"How to Recognize a Cult" 

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

1 John 4:1-3 (NLT)

The Bible Gives Us Some Warnings:

1. Don’t believe everyone who speaks about Jesus.

2. Test the spirit.

3. We can know.

4. It’s a sign of the end times.

1 Timothy 4:1-3 (NLT) Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods.

Here’s the Test:

Deity of Christ.

Bible ultimate authority.

Church or Denomination exclusivity.

Infallible person.