QUESTION:
There is a lot of talk about cults and false churches. If everyone
uses a Bible, what's the big deal?
ANSWER:
It is amazing to see what people will believe once they have rejected
the truth. Obviously, many nonbiblical cults elevate the Bible as
a standard of truth, but therein lies the big deal as you call it.
We live in a society that readily assumes anyone's truth may differ
from someone else's truth regardless of what the truth actually
is. Two plus two truly equals four, regardless of anyone who feels
five is their personal truth. At high noon on a cloudless day, that
sky is truly blue regardless of anyone who says it's plaid.
I am never worried about how much of the Bible is being read. What
is deceitful is when false teachers tell someone the Bible is true
but you need these other books from them to really understand what
the Bible is saying. It takes a kook to put some of the kookiest
ideas in people's minds, but you can't get those kooky ideas by
simply reading a Bible.
An error of monstrous proportions occurs when someone declares they
believe the Bible and are hoping to be good enough to get into heaven.
The very book they embrace declares one is saved by grace through
faith in Jesus Christ-it is the gift of God and not of works, lest
anyone boast (Eph 2:8 9). The truth, according to the book, is that
Jesus plus nothing equals salvation. The good works of a Christian
are the result of Christ living His life through them. Jesus gave
His life for us, to give us His eternal life, in order to live His
life through us.
Cults will usually make coming to Jesus a progression when it's
really an introduction. Acts 16:31 declares, "Believe in the
Lord Jesus, and you will be saved." What is so difficult to
understand about that? The word "believe" means to entrust
your spiritual well being to Jesus. Once you have literally done
that, salvation has occurred. Being born again is the work of a
moment, not a lifetime. Love, good works and obedience then happen
because we're motivated by the awesome love of God now working in
our hearts (2 Cor 5:14). Ask a person what percentage of salvation
depends on works beyond God's grace and if their answer is even
one percent, they're deceived by someone.
Jesus Christ hung on a dirty cross, along a busy highway, with spit
from religious leaders running down His body. The Lamb of God's
back was shredded, His body pierced and His blood was splattered
all over Jerusalem (John 1:29). His dying words were, "It is
finished" (John 19:30). The work to save human sinners has
already been accomplished by Jesus. If we were ever good enough
to earn heaven, we would never need Christ crucified at all.
To be continued . . .Pastor Huck: www.calvarybcc.com |
