David Chandler
I can remember getting saved June 21st, 2003. My eyes were opened and all I wanted to do was read God’s Word, but I had a hunger to read about other cults, false doctrine and world religions. Why? Because I did not want to be deceived again. Jesus said to His disciples when they asked him what are the signs of His return.
“Take heed that no man deceive you.”
That is a very telling phrase there. Jesus went on to tell them that there will be FALSE Christs and FALSE prophets insomuch that if it were possible, will deceive the elect.”
Allow me a little time to define what a cult is. It is a sect that claims adherence to the monolithic religion it branched from, but deviates from its central message. In the case of the Christian religion, Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to be Christians, but they do not teach Christianity’s central theme…the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, they make it about the founder of that particular cult. In the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ case, it’s Charles Taze Russell. In Seventh Day Adventism’s case, it’s Ellen G. White’s writings. They are put on par with the Bible. With Mormonism, they believe they have the Book of Mormon, which, in their view, is the last testament of Christ.
These groups do not teach the Gospel as defined in God’s Word. So, what is that? What is the Gospel? How can a man enter heaven? Scripture is so plain about this essential subject. In Ephesians 2:8-9, we read that it is by GRACE ye are saved. Not of ourselves. It is a GIFT of God, not of WORKS, lest any man should boast. In other words, our salvation is a free gift Jesus Christ purchased with His own shed blood on Calvary. That blood was sufficient enough to wash away man’s sin and bring him back to God, not man’s works. For we read that our works is like filthy rags. All we have to do is receive this gift from God. It was Christ that did the work when he died on the cross of Calvary. When a person receives Christ as Savior, God looks on that person as though he never sinned. What a marvelous truth. We as believers should rejoice at that notion. Cults put their parishioners in bondage, saying you have to work your way to God. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe knocking on doors and proselytizing people will get them into heaven. Mormons believe basically the same thing. Catholics believe confessing their sins to a priest will grant them forgiveness from their sins. The reality of it is, it cannot. In fact, a priest is not an intermediary between God and man (sacerdotalism), only Jesus Christ is (2nd Timothy 2:5).
The point of this article is, only Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). There IS no other way.
About The Author
Candace Paul
Paul Denikin