The definition of a cult is very clear when we see them in operation.
A cult has very strict and dominating leaders who require everyone in the group to think the way the leader dictates the rules.
Often the leaders of cults require unquestioning loyalty to them as well as to their doctrine much of which is false.
The cult leader demands that those in the cult have no contact with anyone outside the cult. They condemn anyone who disagrees with the principles of the cult.
When Christ comes to live in the born-again believer we no longer depend on a man to be our mediator, Christ is that for us. The cult leader, in subtle ways, determines that he is the mediator between God and the leader's followers. In other words, the followers are not following Christ, they are following the cult leader.
Cults hate that anyone depends on Christ because that means we have freedom from men who love to control others.
Sadly those who live under cult rule are lied to. They have been brainwashed to believe they must think exactly like their leaders and their leader is a man.
Galatians 5:1
Follow the Spirit
"5 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."
When we must obey a man we are living under tyranny to the rule of that man rather than to the principles of Christ. When someone is in bondage to a human leader they are not free to do as the Holy Spirit would lead and they are not free to be taught by the Holy Spirit.
It is better to be completely alone with the Holy Spirit than under the domination of a ruthless, loveless leader who wishes to be seen as a god. Even though the leader will not say they are god, they will act as though they are one.
John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Learning to be led by the Holy Spirit is the greatest freedom of all. He will only tell us pure truth and lead us into wonderful wisdom and knowledge. He never oppresses those in whom He lives.
Cult leaders withhold information they don't want their followers to have and feed them only that which he want them to believe. Using mocking, intimidation, and punishment in the form of silent treatment as well as gossiping to others against their disobedient followers to bring them back into submission to them.
The cult leader lives in fear and anger that someone outside the cult will influence their followers, this is an unwelcome challenge for the cult leader.
Christ imparts wisdom as we ask for it, as much as we want, and all that we want when we have chosen to follow Him.
James 1:4-6 "…4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.…"
Cult leaders do not want their followers to think on their own or differently from them or make their own choices, they demand complete allegiance to them alone. And, they encourage others in the cult to diminish those who dare to think for themselves.
Psalm 51:6
"Surely You desire truth in the inmost being; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place."
Proverbs 2:6
"For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."
Proverbs 3:6
"in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
No man can do what God has promised to do in these passages of His Word. The cult leader wants their followers to get their wisdom from the leader, they want their followers to understand what they believe not what God says, they want their followers to acknowledge the cult leader in all the follower's ways. The cult leader wants unrelenting devotion to them.
I understand that we live in a culture where these elements of cults are subtly present in the churches today. The people in the pews want to follow their preacher, their one-man-paid pastor to tell them what to believe, what to say and what to do, in other words he has replaced the Holy Spirit. After all, isn't this what the people in the pews pay him for, to give them what they want, which is freedom from having to think and pray? Just saying!
Perhaps this is true because most people in the pews are not born-again and do not possess the Holy Spirit to be able to turn to in prayer, and most do not desire with all their hearts to hear from God.
I knew of a woman who had been in the church for 60 years of her life who told me it was alright to worship angels. She told me that we should not correct others as she corrected me for correcting others. This woman gave me fashion advice to wear my skirts shorter to show my calves because it was the prettiesst part of our legs and criticized me for enjoying long skirts, even laughing at me when she saw me in one. She also was seen often showing cleveage immodestly and treated me like a prude when I became born again and stopped dressing immodestly.
When we depend on the words and pressures of others in our Christian walk we will not only be led astray into false teachings we will never trust in the Holy Spirit for our wisdom.
I had to leave organized religion based on cultural norms in order to fully follow Christ. There have only been two gathering in my lifetime that were seeking the word of God as congregations and they were very small, the people were old and they literally passed on to glory. I couldn't find any more of these lovely Christ honoring gatherings, if they exist we cannot find them.
Those who rely entirely on what the preacher says week after week without opening their Bibles at home and without seeking the Holy Spirit WILL be led astray into all the nuances of the modern "Christian" church that have no basis in Scripture.
When people become comfortable in their indoctrination and brain-washing they are very difficult to be convinced of the truth, mostly because they don't really care if it's the truth they believe as long as they are happy and comfortable.
Just to be clear and encouraging, everyone and anyone who wants to be led by the Holy Spirit and consults Him in prayer will grow in holiness and all the lovely fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
It is this fruit that will guide us in worship, conviction of the truth and every manner of good works. Without this fruit, there is deadness, dead works, fake kindness based on self desires and everything else that is motivated by self-exaltation.
Let us be those who seek the Holy Spirit setting aside all the human worthless traditions that keep people in bondage and lacking in Spiritual growth.
Do not be one who has not changed in all your years of pew sitting. Be someone who grows rapidly and joyfully in the principles of God through the working of the Holy Spirit. This is open to everyone, they just have to want Christ more than they want their tradition and the praise of men.
John 12:42-43 "42 Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue. 43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God. "
If you say you believe in Christ living in you, then stop seeking and praising men and begin praising and seeking Christ.
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