Summary: The Cult MentalityPage 1
Christian Churches of God
No. P74z
Summary:
The Cult Mentality
(Edition 2.0 19941029-20000108)
This paper examines the cult mentality in people who have been associated with churches not concerned with the acceptance of, and adherence to, truth. The main impact of placing anything before the love of the Father is seen as identifying a group as a cult.
Christian Churches of God
PO Box 369, WODEN ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA
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(Copyright 1994,2000 Wade Cox)
(Summary by Patti Gambier, Ed. Wade Cox)
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The Cult Mentality
Summary: The Cult MentalityPage 1
The term “cult” is generally applied now to non-mainstream sects, whose teachings differ from the teachings of mainstream Christianity. Even Paul, a disciple of Jesus Christ in the early Church of God, was termed a “ringleader of the sect of the Nazarene”.
So the truth espoused by Jesus Christ and his followers has always been under fire, during the past 2000 years. This is the true distinction, which defines the true Church of God from all cults, including so-called mainstream Christianity.
The Oxford Universal Dictionary has 3 definitions of “cult”.
- Worship
- A particular form of religious worship, especially in reference to its external rites and ceremonies – which covers the entire religious framework.
- Devotion to a particular person or thing, now especially as paid by a body of professed adherents. This concept is applied where people place their religious organisational structure, or their loyalty to a person, before God and His Law, and thus breach the First Commandment.
This allegiance, placed above the explicit truth as laid down in biblical law and testimony, was addressed prophetically by Isaiah 8:16-20. “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples” (verse 16). “To the law and to the testimony! If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (verse 20).
If the religious organization to which one is attached, once professed the law and testimony, and now preaches contrary to the Bible, there is no light in them and it is NOT part of the elect, and is a cult. Those who remain are part of a cult, the same as any other group of non-biblical aberrant systems is a cult.
When Christian sects began to adopt Trinitarian concepts, following the doctrines of the councils of the church, they became cults. It does not matter how many followers are involved, the fact that a group gives allegiance to a leader above the explicit biblical truth, is the hallmark of a cult. Whether the leader is the Pope, or H.W. Armstrong is irrelevant.
The elect are baptised into the body of Christ, and are bound there by the belief in the One True God and His Son Jesus Christ from John 17:3. Historically, when teachings are introduced into the churches of God attempting to make Christ equal to God, and separate His humanity from His divinity, then the elect have been forced to re-organise, and separate themselves from those promoting these false doctrines, which are clearly labelled as the doctrine of Antichrist.
This is not new. John the disciple of Christ had to address such heresies, possibly as early as 56 CE (Companion Bible Appendix 180). John had to refute the argument that was a try to separate Christ, saying that part of Christ was up in the ether, that He was God, and equal to God, and that part of Him did not die on the cross. This was heresy and the doctrine of Antichrist
We must live according to the truth and thus have a fellowship with God and Jesus Christ, and it follows we love our brethren as we all walk in truth (1Jn. 2:1-10).
Christ is our advocate with the Father – hence He cannot be the Father (1Jn 2:1-6).
Love of each other is the sign of the elect. When people love their organization or leader to the exclusion of truth, that group is a cult, and the elect must leave that organization, thus overcoming the evil one (1Jn. 2:7-11).
We show our love of God by our obedience to Him (1Jn. 2:12-17).
God gave His Son (Jn. 3:16).
Jesus was sent by His Father, to do the Father’s will and finish His work (Jn. 4:34).
If one is not obeying God, how can that person further God’s work? To remain with the cult that teaches contrary to the truth, is to do Satan’s work for him. He does not want anyone to succeed as a Son of God. If you sit there, condoning the lie, Satan won’t disturb you.
Those who preached lies went out from the body of Christ, His elect people (1Jn. 2:18-29). Anyone who denies the fact of Christ’s identity is apart from God the Father, not co-equal, not an element of the Being called God the Father, is of Antichrist.
These false assertions are so obviously related to Trinitarianism that the text at 1John 4:1-2 was changed to disguise the fact (see the ANF Vol 1, fn.p. 443). Socrates the historian affirms the passage had been corrupted by those who wished to “separate” the humanity of Jesus Christ from His divinity
He who does right is righteous. He who commits sin is of the devil (diabolos). The truth must be plainly spoken among the elect, and given to the nation in plain language (1Jn. 3:1-10).
We must love in deed and in truth (1Jn. 3:18)
No man has ever seen God (1Jn. 4:12) – thus Christ is NOT the one true God.
If we love God we keep His commandments. We can overcome the world by believing Jesus is the Son of God – not an ethereal part of a Trinitarian godhead (1Jn. 5:1-5).
1John 5:6-12 - Trinitarians enforced their delusions by altering 1John 5:7 (cf. RSV with KJV and note on v7 in Companion Bible).
The sins of thought and word of the elect are part of the ongoing daily process of overcoming. Thus the elect are under judgment for thought, word and deed, and cannot be members of cults, which follow men in contradiction or to the exclusion of Scripture and truth (1Jn. 5:13-21).
People who remain there are given a process of delusion (Isa. 66:4; 2Thes. 2:9-10). If you do not love the truth you cannot be saved (verse 11). God sends a strong delusion.
This paper has comments on a letter, which makes demonstrably false assertions. That sort of deceit or intellectual dishonesty can be seen in G.L. Haydock commentary to the Douay-Rheims Bible (1850 reprint of the 1819 version) concerning John 17:3 quoted in the paper. There is also an appendix with the paper.
Christ did come, and gave us understanding to know the True God (1Jn. 5:2).
“Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1Jn.5:21) – those of men and those of demons and shun the falsehood of cults.
Revelation 18:4 “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues” (RSV).
The whore referred to as Babylon the Great and Mother of Harlots has ever practised a religious system based on the false religion of the Triune God. They are not part of the elect. The elect never accepted that system.
COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE.