Marty Griffith

It is sad but true that religion can be very dangerous!  The original meaning of the word religion is “Reverent observance of duties to God”.  What’s dangerous about that?  Of course there is nothing wrong in serving God.  But there are many deadly religions, and millions perish because of them.  I need only mention Guianna and Jonestown to make my point.  Cults are created by self serving individuals.  No wonder so many are lost to them.  Each cult claiming to be the true one, how are we to know?

Not only have the number of cults grown, but occult practices have crept into some of the old line “Christian” denominations making the picture even more confusing.

Don’t let a famed choir fool you, even poison may look beautiful.  Salt Lake City has long been dominated politically and religiously by one of the oldest cults in America.  But thanks to God there is a test to identify the true way to God.  The true way is found in a PERSON and a PRACTICE.

Let’s take the PRACTICE first.  What is true religion?  The Bible says, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.  (James 1:27)

Jesus said that man is to worship God

in spirit and in truth.  And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  (Luke 10:27)

That is the PRACTICE part of true religion.

Now the PERSON in true religion.  True religion is found not so much in creed or ritual, but in  a PERSON, the Lord Jesus Christ.

But as many received Him, to them he gave the right to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:  and he that believeth not the son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.”  John 1:12, 3:36, 6:37)

Believe in Jesus not as a way , but as  The  Way.  Dr. Daliel Poling once said,

Christianity is Christ, and Christ is Christianity. 

Dr. C.C. Crawford put it this way,

The living creed of the living church of the living God, is the everlasting Christ.

Come to Christ by faith dear friend, for he alone can save you from Hell to Heaven.  Come according to the terms of His blessed Gospel to given to us in the book of Acts chapter 2 and verse 38, “and Peter answered them, change your views, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”.

Will you by faith receive Jesus Christ in obeying the Word of God?  I pray that you will.

May I now address myself to those who find themselves in a cult.  You were deceived.  You now find that you are asked to do and say things no where taught in the New Testament which is the Jesus book of the Bible.  The Bible says,

Come out from among them, and be you separate.

God give you the courage to do so is my prayer.

By Don E. Griffith
minister