by John David Hicks, Evangelist\Bible Teacher © 1985
Robert Bowman, a cult specialist, defines a cult as “…a religious organization who claims to be Christian, but denies the basic teaching of Biblical, historical Christianity, especially regarding the nature of God, the person and work of Christ, or the way of salvation. Every cult will deny the Trinity.”
I want to emphasize that not all people involved in cults are lost, but their false teaching makes it difficult for them, for salvation is based on the Word of God. The odds are like this: If 100 people jumped off of a 10 story building, few would survive and those who did would be crippled or maimed for life. That is why throughout the Bible God warns against false prophets and teachers. The Apostle John wrote in his Second Epistle, “ANYONE who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” (II John 1:9; NIV) The underlying principle of all Satan’s tactics is deception. This began in the Garden of Eden and it continues today. He will take a portion of truth and twist it and make you question even your faith in God.
The process of conversion into a cult has been divided by Sociologists into three stages: Pre-Conversion, Conversion, and Post-Conversion.
Sociologists have also identified the following as characteristics which take place during each stage.
Pre-Conversion
1) Anxiety – Those dealing with a high level of anxiety in their life due to dissatisfaction with life, religious experiences, and relationships, are ripe for conversion into a cult.
2) Questioning and Searching – The awareness of anxiety leads to a questioning of faith as one begins to search for answers. Cults offer simplified answers through belief, idealism and the promise of power and fulfillment.
3) Social pressure – Once interest in a cult is shown, cults use social pressure and capitalize on the longing for fellowship, love, and acceptance, to draw in potential members.
4) Physical Exhaustion – Cults often try to manipulate one’s physical being through diet and lack of sleep to weaken inner defenses in order to make one more susceptible to conversion.
5) Information Bombardment – Once one is susceptible, cults bombard them with new information and overload them with “facts” until they can no longer think objectively, and as a result, are “converted.”
Conversion
1) There is a definite change in personality and attitudes about life.
2) They obtain a martyr’s complex in which they believe they must suffer for God. This often means forsaking family and friends.
3) The conversion usually takes place secretly and is kept a secret… at least among the members. Those outside the cult are not told or made aware of the conversion until after the person has been fully indoctrinated.
4) The conversion is usually affirmed by some sort of immediate profession… either taking an oath, some kind of testimony, or baptism.
5) There is regimentation to doctrine through guilt and condemnation.
Post-Conversion
1) There is continuing education and indoctrination.
2) There is solidification of beliefs, reinforced by witness-training and testimony.
You may notice that in some areas Christianity falls into some of these categories, but the difference is that Christians do not fall into bondage. We are encouraged to seek and please the Lord, not an organization. Guilt and condemnation do not motivate a Christian. Paul said, “It is the love of Christ that compels me.”
Since all cults deny the Trinity you need a good definition of the Trinity. The Westminister Confession gives a good definition. “There are three Persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.” This means that while we are talking about three Persons, we are not talking about three Gods but only one, in fact, the three are one.
Matt. 28:19, where we are to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ (NIV). Another is where Paul closes 2 Corinthians with what we often use as a benediction: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (13:14, NIV). Besides, the three are spoken of at Christ’s baptism (e.g., Mark 1), and in John 14-16; Eph 2:13: I Peter 1:21-22; etc.
No where in Scripture does it say that the Spirit is Christ, but declares the Spirit to be a distinct person. Mark 3:22-30; Luke 12:12; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7-15. NOTE to be a person you must be able to think, speak, and act. The Holy Spirit does this with God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit is also God as implied in Heb. 9:14 I Peter 3:18; II Peter 1:21.
Peter on the day of Pentecost quotes David as he quotes God and Jesus in conversation. “…the Lord said to my Lord; Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” (Acts 2:34-35). NOTE, the emphasis on the two Lords. Here are some references on the Trinity you might want to look up. I Cor. 8:6; I Thess. 3:11; II Thess. 2:16; Rom. 15:30; John 17:1-5, 13-25.
Another emphasis on “Jesus Only” is to ignore the command of Jesus in Matt. 28:18-20, to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Acts when they dealt with Jews or Jewish proselytes, they had to accept Jesus as the Messiah and emphasize being baptized in Jesus name.
The third teaching of the “Jesus Only” movement is that you must speak in tongues as an evidence of salvation. No where in scripture does it say you must speak in tongues in order to be saved. In 1 Cor. 12:30 when Paul talks about Spiritual gifts he states, “not all speak in tongues do they?” with the emphasis on “no.'” Only in a few cases in Acts is tongues mentioned when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, but the emphasis in Acts 2:4 is with known languages.
Finally, this cult claims if you can’t accept these three positions you are not saved. They claim to be the only true church. They emphasize, they alone have the corner on truth. This is a dangerous position when it rejects all born again believers. Pray for these people but do what God’s Word says; “…I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” Jude vs. 3.
Wiley and Culbertson, in their book Introduction to Christian Theology, outline the historical background for the Oneness Pentecostalism movement, it is quoted as follows:
SABELLIANISM – (JESUS ONLY TEACHING) This form of Monachianism takes its name form Sabellious (c. 250-260 A.D,) who held that there were not three Persons in the Godhead but that the one God manifested Himself in three modes or forms. God as Father is Creator; the same God as Son manifested Himself in the incarnation as the Redeemer; while the Spirit is the same God manifested in the spiritual life of the Church. It may be readily seen that this is not a Trinity of Persons but only a trinity of manifestations. It is at base Unitarian and not Trinitarian. The principle is pantheistic in that it is God evolving Himself, first as Jehovah, then more clearly to His creatures as the Son, and still more fully and spiritually as the Holly Spirit. This doctrine is clearly opposed to the Scriptures, for there the Father is constantly addressing the Son, and the Son addresses the Father. Christianity therefore rightly rejected this teaching.
To affirm our faith the Apostles gave this benediction: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” -2 Corinthians 13:14. The Apostle John wrote in his Second Epistle “For if you wander beyond the teaching of Christ, you will leave God behind; while if you are loyal to Christ teachings you will have God too” (2 John 9, TLB).