Patterns of A Cult

 

 

Adding to the Word of God

 

God gave a direct command

A simple straightforward word,

Do not eat of a specified tree

But Eve thought that absurd.

 

She set out to clean it up

And to make it more user friendly

So she added to the word of God

And thus began human misery.

 

God stated a particular tree

Eve emphasized “a position”,

This gave the serpent an opening

To introduce some indecision.

 

God stated clearly, “Do not eat,”

But Eve gave an added command:

“Neither shall ye touch it,”

Was never in the original plan.

 

“Ye shall surely die,” said the Lord

But Eve introduced a caveat:

“Lest ye die” is what she offered

And then possibility replaced fact.

 

Three additions to the word of God

Three additions added Eve,

Addition has become the compromise

Such that it is now Adam and Steve.

 

Add thou not unto his words

States Proverbs 30 and verse 6,

It was through Eve’s addition

That the whole world was unfixed.

 

 

Subtracting from the Person of Christ

 

“In the beginning was the Word”

And the Word was with God.”

Some were not comfortable with this

And set out to make Jesus a fraud.

 

“And the Word was God” the Bible said

But this assertion did not suffice,

The indefinite article was introduced

To subtract from the person of Christ.

 

A lower case “g” was used instead

The Word was relegated to “a god”,

If Jesus were seen otherwise

Then he surely would be a fraud.

 

“All things were made by him”

Again that’s what the Bible states

But this would make him the Creator

Which his detractors could not take.

 

So “all other things” was introduced

To subtract from the person of Christ,

This would make him a created being

And this would adequately suffice.

 

Neither shall ye diminish from the word

We read in Deuteronomy 4 verse 2,

Subtracting from the person of Christ 

Is another operation that cults do.

 

 

Multiplying Salvation Requirements

 

The Bible is clearly explicit

Concerning the salvation of a person

But some have multiplied the requirements

To create a gigantic problem.

 

Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus

And believe God raised him from the dead,

This is the basis for salvation;

In the Bible this is what is said.

 

For with the heart

Man believes unto righteousness

And with the mouth

Confession is made unto salvation.

 

This is rather simple and straightforward

But some believe it’s not enough

So as to make it more exclusive

The requirements must be tough.

 

So, they multiply the requirements

They repeatedly added to the terms

Hence offering a pseudo salvation

And the true salvation spurn.

 

They introduce laws and rituals

They emphasize days and diets,

Their study books replace the Bible

And any contravention creates a riot.

 

Saving faith is replaced by works

And God’s grace is minimized

And the recipient is always in doubt

Concerning whether he’s been reconciled.

 

 

Dividing the Loyalty of the Follower

 

Some held allegiance to Apollos

And some were loyal to Paul,

Some were devoted to Cephas

But that is not even all.

 

Some lay claims on Christ

And no doubt felt better than the rest

But Paul being under the anointing

Said they all had failed the test.

 

He noted that Christ was not divided

And Paul was not crucified,

None was baptized in the name of Paul

Such loyalty was not his to decide.

 

His was to preach the Gospel

And that not with the wisdom of words

Lest the cross of Jesus Christ

Be viewed as being absurd.

 

These days it is particularly rife

To divide the loyalty of the follower

To the extent that it is sometimes difficult

To determine the object of the worshipper.

 

Two ways come to mind readily:

Those of the institution and the leader

Both of which usurp the authority of Jesus

In the eyes of many a follower

 

The focus and loyalty of the believer

Must always be placed upon Christ

And any attempt to sway him otherwise

Should be crushed as though in a vice.

 

 

Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing

The fault is not in Mathematics,

It’s just another of the enemy’s strategies

In the way he packages his tricks.

 

These are the patterns of a cult

The intent most often is to deceive,

They are regularly wrapped in sincerity

And made particularly easy to believe.

 

Do not be misled by their subtlety

Be led by the Holy Spirit,

Depend on him to reveal the Word

Let this be your daily habit.

 

There is no need to add to the Word

Or subtract from the person of Christ

In this one thing we can be confident

That Jesus is the only required sacrifice.

 

No need to multiply salvation’s requirements

Or divide the follower’s loyalty

Christ is all and in all to us

And is one with the blessed Trinity.

 

He is the object of our faith

And the expression of God’s grace

And if we deem his sacrifice as not enough

This is nothing short of a disgrace.

 

He deserves our total worship

He desires our absolute trust,

He demands our unswerving obedience

And that we walk in the faith of the just.

 

Stewart Russell © August 2018