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By Neal Griffin
Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free". In another place it is recorded that He said, "I am the truth—", so it is more than apparent that if one is not free he or she does not know Jesus. Give it some thought! Bondage is not freedom.
Being free in Christ allows us to hire pulpit ministers, hold worship services, have Bible classes and vacation Bible schools, use instruments in praise, and to worship from true hearts any way that gives expression to our feelings toward God whether commanded or not as long as it is done without violating our consciences. He accepts worship from true hearts whether commanded or not. God certainly did not command David to go down the street, nude for the most part, dancing and He cursed David’s wife for denouncing it. He certainly did not command the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh to build an altar near the Jordan. He accepted their worship because their motives were wholesome, and that is the nature of worship under the New Covenant, and that is what being free in Christ is about. Some things we are not free to do however.
What we are not free to do is to impose our peculiarities on others as tests of fellowship. It is written that the salvation of God is a free gift. When any religious organization attempts to add provisions, terms of acceptance, or conditions to God’s free plan of salvation it is guilty of trying to usurp the jurisdiction of God. Such is a dangerous position to hold and Paul announced in Galatians 5, "Ye are fallen from grace". When a religious organization preaches that one must do 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in order to be saved, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 in order to stay saved, is that freedom or is it rather bondage? Most cults do insist on their subjects making regular payments to their particular organization. Without cash cults cannot survive. Jesus said that the gates of Hell could not prevail against His church. Cut off the cash from a cult and it crumbles immediately. A primary characteristic of a cult is that it cannot survive without a cash flow. If its continuance depends on cash it is apparent that something much less than the gates of Hell can prevail against it. If cash can prevail against it, is it the church that Jesus said He would build? Give it some thought!
Another characteristic of cults is that they make demands on the time of their subjects. In order to be a good cult member one must sit at the feet of the cult leader on a regular basis and commit to heart his particular slant–the party creed. Being soundly indoctrinated in the party creed is essential to salvation in most cases. Generally, anyone is lost who is not in step with its party positions in a variety of areas. I personally know of one denominated religious organization which has at least six or more distinct sects within it, each one of which claiming to be the one true church and denying salvation to the other five as well as to members of all other denominations. This is the exclusiveness forbidden in Romans 15:7: "Accept one another as Christ accepted you to the glory of God". Cults are exclusive. They pit brother against brother. There are two cults I know of which will not accept anyone who accepts anyone as brethren who does not tow their party lines. And, of course, failure to cow down to their party positions is tantamount to being lost.
Having considered these points, are you a member of a cult? If you are I beg you in the Name of Jesus to remove yourself from it. Declare you allegiance to Christ. Meet with other saints as representatives of Him only and not under the banner of any man-made religious organization.
God is not served through religious organizations, and the worship that Jesus spoke of to the woman at the well is not worship that is conducted between four walls. Religious organizations perpetuate themselves. They exist primarily to distinguish themselves from other churches. They are but products and evidences of pride filled men. Please give prayerful consideration to these points. I believe them to be true to the written word and the Incarnate Word.
Your servant by reason of Calvary, Neal Griffin
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