The Deceived

Strange as it is, I was thinking alot about cults and heresy last weekend. This group includes anyone who appears "Christian" but denies Jesus as the Son of God and/or the born again experience. Anyone who exalts a human or angelic messanger as speaking the Words of God that are opposite the revealed Word of God (the Bible). Anyone who denies the Trinity, the inerrancy or authority of Scripture, etc.


Read a book about a former Jehovah's Witness who submitted himself to the true Lord and was radically saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit. It was a radical story and delved deep into the doctrinal deceptions of that particular cult. This guy had the most problems accepting Jesus as Lord. Which is kinda funny when ya think about it. Modern Christianity would say, 'believe in Jesus, accept Him in your heart and you're saved!' This man did believe in Jesus and accept Him, as a Jehovah's Witness! But even the devils believe and tremble, so belief does not equal salvation. Salvation came when this man recognized Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, and submitted his entire life to the Lord. The book is called, Kicked Out of the Kingdom by Charles Trombley.

Read another book, Mara by Isabella Alden. This one kinda stunned me because it was a novel and I was not expecting such a thorough book about Mormons. And it wasn't even your everyday, suit-and-tie, door-to-door salesman kind of Mormons. This was about Mormonism back in the day when polygamy was widely accepted. And it hit me hard because of the recent news story about the police raid in Texas, where 463 minors were removed from a cult's compound because of underage marriage and sexual abuse. FLDS is just a reincarnation of early American Mormonism. Their basic problem is believing that works will get them into heaven (wrong!!), and because the words of men tell them which exact works get them into heaven, they are led into particularly repulsive sin, like so-called "plural marriage." Oh, how I HATE that term! It is really the filth of adultery in the guise of religion.

And then there's the Amish. No one wants to call them a 'cult.' Because the thought of living without modern conveniences is idyllic and sensationalized (at least in touristy Amish country, PA). Sure, they have the 'name' of Christian. But are they? No, I don't think so. They deny the born again experience. After all the religious activity and avoiding worldliness that they do, according to their doctrine, salvation is not guarenteed. They can only hope that they'll make it to heaven. No faith involved. Has Christ died in vain? Does His blood, pain, death and resurrection mean nothing?? May it never be!

There are more that I could speak of... The deceptions of the "Orthodox" church, which is actually un-orthodox when compared to the Word of God. The heresy of the Catholicism which recognizes a man (the Pope) as having more authority than the Bible. Both of these churches (though supposedly diametrically opposed to the other) deny the born again experience, and embrace salvation by works. The Bible clearly teaches that we are saved by faith alone, and that we show faith by our works. Jesus died as a sacrifice for sins, once for all, and now we are to walk in His steps. In the holiness that He would walk in. In true Christianity, faith and works are married together.

How should we live in these days of deception?

Stand for truth.
Speak it in love.
Walk in humility.
Keep a grateful heart.
Be sober & alert.
Look to Christ alone!