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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Dear Rev. Graham: My closest friend has been like a sister to me but always made me promise never to talk about my faith in God. Now she has suddenly become very religious and wants me to enter into her religious beliefs, but I think she is involved in a cult. How can a person know the difference between real faith and a cult? — C.R.

Dear C.R.: There are clear marks between cults and faith in the one true God, Jesus Christ. True Christianity is when Christ alone is worshiped as Lord and Savior. Some cults dismiss Christ completely or suggest that He was only a great teacher; others claim salvation is not to be found in Christ, and still others deny that He rose from the grave. The Bible says that salvation is found in no one else (Acts 4:12, 1 Peter 3:18).
True Christianity is founded on God’s Word and central as the one true guide to faith and practice. Cults and false religions often ignore or even deny the full inspiration and authority of the Bible as the Word of God. They often add or substitute a set of man-made teachings (doctrine) not found in Scripture. We must even be cautious of translations of Scripture that twist the meaning of the Bible’s clear teaching.
True Christianity is centered in a Bible-believing church where Jesus Christ is worshiped and obeyed. While the church is not perfect, God’s Word is.
Truth is timeless; it doesn’t differ from one age to another, from one people to another, from one geographical location to another. God imparts His wisdom to those who submit to Him, making it possible to decipher between truth and lies. God will always lead people to His truth, because He is Truth.
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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)