Getting on Target

Break through the enemy’s carefully–placed defenses. The outer defensive shell must be broken before one may assault their central belief system.
– 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Know God by knowing His truth; Know man by knowing God's truth.

God's truth sets man to know God and experience a fulfilled life.

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."
(John 14:6).

Know your enemy. Cults are in bondage to gods through lies.

Their defensive shell includes:

• Domination of conversation

• Stereotyped interpretations

• Assumptions that we are wrong

• Belief that Christian church apostasized

• Confidence that they are right

T All cults and false religions are built on a system of lies. - the serpent. he more extensive their training, the more difficult to penetrate this shell. They have more to lose and have more difficulty running against their pride.

The fears, aspirations and pride of cult members are so strongly established that they are not open to entertaining other interpretations or ways of life. They are simply unwilling to think that they might be wrong and look like a fool.

Church history and scripture speaks of two general patterns of lies. Cults generally use the legalist mode because it works on the pride of man.

Antinomians	Legalists
• Ignore laws	• Fulfill the law
• Meaning in experiences	• Confidence in self
• Hope is largely in present life	• Real hope is in future
• Decadent and unattractive	• Esteemed & decent life
• Diifficulty coexisting in culture	• Prolonged existence because it can coexist in the society
• Examples: Children of God, Moonies	• E.g. Jehovah Witnesses, Christian Scientists, Seventh Day Adventists

Let's note the difference between God's people when they seek Christ and seek a set of rules.

A Christ–Ruled Religion	A Law–Ruled Religion
• Follow Christ	• Rules and regulations
• Acceptance depends on Belief in Christ	• Acceptance dependent upon obedience
• Follows leading of Holy Spirit & Bible truths	• Memorized scripts
• Companionship & discipleship	• Close supervision
• Study Bible like Bereans {Acts 17:11}	• Predictable answers
• Leaders submissive to Christ's rule in love	• Strong authority
• Conformity to Christ	• Compulsive cult behavior
• Exhorted and helped if troubled	• Rejected if differ

Summary:

Is the Christian church perfect?

By no means. We would like to say the church is perfectly following Christ but it isn't. In fact in some cases, the Spirit of God has been taken from the professing churches (cf. Revelation 2-3). In many ways they have similarities to the cults. Some have false doctrine such as denying Christ, others are legalistic and yet others are entertaining the culture and acceptability in the world.

The church has been called to follow Christ. A cult differs in that they have formalized their errant ways and aggresively propagate it. The church gets no bonus points for spotting these errors in others unless she guards herself and more earnestly loves Christ and His Word. Next (Evangelize #3)

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"Talking with Liberals"
Background | What do you say? | Love for God | Running on Empty | An Open Mind