One of my relatives belongs to a cult. He seems to genuinely care about needy people and seems to mean well. When I read today’s devotional verse, I wondered how this applied to him.
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. (Matthew 7:15)A ferocious wolf is either hungry or threatened. Either way, it is far more concerned about its own self than it is about others. I know that members of this particular cult are told that they must sell a certain number of pamphlets each week to stay in good standing. They are trained in techniques of salesmanship that are designed to soften the hearts of those who will open their doors. They also must go out. It is not an option.
They are also taught that being rejected is a good thing. This is “persecution” and earns them favor. So regardless of the response they get, they have it worked out for their own benefit. It isn’t about serving Jesus Christ, nor is it about the eternal souls of those behind the door. For cult members, it is about doing what they are told so they will retain their place in the organization to which they belong. Any deviation in their beliefs or behavior puts them out.
Knowing these things makes a difference when anyone knocks on my door. They seldom do though. I’ve discovered that they use detailed city maps. Whenever they encounter a person who is truly following Jesus Christ and has a Spirit-filled word to say about their faith, that house is given an X on the map. They are told that such people are “tools of Satan” and must be totally avoided.
The reading for today gives good advice when encountering anyone who has been duped by false teachers. It points to Jude where Christians are warned against false prophets. Verse 21 tells me, “Keep yourselves in the love of God.”
This is a good reminder. I get angry at them and want to jump all over their ideas. But whatever I say will not be effective if I am sinful about it. I must depend on Jesus and have His attitude and guidance. The Bible gives me several good options, but even then I would pick the wrong one if I didn’t listen to Him.
Jude 22 says, “Be merciful to those who doubt,” and reminds me of two women who came to my door. One was obviously the trainer while the other, an older woman, was being taught how to peddle their wares. I soon discovered that the older woman had no assurance of God’s love for her. She expressed a desire to “know for sure” and I offered her a few verses that say those who trust in Jesus can know. However, the other woman grabbed her arm and pulled her away. She could not get herself and this doubting trainee off of my step fast enough.
Verse 23 says, “But others save (or try to save), pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” That is, some are already in deep trouble with God because they have been so defiled by their fleshy, sinful nature. If possible, I’m to pull them away from that and rescue them — before it is too late.
Some see a third response in these verses. It is a charge to confront false teachers and their followers and convict them of their sin. This means depending on the Lord to know what to say and how to say it. It also means that if I enter into dialog with them, I must be careful to avoid the influence of their unscriptural ideas.
For me, I really must listen to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I will talk to those who knock on my door, as the Spirit leads me. But I know the power of the enemy and realize that what I say must be Spirit-driven. Otherwise, it makes no difference. In fact, they may take the truth I give them back to their own meetings and figure out a way to use it so they will appear to be “genuine Christians” even though they do not believe a word of what I said.
In Matthew 7, Jesus told His disciples, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces” (Matthew 7:6). I cannot call these people by those names, because my relative is one of them, but I need to listen to Jesus. If someone is so deeply hooked by false teaching that they are total enemies of the Gospel, then I must simply close the door.
In all this I remember this: when people come to my door with false teaching, they are souls for whom Christ died. They also may have a relative who is a genuine Christian and who prays daily for their salvation. I must depend on Jesus for the best response because what I do could be part of His plan for their eternal destiny.
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