1 Peter 2:3 – 9 “In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep. For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight; if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly; and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.”
Yesterday we spoke about false teachers and the fact that they will gradually lead people away from God’s truth and into errors and desperate situations. Forty – two years ago, there was an American preacher named Jim Jones who had a church known as “The People’s Temple.” When the church began, there was a great stress on social justice and helping the poor, and many sincere Christians who were fed up with meaningless programs in other churches joined. Those who joined this movement were frequently the most active members of churches that had been content to do little for their communities. But as the movement grew, Jones began assuming increasing amounts of power over his members. Those who left the movement described incessant meetings at all hours of the day and night, with sleep deprivation and brain washing due to repetition of slogans praising Jones. Group members turned over all their financial resources to Jones. Eventually, complaints of human rights abuses caused Jones to move his church to Jonestown, a jungle commune in Guyana in South America. When U.S. Representative Leo Ryan and four others traveled to Jonestown to investigate, they found several members desperate to return to the U.S. “While boarding a return flight with some former cult members who had wished to leave, Ryan was assassinated and four others were murdered by gunfire. Jones then ordered and likely coerced a mass suicide and mass murder of 918 commune members, 304 of them children, almost all by cyanide – poisoned grape Flavor Aid.” (Wikipedia) For an excellent video about this disaster, watch
The title is “The Jonestown Massacre: Paradise Lost.”)
Because of this cult, a new phrase came into use: “Drinking the Kool – Aid.” This phrase described followership at its worst, i.e., someone who would willingly do anything a powerful leader demanded, including committing suicide on command.
“But,” you ask, “why, if God knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment, did God allow all these people to kill themselves and to induce their children to drink poison as well?” Good question! The crux of the problem is the matter of free will. God has given all of us the ability to choose rightly or wrongly. But we cannot escape the consequences of bad choices unless we change our minds and pray to God to deliver us. Even before the cult left the United States, there were many people who left the cult and who tried to sound the alarm. Those complaints were part of the reason that Jones had to move his group to a remote location where things were not closely scruitinized or regulated.
How do you protect yourself from getting caught up in such a cult? Heed these warning signs:
1. Whom does the group actually worship? Are they worshiping the one true living God, or is the group built on adoration of a particular human leader, whether spiritual or political?
2. What does the group teach? Are the teachings Scriptural or do they take a small amount of Scripture and then twist it to suit their own ends?
3. As things progress, is there far more emphasis on slogans than on the Word of God?
4. What demands are being made on group members? Are demands on time, money, energy, etc., escalating, so that the group comes to take over every aspect of the lives of its followers?
5. What are the results of the group? Paul warned the Galatians in Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.” Jesus told his disciples, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
6. Is the group exhibiting the fruits of the Holy Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22 – 23? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
In the case of Jim Jones, followers were expected to sacrifice everything to Mr. Jones, to follow Mr. Jones blindly, and in the end to worship and obey Mr. Jones, even to the point of death. Today there are cries for social justice, and good – hearted people are being stirred to action. Nobody can deny that there are injustices that cry for resolution. God has perfect solutions for these problems, if we will only ask Him. But the question that remains is this: at the end of everything, what are the results? Are the results Godly, or are you expected to ignore increasing amounts of violence? Are the fruits of the Holy Spirit in evidence? And eventually will someone demand that you drink the Kool – Aid, either physically or spiritually?
PRAYER: Father God, help us to seek you, to study your Word, to know you in your holiness, in your strength, in your peace and in your glory. Lord, give us divine discernment so that we will be able to tell safe teachings from dangerous ones. And help us to follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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