Overcoming The Darkness

1. The Bible says that the truth should set us free; please write a paragraph explaining this statement.

The Word of God states in Proverbs 16:25, "There is a way that may seem right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Pilate didn’t know the truth, and because of it, he made a grave mistake. In John 18:38 Pilate asked, "What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and said unto them, I find in him no fault at all." Though Pilate couldn’t find a fault in Jesus, he bowed to the political pressure and surrendered Jesus to be crucified. He did not have a firm conviction about "the truth."

Jesus said in John 8:32, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Real freedom does not come from experiencing "a truth" or our own bias truth; it comes from knowing "the truth." This Scripture does not say, "And you shall know truth." It is very specific; you shall know THE Truth.

Freedom is not born from a world without limits or without truth; it is born from discipline, and submission to the truth. In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul described himself as a slave of Jesus Christ, yet he also stated that he was content. It is hard to imagine a happy slave. It was through his total surrender of his self-liberty that he experienced and knew true freedom. He opens his letter in Philip. 1:1, "This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus." In Philippians 4:11 he wrote, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." The kind of freedom he found in Christ was a freedom from fear of Death, from lack of purpose, from hell and judgment.

Mankind can only know the real meaning of freedom when he knows The Truth. The only avenue that leads to that experience and truth is through a total yield of one’s will to His Will.

2. What constitutes a sect, a cult or a false religion?

The dictionary defines the term “cult” as: “a system of religious worship or

ritual”, “a devoted attachment to”, “an extravagant admiration for".

Its origin is based on a farming term in Latin meaning cultivation. Sociologists and anthropologists sometimes use the term cult to describe religious structure or belief patterns with meanings (usually non-pejorative) unique to their disciplines. In modern usage, the general public to describe any religious group they view as strange or dangerous often uses this term cult.

Thus, cult can describe religious leaders or organizations that employ abusive, manipulative, or illegal control over their followers’ lives. In addition to these usages, Christians generally have a doctrinal component to their use of the word. Cult in this sense is a counterfeit or serious deviation from the doctrines of classical Christianity.

Furthermore, a cult is a group that is unorthodox in its beliefs and teachings, and calls for devotion to a person, object, or a set of new ideas.

The term “cult” can range from any group of worshippers of any God who pay no attention to the Bible, to a small, highly paranoid, apocalyptic people who gather around a charismatic leader that uses the Bible to control them.

The basic characteristics of a “cult” are: 1) They all claim special revelation and privilege, 2) Those that use the Bible interpret it in disharmony with standard biblical understanding, 3) They distort the true biblical doctrines that effect salvation sufficiently to void salvation, 4) Those that do not use the Bible are considered non-Christian religions and do not participate in the benefit of divine revelation, while others add to the Bible.

Last, but not least, all the cults deny the full Divinity of Jesus Christ.

3. Tell us in your own words why people fall into a sect or cult.

Mankind has a need to feel cared for. These sects or cults focus on meeting basic human community, security, love and a general feeling of being needed, providing guidance and purpose to their lives. People who are attracted by these sects or cults do not investigate the foundation of what they are being taught. They are told strictly what to believe, how to think and how to behave. Followers blindly give up render their personal will to sect or cult leaders. These leaders provide simple answers to a complexity of situations that people endure in their daily life.

Acceptance is a basic need for every human being. Sects or cults focus particularly in this area, validating people’s anguish and opening their arms of non-judgmental, non-critical love. It is this sense of family warmth and unity that has attracted and deviated so many people. The sect is trained to reach the poor, the wealthy, the brilliant and the ignorant.