Now before someone gets offended or feels impressed to tell me how Christianity is a cult, allow me to define the term “cult” as I am using it.  I am using the term to refer to any group that deviates from what I would consider non-negotiable essential Christian doctrines.  They include:

1. The full deity of Christ (and the subsequent doctrines of the Hypostatic Union and Trinity).
2. The Gospel (i.e., the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Christ).
3. Salvation by grace through faith.

Having stated that I’d like to just point out a couple of things that I’ve learned from my encounters with people of various cults. 

I’ve learned that just quoting the Bible doesn’t work.  We’re both using the Bible one way or another.  We both feel that we have the correct interpretation.  Rarely if ever does one person get the other to admit that they are incorrect in their understanding.  The Bible is of course necessary, but it isn’t going to do the job all by itself.

I’ve also learned that all the apologetic books in the world don’t prepare you for real life encounters with people caught up in cult groups.  It’s easy to read a book and learn about all the heresy and false doctrine and get a picture in your head of some demoniac who’s going to be foaming at the mouth and showing utter disdain for you, your faith, and your Lord.  But this isn’t the case.  The JWs and Muslims I know are very pleasant people.  It’s sad to say, but they’ve treated me a lot better than many Christians that I know have. 

You also have to be careful about using arguments presented in apologetic books.  I remember once I read where the apologist had a JW show up on his front door and he grabbed his NWT and took him through what I call the “Revelation Road.”  Basically this approach has you look at Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13 and then come back to Rev. 1:17-18.  You ask them who is the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end in all of those verses and then when you get back to Rev. 1:17-18 it proves that they all speak of Jesus.  Well, I’ve had mixed success with this approach.  Some of the older JWs are armed with an answer (convoluted as it may be) — they’ll say something along the lines of Jesus was the first to be resurrected to heaven and the last to be resurrected personally by Jehovah or that Jesus was the first and last of Jehovah’s direct creations.  The point is that every argument you read isn’t going to go unanswered. 

I’ve also learned that name calling is rarely if ever productive in ministry.  Now I’m freely using the term “cult” here with my qualifications, but in a real life situation, calling someone a cultist just turns them off to anything you have to say.  They’re put on the defensive before you even begin to minister. 

And I think the most important thing that I’ve learned is that when attempting to draw someone out of a cult and over to Christianity, you’re asking them to leave behind what they believe to be the truth.  You’re asking them to leave their friends and family for something foreign.  I know that folks will think the same is true when witnessing to any unbeliever, but it’s not.  Most people in cults came to them either from unbelief or from another religious tradition.  They think that they have “made it” (so to speak) once they enter these groups.  We have to be sensitive to that but nevertheless preach and teach the truth in love.

And the last thing I’ve learned is that Rome wasn’t built in a day.  Chances are that unless God is really working in someone at the specific moment you’re speaking with them, you aren’t going to convert them in one encounter.  It takes time, but don’t lose heart.  Just have faith that even if you’re not the one to bring them to Christ, you’ve at least planted seed that someone else will come along and water.  Just wait for God to provide the increase.

B”H

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