You are in Beware the Wolves -> List of False Teachings
Have you ever read the foundational documents and/or statement of faith/belief of the church you attend? I ask this because many, in fact, have never done so. Some who are reading this book may therefore already be part of a church that claims to be Christian, a church of Christ if you will, but when you learn their true fundamental beliefs and statement of faith, you realize that it’s not really Christian at all. These cults look (to the casual observer) like they believe in the gospel message of Scripture, but when you actually go read their foundational beliefs (which are available if you seek them out), you will find that they simply believe in a scheme of man.
Many of these cults use the name of Jesus (or Jesus Christ) in their own church names and in their teachings. They may even appear to believe in the Jesus of the Bible, but upon closer examination, you will see that their core beliefs deny Christ in one way or another, such as:
- Denying that Jesus is God,
- Denying that Jesus has existed eternally (i.e., Jesus is a created being, and that Jesus had a beginning),
- Claiming that Jesus is just “an angel” (e.g., Michael) or the “brother of Satan,”
- Claiming that God is “flesh and bones” (instead of spirit),
- Claiming that there are other ways to heaven,
- Claiming man can become “a god” (apparently, one of many gods),
- Or other heresies
However, it is written:
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! – Galatians 1:6-9
I therefore strongly encourage you to seek out and read (or re-read) the core beliefs of your church. Know that some cults go to great lengths to hide their true core statements/beliefs from you. And after doing so, you may need to confront the cold hard reality that you are indeed in a cult that doesn’t actually worship “the living and true God”– Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Son of God, and the Son of Man, eternally existing, second Person of the Holy Trinity.
You may also find that your church has writings that either add to or take away from the Word of God as given in Scripture. Many of these cults even have their own special prophet(s) who claim to have received special (and private) messages, inspiration, and revelations directly from God. Such things have no support from Scripture. Scripture says that God must be worshipped “in spirit and in truth”; Scripture also teaches us that the canon of Scripture was completed and closed up and that special prophecy, visions, and dreams have ceased.
These cults combine and utilize multiple false teachings that appear to be very “biblical” on the surface, but which actually are a man-made façade of lies, myths, superstitions, rituals, rites, “traditions,” and false teachings. Woe to any group/sect/cult that denies the deity of Christ and/or His sacrifice on the cross! Any cults or church which denies the deity of Christ is not Christian – no matter how hard they try to convince you that they are, or how boldly they use His holy name in their church name, or how clever their arguments are in support of their denial of Jesus’ divinity.
