It seems there are always those who stand ready to move into harvested territory in order to glean off some of the crop.

In Calvary Chapel's parking lot, we often catch people distributing flyers which promote weird doctrines. At other times we've seen people stand in the driveway and try to put some kind of a doctrinal trip on the parishioners as they are coming in. We always ask, "Why would you go to a church to pass out your flyers?" If we were holding some special event and planned to pass out flyers to announce it, we would send our kids to the beach or to the shopping centers - not to another church! Why would you go to a church to try to siphon off those who already are established there?

If you have a vital doctrine that you feel others must understand and believe, then rather than trying to convert us, why not grant us the privilege of seeing how that truth has transformed your life into the image of Jesus Christ? Let us see that truth demonstrated in your own life. When we see your glorious commitment and your close walk with the Lord, we no doubt will ask you what is going on because you have something we need.

Sadly, people are never satisfied to do that. It is tragic that they feel they have a divine calling to rip off the body of Christ to another persuasion. That is why the New Testament is full of warnings and exhortations against false teachers and their cunning and charming ways.

You Can Be Sure

All cults tend to pervert the gospel of Christ. Usually they heavily emphasize works and a works-related righteousness. If you ask a person involved in one of these cults if they are born again, quite often they will respond, "Brother, you won't know that until you die, because you don’t know what your last works are going to be." Now, wouldn't that be a horrible time to find out?

God wants us to have assurance of our salvation, and if we depend upon Jesus Christ and His work, we can have it. If our salvation is based upon works then assurance is beyond our grasp. If our salvation is based upon faithfulness to a creed or to a system of works, then we won't know our eternal destiny until we die... and then it will be too late. But if our salvation is based upon faith in Jesus Christ and His work alone, we can be sure.

The Bible teaches that the way of salvation is indeed a narrow way.

You know, I am not sure of my works. I am not sure of my self-righteousness. I am sure of His work and His righteousness. As the hymnwriter put it, "My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name." Paul is so convinced of this truth that he writes, "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8). Strong words! Paul uses the term anathema, which means "cursed to the lowest hell."

Suppose that some angel sits on your bed tonight. You feel restless, wake up, and see a glowing creature sitting there on the foot of your bed, seven feet tall. If he says, "Don't be afraid! I have come to share some good news with you. You are a special person - God has chosen you for a special work. If you will just get in and do this work for God, He will save you." What should you conclude? One thing is for sure: This angel is not from God. Let him be accursed.

The Bible teaches that the way of salvation is indeed a narrow way. Paul's words strike a death blow to the broad kind of religion so popular today that says, "I believe a person who is doing what he feels is right in his own heart will be accepted by God." Peter said, "[Christ] is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner [that is, chief cornerstone]. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:11,12).

Many people today would respond, "Oh Peter, you are too narrow. You mean to tell me that Jesus is the only way? That is too narrow, Peter. I can't follow that." Very well. Then be accursed. "But those are such harsh words," they reply. "That is too narrow. Surely, Jesus was broader than that!" But it was Jesus Himself who said, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). And it was Jesus who said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:13,14).

Paul had it right all along. Even today you can almost hear him pleading with the Galatians: "Look, I am going to say it again. If I or an angel of heaven or any man come and lay on you any other trip - one that gets you to rely on yourself, in your own works, in your own goodness, in your own righteousness, in your keeping of the law, in your being circumcised, in your following some ritual, in your joining some group, in your giving so much - let him be accursed!"

Why was Paul so adamant? Because God has accepted us just as we are - as we put our faith in His Son Jesus Christ. By our trust in Him, He has cleansed us from all our sins and He has received us. God desires to bestow upon us the richness and the fullness of His love - not because we deserve it, but because He loves us. This is the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ. This is what Paul eventually died for.

It's a Marvel

Do you ever wonder why the doctrines that teach good works as the basis for relating to God seem to gain such a strong foothold in people's lives? I confess I have.

No doubt Paul wondered too, for he said to the Galatians, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel" (Galatians 1:6). It is a marvel that people would leave the grace of Christ for another gospel - especially when this "gospel" isn't good news at all!

Whenever a person says, "It's good to believe in Jesus Christ, but it takes more than that," watch out! The minute you tell me that I have to be righteous and must prove myself before God by my holiness, you are not bringing me to God; you are pushing me away from Him. I am not righteous and I am not holy and there is no way I can be, so what you are telling me is not good news. It is far from good news. It's a proclamation of death.

Paul could not understand why anyone would want to leave a loving relationship with God to try to establish a relationship based on works, circumcision, or through keeping the law. "There be some that trouble you," he wrote, "and would pervert the gospel," the good news of Christ (Galatians 1:7).

Love as a Weapon

It is a wonder that people would leave the real gospel for a counterfeit, but it is no mystery how false teachers often recruit their new disciples. Paul points out that one common technique is a zealous use of affection: "They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them" (Galatians 4:17).

Those who have been pulled into cults often report an incredible shower of love and attention directed their way when the cult considered them a hot prospect. Once a person commits to the group, however, the zeal turns from love to indoctrination. Rather than being overwhelmed with affection, the new convert is put under strenuous physical discipline and eventually is worn down to the point of exhaustion. Any feelings of self-confidence are stripped away, leaving the person extremely susceptible to the group's spiritual distortions.

The love so readily demonstrated at the beginning is only a means to isolate the individual and bring him or her into bondage. If one doesn't go along with the program, the love quickly ends and the person finds himself excluded and ostracized. If he fails to be won over to the new persuasion, the "love" quickly turns to open hostility.

In my early years of ministry in Tucson, I had an unpleasant encounter with a group of "Jesus Only" Pentecostals. This cult teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are merely different terms for Jesus. (Of course, they have a difficult time explaining who Jesus was speaking to when He prayed to the Father, or who it was who spoke from heaven at Jesus' baptism. Perhaps the voice in Matthew 3:17 that said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" was just a clever bit of ventriloquism?) The weakness of this position is evident, yet the followers of this persuasion love to come on strong and create all kinds of conflict.

Sadly, a couple of influential families in our church bought into this doctrine. Soon they targeted me as their next project and began to "zealously affect" me. They would take me out to lunch and go on and on about my great potential and how much they loved the church.

Now, I have always detested arguing Scripture with people. I usually let them lay out their faulty positions without trying to tear them apart. And so these people would quote the scripture where Jesus said, "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30) and I would say, "Yes, that is right. That is what He said." Every time they would quote Scripture I would say, "Yes, that is what it says." But I wouldn't argue with them.

Of course, I knew many scriptures that would clarify the issue, but I didn't bother to argue with these folks. Jesus said, "Agree with thine adversary quickly whiles thou art in the way with him" (Matthew 5:25), so I would agree with the scriptures they cited. While I didn't agree with their peculiar interpretations, I always agreed with the scripture itself. Since I wasn't arguing with them, these people thought they had me persuaded.

One day, they brought up their doctrine in an adult Sunday school class. When the teacher effectively refuted their position, some of them tried to claim that I was in their camp. The teacher immediately called me in to settle the dispute. When I told the class I believed that God is one yet is manifested in the distinct persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the "Jesus Only" faction became livid.

The next day they called me on the phone and said, "We want to see you tonight at our house." That evening I visited them and they demanded, "What is the big idea, denying the truth? How could you deny what you really believe?" And I replied, "I didn't. I did not deny the truth nor did I deny what I believe. I stated in the class exactly what I believe. I don't think Jesus was playing cheap tricks of ventriloquism and I don't believe He was trying to deceive the people when He was praying to the Father. I believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are separate personalities, though there is one God." That's when I started seeing the proverbial end of the finger.

"Brother," they threatened me, "God has given us a revelation, and we had a vision of you being carried out in a black coffin unless you stand up before the church and tell them that we are right! As I listened to an avalanche of dire threats, I began to wonder, What happened to all the love these people had for me?

"We will give you until Saturday to make up your mind whether or not you are going to fess up," they said. I replied, "I don't need until Saturday. I can tell you right now." "Don't say another word," they answered. "Just you pray about this, brother, and if by Saturday night you won't promise that you are going to do this, then we will never be back to your church." Naturally, the leader of this group had 11 kids out of the 53 in our Sunday school. That makes it tough when you are trying to grow your Sunday school.

On Saturday night I got the call. "Well, brother, what have you decided?" "I haven't changed my mind or my thinking at all," I replied. 'All right, we warned you," he said, and I heard a click at the other end. He was gone, and his 11 kids with him.

This man and his faction were zealous in showing affection as long as I was a potential convert. But when they discovered I wouldn't go into bondage to them and their persuasions, they dropped both me and the church like a bad habit.

That wasn't true love; it was only a hypocritical demonstration in order to make a convert out of me. As Shakespeare once observed, "Love is not love that alters, when it alteration finds." When I wasn't converted, their true feelings were displayed.

This is a frequent tactic of false teachers. They will be very zealous in their demonstration of affection in order to make a convert out of a contact. But if the person doesn't submit to their persuasions, they will quickly exclude him.

People can come on very strong and seem so loving, so nice, so sweet - but only because they are seeking to win you to their persuasion. If you are not won over, watch out! They will call you every name in the book and will hit you with all kinds of judgments and condemnations. This is not the gospel of grace!

Don't Get Tripped Up

It's always difficult to see people leave the truth for a lie. You love them and want to spare them the pain you know is ahead, but there's little you can do. Paul knew that feeling well. Galatians 5:7 is a bittersweet verse that recalls the relationship the apostle shared with the Galatians. He writes, "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?"

The Galatians had formerly walked in such love for God and one another that they ministered to Paul openly and selflessly in a time of extreme circumstance. They had even been willing to give up their own eyes for him. But now they had become so hindered in their walk that some considered Paul an enemy. Why? Because he cared enough to tell them the truth.

Drawing an analogy from the realm of athletics, Paul likened the Galatians to competitors who made a good start out of the blocks but then got tangled up as they ran the race. "This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you," he wrote (Galatians 5:8). Paul insisted that the "new and deeper truths" brought by the Judaizers were not from God.

Each believer is responsible to search the Scriptures to see if the teachings are true or false.

Yet how many people are taken in by this kind of false persuasion? Oftentimes even sincere believers in Christ are led astray by the clever stories of an evangelist. They buy into false teaching not because they have searched the Scriptures, but because they have been influenced by the force of a persuasive personality.

The sad result of such ungodly influence is that the victims end up in bondage, almost stripped of their own personality. Have you ever wondered how seemingly normal people can come so far under the sway of a cult that they will end up selling flowers or peanuts in the airport for their leader? This kind of persuasion certainly doesn't come from God. In fact, in all bondage-oriented systems, people will sooner or later find themselves under the lordship of men.

The best safeguard against this kind of deception is to "prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21). No matter how highly respected an individual is, no matter how prominent or large a following he may have, we can't take anyone's word for the gospel truth. Each believer is responsible to search the Scriptures to see if these things be so.

How tragic that we set such precaution aside and believe everything a particular teacher has to say merely because he has a certain look or speaking style or television or radio ministry. When we fail to check up on the teachings presented to us, we leave ourselves wide open to persuasions not of the one who calls us. God doesn't change His mind. God doesn't edit His truth or spice it up with new revelations. The gospel of grace doesn't change - yet it's not hard to find preachers who claim it has.

Bondage by Any Other Name

Even today there are all kinds of people who preach legalism. They will ask questions like, "How were you baptized, brother? Who baptized you? What did they say when they baptized you?" Some even say things like, "If you weren't baptized with the right formula, then it isn't a true baptism. Were you just sprinkled or were you immersed?"

The tragic thing is that these teachings serve only to alienate us from the work God has done in our hearts through faith in Jesus Christ. Any ritual, whether it is baptism or communion or foot-washing, will not avail a thing to make us righteous. Right standing with God is ours totally and completely by faith, which works by love. This is the key to real power and peace in our walk with God. No wonder the great apostle said, "I am amazed that you would so soon turn from the truth unto another gospel which isn't really a gospel"!

The true gospel is good news. It is the good news of God's grace and the forgiveness of sins through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Your relationship with God isn't based on your righteousness or your works or in keeping certain rules, but upon your believing in God's sacrifice for you. If you will just believe in this work of God, through Jesus Christ you can have a beautiful, unbroken relationship with God. All your sins will be washed away and the guilt of all your shortcomings, failures, and attitudes will vanish. They won't exist, for you will have been justified through faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul knew the folly of trying to relate to God on the basis of works. He could see the end result, for that's where he started out. "Don't tell me about the law," he might say, "I know all about the law. I know all about the righteousness which was of the law. I was a Pharisee. I was zealous. I was more zealous than my brothers. Don't give me that business of the law; I know what it is all about. But thank God, I was delivered from all that when I came into a new relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ!"

We have been, too. Therefore, having been established in the gospel of grace, don't let men trouble you and lay guilt trips or the idea of righteousness by works upon you. It's not worth it. None of us need a word like anathema to be attached to our name.