It can be very harrowing to come out of a cult. A person had a community, a family and then its rendered asunder. Once free from the cult the person wrestles with the distortions, particularly about God and his people. Christian cults are the most damaging, because they use little truths and mix them into big lies. When a person is set free they become angry, at both God and the community. They cry out, “why God did you let me become deceived?!” The answer is it was not God, but Satan who deceived you:
“It’s best to acknowledge the atrocities done in the name of Christ and then explain that the reason is simple, Satan hates the name of Christ and will do anything to discredit Christianity and the Bible. It’s like identity theft. If I steal your identity and run up a bunch of bills, you are not responsible for those bills. In the same way evil people hijack the name of Christ to give themselves legitimacy. Their actions are not Christian. That is why it is so important for Christians to read and study the Bible for themselves.” (Ian Mann, age 53, Kingdom of Heaven 2004, Christian Spotlight).
Ian is right. Satan uses identity theft on God in cults, using his image and likeness to lure people into a prison. The evil one enjoys tainting the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is why so many cults have a christ, as do most false religions. The Accuser enjoys it when a leader abuses someone in the name of Christ and the fallout, which is that the victim cannot stand the Lord’s name is a bonus to the evil one. This is what the prince of darkness does via cults and spiritual abusers, he tries to so hurt a soul that it will never turn back to Christ and run from any semblance of Him.
The words of Ian are wise. This is Identity theft of God, and it is not Christ who hurt you, but a counterfiet, a thief posing as the Lord to destroy. Jesus said there would be false christs, “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24). The Apostle Paul also recounts that there were cults in his day preaching another christ than the True Christ, “But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent, For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily.” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4). Cults try to corrupt that pure and simple devotion to Christ and I am greatly grieved when I hear of people who have been in a cult and it has made them antichrist. The cultist leaders who hurt such victims, will have to answer to Christ for what they have done! Hence why the Apostle James says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1).
If you have been in a cult, I want to extend my sympathies. Your pain is real and what they did to you was abominable. I only suggest as you heal that you read the words of Ian above, and realize it was identity theft of God, people doing things in his name, but it was not Him. And they shall suffer severe punishment on Judgement Day for affecting or even destroying your faith. I pray you recover and come to a “pure and simple devotion to Christ.” Amen.,
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