Jesus warned about wolves in sheep's clothing and 2,000 years on that warning still stands. But how can we know a cult from a true church? Billy Graham said there is one thing all cults have in common and it makes all the difference.
The evangelist, 98, was asked about cults recently and he was more than happy to explain in his 'Answers' column on his website.
The visitor to the website was seeking advice out of concern for their cousin.
'Why do people get involved in cults?' the person asked. 'I think my cousin has gotten involved in one, but she won't listen to any of us who try to talk to her about it. In her view, we're all wrong and her group is the only one that's right.'
Graham was sympathetic in his reply, telling them that although cults are false, the reason people turn to them is because they are 'spiritually hungry and searching for God.' Their hope is that this hunger will be satisfied by joining this cult and to an extent, it does give them some satisfaction, he said.
That's why they're able to ignore all the people around them who try to talk them out of joining the cult in the first place, he explained.
But in the end, the limitation of the teaching will come to the surface no matter what cult it is. According to Graham, that is because all cults have the same flaw: they don't point to Jesus.
'But all cults have one thing in common: they can never bring a person into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He alone is the divine Son of God who came down from Heaven to save us from our sins, and He alone took upon Himself our sin and our guilt when He died on the cross for our salvation. We cannot save ourselves, no matter how hard we try; only Christ can save us.'
In terms of how the person asking the question could best help their cousin, Graham's answer is simple: to be supportive and pray that they will give up false teaching in favor of the true savior Christ.
'Pray for your cousin, that God will open her heart to Christ and help her turn away from everything false. And let her know that you still love her—and so does Christ,' he wrote.
Graham has more to say about the topic of cults on his website and, importantly, how to spot them. In another post in 'Answers', Graham helpfully spelled out some guidelines, specifically some key questions people should be asking themselves.
'First, what do they believe about the Bible? Is it alone the Word of God (as Christians affirm)—or do they add to it, or claim they alone have translated it correctly?
'Second, what do they believe about Jesus? Is He alone the divine Son of God, sent from Heaven to save us from our sins? Or do they deny this, or claim we must work to save ourselves?
'Third, what do they believe about other Christians? Do they claim that they, and they alone, have the truth—or do they rejoice that God is also at work elsewhere?'
