submitting in the flesh with prayer to God to help them by the spirit.
That is simply my thoughts on the matter, doesn't make it right and some people can go pretty extreme with some of their views, if they are not careful, but does God still love those people? Has their sin been paid for? I would say yes, and each person will receive their reward after leaving this life and going onward to the Heavenly Realms, be it on the outside of the kingdom or on by faith going into the kingdom of Heaven where God resides.
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1st..... Jehovah witness, Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. They teach that He was out of existence for three days, and then Jehovah recreated him as the archangel Michael.
But Mormonism does not teach that God the Father took on human nature to redeem us.
You asked..........
"the question I have is not God calling to all these people, even Muslims and Buddhist"?
NO!
Some has to be right and someone has to be wrong. We ALL can not be right. The Bible says that there is ONE way to heaven and that is through the God-Man, Jesus Christ. There is NO other way, No other religion!
Now YES........we are created to do good works AFTER we come to Christ by faith and accept Him. THEN and only then do our good works count for anything BUT they do nothing toward salvation. Good works are AFTER salvation and done to the glory of God so that what we do HE IS ACTUALLY DOING THROUGH US!
You said.............
"Has their sin been paid for? I would say yes, and each person will receive their reward after leaving this life and going onward to the Heavenly Realms, be it on the outside of the kingdom or on by faith going into the kingdom of Heaven where God resides."
No sir. God bless you my dear brother but that is NOT Bible Christianity. The Bible teaches that Jesus took our place, vicariously dying a substitutionary death in our place on the cross that, had He not finished what He started, would have sent us to Hell to be tormented in the flames of God's vengeance for ever and ever. You see my friend, there's only two possibilities in eternity..........
1. Either you go to Hell and pay for your own sins for ever and ever;
2. or you receive God's free gift of eternal life by faith in Jesus the Christ Who died for our sins and go to heaven.
There is NO Bible language that allows .............
"each person will receive their reward after leaving this life and going onward to the Heavenly Realms, be it on the outside of the kingdom or on by faith going into the kingdom of Heaven where God resides."
Salvation is THE Gift of God and Jesus dies and was , was buried and miraculously raised-up three days later. By faith in what Jesus did I appropriated THE GIFT of God for ME. I have accepted God's offer of salvation by faith in the Son of God, Christ Jesus. Now if I do not appropriate the gift of God, then it is just like a gift under the Christmas tree that is never opened. It just sits there, and sits there.
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Mmm. I’ve talked with Jehovah witness and some claim they believe he rose from the dead. So I can’t judge an individual person if they do or not. I do believe most organizations even Christian organizations can put people in bondage as well.
It’s strange you do not believe that God is calling to all by the spirit friend, Major.
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.
It’s up to the person though if they will come.
Some do and some do not. Some haven’t heard the truth of the Gospel which I agree through Christ there is no other way - unless a person doesn’t really know Christ and all they have to look at is creation calling out the God that created it.
Can they be saved? Absolutely if they choose to submit themselves to follow and seek after God in faith.
Of course that is my perspective and many may see it as wrong I just wanted to mention these things to you, and others.
Thank you for your conversation.
It’s strange you do not believe that God is calling to all by the spirit friend, Major.
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.
It’s up to the person though if they will come.
Some do and some do not. Some haven’t heard the truth of the Gospel which I agree through Christ there is no other way - unless a person doesn’t really know Christ and all they have to look at is creation calling out the God that created it.
Can they be saved? Absolutely if they choose to submit themselves to follow and seek after God in faith.
Of course that is my perspective and many may see it as wrong I just wanted to mention these things to you, and others.
Thank you for your conversation.
Maybe I misunderstood what you are saying.
The Muslim, the Mormon - The JW - The Buddist - anyone can of course be called by the Holy Spirit of God to the Lord Jesus.
No one is too lost or too religious to be saved. However.......those people, whoever they are, must accept Jesus as the Christ and be born again. They can NOT remain a JW or Mormon or Buddhist Or Hindu or any other religion. They may believe "SINCERLY" in a god that they think has called them.............but if Jesus Christ is not the God-Man to them and they accept Him as their Saviour then NO.
You said......
"Can they be saved? Absolutely if they choose to submit themselves to follow and seek after God in faith."
Dosent that depend entirely on WHO we believe God to be????
God can be an ambiguous word to the religious cults. Allow me to say that the God of the Bible is a TRINITY and those who do not accept God as such can not come to Him at all. The Trinity is the Bible truth that separates all other religions! It is THE essential of Christianity.
I am always open to converse!
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Major,
All I know is I said ; they call out to the whom created all of the world.
Genesis 1:1;
The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handy work.
If you don’t have a Bible and are born in a Muslim country…
That’s all they have to look at; and perhaps by calling out to God that is a humble enough position for God to work with someone; by the spirit and he writes on their hearts and minds which is all by and through the new covenant.
That doesn’t mean those who are effected by a cult doesn’t need help or time to be worked with if they choose to seek out for what is the truth.
All I know is I said ; they call out to the whom created all of the world.
Genesis 1:1;
The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handy work.
If you don’t have a Bible and are born in a Muslim country…
That’s all they have to look at; and perhaps by calling out to God that is a humble enough position for God to work with someone; by the spirit and he writes on their hearts and minds which is all by and through the new covenant.
That doesn’t mean those who are effected by a cult doesn’t need help or time to be worked with if they choose to seek out for what is the truth.
You said..............
"I’ve talked with Jehovah witness and some claim they believe he rose from the dead. So I can’t judge an individual person if they do or not. I do believe most organizations even Christian organizations can put people in bondage as well."
The fact is that the JW"S will say anything to get into your home. The fact is that if one of them told you that, he lied to you.
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in the resurrection of the dead, they do not believe that Jesus rose from the dead in bodily form and they do not believe that Jesus is God BUT that He is Michael the arch angel.
So then YES........You can and should judge them!!!!
When any JW says to you that Jesus’ “invisible presence” since 1914, a two-class salvation system -144,000 going to heaven, and all the others to stay of the earth--------YOU (WE) should judge (Determine) that what they said is NOT found in the Bible. Then we can tell them who the 144 K actuall are.
When a JW denies the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, we should judge what they say and them tell them the Bible truth that Jeus is the Christ the Son of God.
John 7:24 (ESV)
"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
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But how do I know what he said was a lie if he believes in his heart? That is what I don’t understand, Major. How can I a normal human being see the hearts of others if they express what they believe.
My mother for example told me she believes in the death, burial, and resurrection. Is she lying?
But anyway I digress; simply sharing and offering a different view.
From my perspective you say all the people in Mormonism, or Jehovah witness, or Muslims are all doomed. You can judge an organization I have nothing against that; but what we can not do is judge individuals.
God at the end of their life will judge them; weighing their heart out.
Did they love Him, and love others?
Did not love him, and love others?
Thank you for your time and patience.
My mother for example told me she believes in the death, burial, and resurrection. Is she lying?
But anyway I digress; simply sharing and offering a different view.
From my perspective you say all the people in Mormonism, or Jehovah witness, or Muslims are all doomed. You can judge an organization I have nothing against that; but what we can not do is judge individuals.
God at the end of their life will judge them; weighing their heart out.
Did they love Him, and love others?
Did not love him, and love others?
Thank you for your time and patience.
My dear friend.........are you trying to say that a person born in a Muslim country, who has never read a Bible can go to heaven by calling out to the God they believe who created the earth.
NO sir. Again that is not Bible Christianity! That is salvation by SINCERITY!
The Muslim, Hindu, Buddist, whatever will go to Hell at death because they did not believe upon the Lord Jeus Christ. They are convicted by the very "nature" they live in. However...........the Bible teaches that there level of punishment will not be as severe as say a JW or Mormon who know what the Bible says and rejects it.
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This seems to be an extreme view; and it seems to limit what God is able to do my friend.
Thank you for your time and patience just trying to share a different view that is probably foreign to most.
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It is NO problem brother. We all have questions that bug us and even when we get the correct Bible answer, we might tend to stay "bothered". Believe me...........I have more patience than hair or money!
We do not see the hearts of men brother and we should never judge anyone on that basis. But YOU do know what a man tells you and when that is not found in the Word of God, then at that point it is our duty as a Christian to expose that lie. The person you are talking to then either confess and repents or he sticks with his lie.
I am NOT judging ALL the JW and Mormons and Muslims. What I am saying is that if a person STAYS in those religions, KNOWING The truth of the Word of God, it is not me that they have to be concerned with. I have witnessed to approx 1000 JW witnesses in my life. If everyone of them has stayed in the Watch Tower faith then they are all LOST and on their way to hell!!!!
The Bible truth is that a man can not love God outside of the Lord Jesus Christ!!!!! WHY is that true????????
BECAUSE JESUS IS GOD!
Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things! It is impossible to think we can love God with out Jesus Christ!
O, contrary my dear brother. What I had stated is EXACTLY what the Scriptures tell us. You may not have been exposed to the truth like this........but nonetheless, this is 100% Bible truth.