what makes a church/group become a Cult?

[SavedByGrace]

Those, like some of the "reformed" teach, that a sinner can be justified before God and become born-again, without the need for them to repent of their sins, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the Gospel. This is what Paul calls, "another gospel", which in reality is no "gospel" at all, and therefore produces a false salvation.

 

[Marooncat79]

Those, like some of the "reformed" teach, that a sinner can be justified before God and become born-again, without the need for them to repent of their sins, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the Gospel. This is what Paul calls, "another gospel", which in reality is no "gospel" at all, and therefore produces a false salvation.

Noone i know believes that. None that I know espouse that

BTW, been a calvinist before it was cool ie over 30 yrs ago

 

[Lodic]

One of my parents was a drug addict and got saved in a cult. This group packed up and moved out into a desert and started a commune, and my parent did not go with them, thankfully. I am slow to label a group a cult, but ... I think ... it best to call this group a cult.

BUT, this group gave me my parent back. The transformation in the parent was so profound. This parent waffled back and forth from mainstream to fringe churches the rest of my childhood, and I can honestly say that my parent was often more stable in the fringe/cult churches than the mainstream churches. I blame the mainstream churches for leaving this parent and peers desperate enough to keep trying the fringe/cults.

This group of prodigals and misfits are my childhood heroes. They were crippled by lack of discipleship opportunities. They would sometimes gather together and plan their next move, praying into the next morning, while we children crawled under tables and into corners to sleep where we hoped not to get stepped on. I grew up and started my own searches, altogether three times just losing faith and giving up.

The third time was the longest time out of the church and the hardest fall. I finally fell low enough to become a prodigal myself. Now I know why they kept searching so hard and never gave up the way that I did. The journey to and back from the pigpen builds faith, and the pigpen prepares you to put up with so much more from the church.

I have a special place in my heart for the cults. My parent was sober 30 years, before losing faith enough to return to the pigpen. The cults, not the church, gave me a parent, and relieved some of the pressure of me having to parent my siblings before I was even old enough to go to school. My parent found salvation in the cults and met others that were saved there, too.

Your testimony makes me think of Romans 8:28 "and we know that God causes all things to work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." This doesn't diminish the danger of cults, but shows how God even uses cults for His purpose. My own father was really into Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God for years before he came to Christ.

 

[AustinC]

Your testimony makes me think of Romans 8:28 "and we know that God causes all things to work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." This doesn't diminish the danger of cults, but shows how God even uses cults for His purpose. My own father was really into Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God for years before he came to Christ.

Indeed, the ordained work of God is found in the movement of every molecule. Therefore, every cult, every evil and good thing fulfills the Sovereign plan of God. Not one molecule is rogue and outside of God's ordination.

This does not mean we approve of cults who are enslaved under Satan's rule. Instead, we preach reconciliation with God to all who are enslaved in sin.

 

[SavedByGrace]

Noone i know believes that. None that I know espouse that

BTW, been a calvinist before it was cool ie over 30 yrs ago

Then you ought to read the replies to my threads

 

[AustinC]

Then you ought to read the replies to my threads

Yes, @Marooncat79 , please read them so you can see pure legalism promoted by SBG.

 

[SavedByGrace]

pure legalism promoted by SBG

 

[robycop3]

One of my parents was a drug addict and got saved in a cult. This group packed up and moved out into a desert and started a commune, and my parent did not go with them, thankfully. I am slow to label a group a cult, but ... I think ... it best to call this group a cult.

BUT, this group gave me my parent back. The transformation in the parent was so profound. This parent waffled back and forth from mainstream to fringe churches the rest of my childhood, and I can honestly say that my parent was often more stable in the fringe/cult churches than the mainstream churches. I blame the mainstream churches for leaving this parent and peers desperate enough to keep trying the fringe/cults.

This group of prodigals and misfits are my childhood heroes. They were crippled by lack of discipleship opportunities. They would sometimes gather together and plan their next move, praying into the next morning, while we children crawled under tables and into corners to sleep where we hoped not to get stepped on. I grew up and started my own searches, altogether three times just losing faith and giving up.

The third time was the longest time out of the church and the hardest fall. I finally fell low enough to become a prodigal myself. Now I know why they kept searching so hard and never gave up the way that I did. The journey to and back from the pigpen builds faith, and the pigpen prepares you to put up with so much more from the church.

I have a special place in my heart for the cults. My parent was sober 30 years, before losing faith enough to return to the pigpen. The cults, not the church, gave me a parent, and relieved some of the pressure of me having to parent my siblings before I was even old enough to go to school. My parent found salvation in the cults and met others that were saved there, too.

Was your parent ACTUALLY saved BY JESUS, or "pseudo/quasi saved" by cult doctrine ? ONLY JESUS is the Savior; no one or nothing else can save one from the penalty of his/her sins.

 

[SavedByGrace]

Was your parent ACTUALLY saved BY JESUS, or "pseudo/quasi saved" by cult doctrine ? ONLY JESUS is the Savior; no one or nothing else can save one from the penalty of his/her sins.

Amen, brother! too many false "conversions"!

 

[robycop3]

the MOST-DANGEROUS cults, the ones that lead more people to hell, are the pseudo/quasi-Christian ones that "have a FORM of godliness while denying its POWER", which is the Gospel of and by Jesus. they're so dangerous cuz they lead people to BELIEVE they're saved when they're actually NOT.

"Faith comes by hearing,(Hearing WHAT? Why, the GOSPEL,of course!) & hearing, by the word of God." (Spoken or written)

If you BELIEVE THE GOSPEL, that Jesus is the Son of God who became born as a human, was killed, & was resurrected by His Father after 3 days & nights, and is Himself God, & that He will save you from your sins if you call on Him in repentance & belief, then YOU SHALL BE SAVED. No religion can do that for you, and isn't at all necessary for salvation.

Cults are founded for nefarious purposes, under Satan's influence, for purposes of exercising control of many by one or a few, for money-making, for having a harem or other sexual sins, & for any number of other evil reasons, all invented by Satan. They might look good on the outside, but they're whitewashed TOMBS, full of death & decay inside.

 

[robycop3]

The most-successful cult that got away from the Bible, using "another gospel" was the Moonies, or Unification Church. Thankfully, its influence in the USA is now somewhat minor, compared to what it was in the late 1970s-early '80s, especially after its founder, the "Rev." Sun Myung Moon died in 2012. His widow, Hak Ja Han, nor leads the cult.

 

[SavedByGrace]

The most-successful cult that got away from the Bible, using "another gospel" was the Moonies, or Unification Church. Thankfully, its influence in the USA is now somewhat minor, compared to what it was in the late 1970s-early '80s, especially after its founder, the "Rev." Sun Myung Moon died in 2012. His widow, Hak Ja Han, nor leads the cult.

Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses are much bigger. The SDA are also a cult.

the greater majority of cults come from the USA

 

[Lodic]

What is it about these cults that draws so many people to them? Do different cults have different target groups? Of course, the best defense against these groups is the truth.

 

[SavedByGrace]

the best defense against these groups is the truth

I have been trying this for years with the Calvinists!

 

[AustinC]

God, knows his children. Not one child will fail to be saved and justified by the faith God gives them. Every belief outside of being made alive with Christ, saved by grace through faith, is a pathway to hell. Any demand that works is the means of salvation is a false gospel and thus a cult teaching.

 

[SavedByGrace]

God, knows his children. Not one child will fail to be saved and justified by the faith God gives them. Every belief outside of being made alive with Christ, saved by grace through faith, is a pathway to hell. Any demand that works is the means of salvation is a false gospel and thus a cult teaching.

What about judas for whom Jesus shed His blood?

 

[robycop3]

Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses are much bigger. The SDA are also a cult.

No one calls the moonies "Christian", while the cults you named try to pass themselves off as Christian. Biggest of those cults is the RCC.

the greater majority of cults come from the USA

Unfortunately, true. That's because God has blessed this nation with resources, power, & with more professing Christians per capita, & sanctuaries per capita than any other nation ever. Thus, Satan has been hard at work here !

 

[SavedByGrace]

No one calls the moonies "Christian", while the cults you named try to pass themselves off as Christian. Biggest of those cults is the RCC.

Not true. The majority of Christian churches in the USA today do not even teach what the Bible says! Like the mega churches led by Andy Stanley, Rick Warren, Joel Ostee, T D Jakes, John Macgee, Kenneth Copeland, etc etc all teaching heresy in one way or another

Unfortunately, true. That's because God has blessed this nation with resources, power, & with more professing Christians per capita, & sanctuaries per capita than any other nation ever. Thus, Satan has been hard at work here !

 

[AustinC]

What about judas for whom Jesus shed His blood?

Do you read the Bible? Judas was created as a vessel of God's wrath in order to fulfill God's ordained purpose.

John 17:12
While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Jesus only atoned for the sins of the elect. No atonement has been provided for those who remain dead in their trespasses and sins. This is by God's ordination.
Do you believe that God directs every molecule in his creation? Or are there rogue molecules that act outside of God's authority? If there are rogue molecules, then God is not omniscient, nor is God omnipotent.
If God directs every molecule, then the actions of Judas are exactly as God ordained as Jesus states in John 17:12.

 

[SavedByGrace]

Do you read the Bible? Judas was created as a vessel of God's wrath in order to fulfill God's ordained purpose.

John 17:12
While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Jesus only atoned for the sins of the elect. No atonement has been provided for those who remain dead in their trespasses and sins. This is by God's ordination.
Do you believe that God directs every molecule in his creation? Or are there rogue molecules that act outside of God's authority? If there are rogue molecules, then God is not omniscient, nor is God omnipotent.
If God directs every molecule, then the actions of Judas are exactly as God ordained as Jesus states in John 17:12.

Firstly read the account of the Lords Supper in the Gospel of Luke where Jesus gives the bread and the wine to all the Disciples including Judas. And told them that the wine represented His blood shed for the forgiveness of their sons. Then read the comments on this passage in John Gill and Matthew Henry both Reformed theologians who admit that Judas did indeed take part in the Lords Supper. Very clear Bible evidence that Jesus also died for the sins of Judas.