How to Share your Faith with People of Other Faiths: A Study in World Religions by Ryan M. Marks - HTML preview

Week 2-3  Common Cults: What they Believe and Core Scriptures that disprove them    Mormons—7th Day Adventists—Jehovah’s Witnesses--Christian Science”     In a Cult, you can’t have a brain 

     Cults and most religions, such as Islam, do not allow their adherents to have brains and question the illogical or contradictory statements of their sacred texts. You must believe without question or you are a heretic. Realize this fear when on the other side of the conversation when sharing Christ.

Mormons—work to earn salvation….Jesus was a prophet

Founded by Joseph Smith who supposedly had revelations from an angel. The Mormonism, or as their also know LDS—The Church of Latter Day Saints, was established based on the group that followed Smith’s “revelations” and teachings. The Book of Mormon is their main text, they also accept most of the Scriptures but grossly misinterpret them. Jesus is taught to simply be their spiritual brother. Mormons work to earn their salvation. This is why they are such “good people” their deeds earn them a level in heaven, the more perfectly they live the Mormon life, the more eternal rewards. Many Christians are deceived that Mormons are Christians because they talk of Jesus, the Gospel, the Virgin Birth. …but their Gospel is another Gospel, a different one than the Bible teaches.

Remember: 

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Gal 1:8-9 (KJV)

Distinctives:

• Joseph Smith is “The Prophet”
• Works based “salvation”
• Polygamy--multiple wives allowed
• Levels to heaven (based on a misinterpretation of the statement by Paul of a man caught up to “the third Heaven.” The Hebrew understanding of Heaven refutes the Mormon error of levels in Heaven based on your life. The Hebrew understanding is that the 1st Heavens were composed of the sky, the atmosphere around the earth, the 2nd Heavens were the firmament, outer space and the stars, and the 3rd Heavens were the abode of God, the Heaven we look forward to with Jesus).
• The higher levels of Mormonism are very satanic
• Baptism by immersion
• Mormon bishops (pastor/elder) serve for no pay
• Marriage lasts for eternity (in heaven as well as on earth)
• Tithing
• Large families
• The Mormon church is very wealthy and prepared for economic collapse (they have a system of radios and stockpiles of provisions)
• The popular book 7 Habits for Highly Successful People was written by a Mormon
• All human beings can become gods if they are good Mormons
• We are not born sinners, we are free from sin until we reach the age of accountability that they define as 8
• There is no hell

Christian Science

Not Christian at all. Founded by Mary Baker Eddy, it is essentially a health gospel. Jesus is their supernatural genie in a bottle and we should be “operating in the supernatural.”

Distinctives:

• Sickness not real  but a mental problem and can be corrected by prayer alone
• Will not receive most medicines and surgeries for prayer is sufficient alone
• The Spiritual world is all that is reality, the material world is an illusion
• It is never God’s will for anyone to be sick, suffer, or die

7th Day Adventists

   Some claim that Seventh Day Adventists are not a cult, but based on their history we believe that it is. Ellen G. White was the Founder, she supposedly had a “spirit of prophecy.” 

Distinctions:

• Claim to believe in the Trinity, that all mankind are sinners, and that Jesus alone saves.
• Predicted the coming of Christ to be in 1844
• Believe that true Christianity was corrupted by Catholicism when Jewish Sabbath (Friday evening to Saturday) was removed from faith and practice of Christians by the Catholic church. They claim “the mark of the beast” (so they say) is Sunday worship. They are the only Remnant of true Believers.
• Sabbath-keeping is required by Christians
• Soul-sleep (you don’t go to Heaven when you die but enter a subconscious state until the Day of Judgment)
• Say that prior to Christ’s return “the mark of the beast” will be mandatory Sunday worship for the whole world
• Eternal hell doesn’t exist, unbelievers will be annihilated
• Some accounts say the early Adventist churches had the Spirit fall and the people were barking like dogs (sounds like demonic activity)

My conversation with an Adventist

In the course of a couple hour conversation, I was told that to truly keep Christ’s commandments I must keep the Jewish Sabbath (Friday night to Saturday) in order to obey Scripture. I asked bluntly, so are you saying only those who worship on Saturday are the only one’s saved? The response was “god winks at sin when you don’t know the truth” and was repeatedly told that the mark of Christians was keeping God’s commandments based on one passage: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev 14:12 (KJV). Seventh day Adventism is very legalistic and has troubling origins. Is it true Christianity or legalism? Really seems to be legalism and some false doctrine among Adventists. In regards to when we worship, study Scripture, you’ll find that Paul talked about the early church meeting on the first day of the week (Sunday) because that was the day of the week on which our Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. In addition, Sunday Worship is not the mark of the Beast nor are we saved based on what day we worship. The principle of Sabbath rest should be honored, but ultimately for the Christian our Sabbath is Christ Jesus (Hebrews 4). My conversation with this Adventist was very troubling, I was left confused and told that when I wanted to talk more of spiritual things to contact and we’d talk again. I dove into the Scriptures and the root of the issue is, my friends, we aren’t saved by legalistic observance of the Sabbath but by the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ that paid the price for our sin!

Jehovah’s Witnesses

       Founded by Charles Taze Russell when he independently “studied the Bible” and wrote several books on his findings.

Distinctives:

• They claim to regard the Scriptures as God’s Word….they do reinterpret John 1:1 which talks of Jesus to say “and the Word was a god” as opposed to “the Word was God”
• The Trinity is denied
• Jesus was Jehovah’s first created being (but not His Son)
• The Holy Spirit is merely “God’s active force”
• The dead go to Sheol and are not conscious of anything
• To be “saved” have must Faith, baptism by immersion, active association with the Jehovah’s Witnesses, live righteously, and be completely loyal to Jehovah. Salvation is not guaranteed, but a resurrection is hoped for.
• Those who are saved….originally it was taught that only 144,000 could be saved. After their membership exceeded that they changed their doctrine. There will be 144,000 “anointed class” that go to heaven at death to rule with Jesus. The others that are “saved” are “other sheep” or “the great multitude before the throne.”
• Armageddon will be here soon and it is Jehovah’s war. This world will be destroyed along with “apostate Christendom.” “Jehovah’s people” will survive and repopulate the earth for 1,000.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses will inherit a perfect earth following the millennium and live forever in it.
• Those who do not serve Jehovah will be annihilated (ie Hell is not eternal). Eternal Hell is considered out of God’s character since He is loving.

Further information: 4Truth.net