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Philippians 2:5–11
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9).
Throughout history and up to the present, groups that fit the definition of cult have exhibited many similar characteristics. For the remainder of this week, we will examine these characteristics and some basic features of cult activity. Cults typically are marked by the following.
1. An abrupt break with historic Christianity and its confessions
A cult usually sees the history of Christianity before its existence as a time of apostasy that is unimportant for its members to study. It proclaims that it is the one true community of believers, and that through it alone truth is reclaimed and restored from the apostate church. The group usually looks to a charismatic leader, often called a “prophet” or “apostle,” as its source for truth.
2. Autosotericism
In other words, cults preach “self-salvation.” They usually believe that man redeems himself in some way without the justifying work of a mediator. They preach that justification comes by works, specifically by obedience. And the code of obedience that must be observed is established by the cult itself.
3. A deficient Christology
The one most foundational non-negotiable point of doctrine among true Christian churches is the Lordship and divinity of Jesus Christ. But cults are usually deficient at precisely this point. They tend to have a low view of Christ and of His importance for salvation. Cults typically will say all sorts of good things about Him, exalting Him as greater than man in various ways. But they fall short of ascribing full deity to Him. Latter-day Saints and Jehovah’s Witnesses are examples of this—both of these cults regard Jesus as a created being. Some gnostic-influenced cults will say that Jesus was a divine idea or principle, that He embodies the redemptive principle that is available to all men. They then compound their error by saying that we can embody the same principle that He manifested. Other groups see Jesus as a manifestation of God—but not the unique manifestation. They say that God has messengers in every age, and that Jesus was simply the avatar to first-century Palestine. Most cults avoid attacking Jesus openly. But they do covert violence to Him by failing to affirm His full divinity. Thus, they create an idol, something other than the true Jesus.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
How do you think of Christ? Do you tend to see Him as the man who walked the earth, doing good to those He met and dying on the cross? Or do you more readily conceive of Him as the victorious King of Revelation? We must hold both truths about Him in our minds, for He is the unique God-man, our Mediator, Savior, and Lord.
For Further Study
- John 17:17
- 1 Corinthians 3:11
- Galatians 2:16
- Jude 3