Key Verse: "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."
- Matthew 12:30 KJV
In our Key Verse, Matthew 12:30, Jesus teaches the importance of alignment with Him and the consequences of deviation from His teachings. A cult, in a Christian context, is a religious group that denies one or more of the Fundamentals of the Faith, such as the deity of Christ and salvation by faith in Christ alone.
The two most common teachings of "Christian cults" are that Jesus was not
God and that salvation is not by faith alone. A denial of the deity of
Christ results in the view that Jesus’ death was insufficient to pay for
our sins. A denial of salvation by faith alone results in the teaching
that salvation is achieved by our own works.
A cult often presents itself as a Christian entity but deviates from core Christian doctrines. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons are considered cults because they deny the deity of Christ and preach salvation by works. These groups may appear moral and sincere, but their teachings can lead people away from the truth of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
The apostles dealt with cults in the early years of the church: for example, John addresses the teaching of Gnosticism in 1 John 4:1-3. John’s litmus test for Godly doctrine was every person that confesses that “...Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God” (verse 2b)—a direct contradiction of the Gnostic heresy, "For many deceivers are
entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." (cf. 2 John 1:7).
To stay aligned with Christ, it is crucial to adhere to His teachings and avoid being misled by groups that claim to be Christian but deny The Fundamentals of the Faith. As Christians, our hope and prayer must be that many people involved in
cults will see through the lies and will be drawn to the truth of
salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
In conclusion, Matthew 12 serves as a reminder to be vigilant in our spiritual journey and to ensure that we are not against Christ by aligning with groups that deny His fundamental teachings. Believers must lovingly confront those ensnared by cults, pointing them back to the saving truth of Jesus Christ. This requires both gentleness and clarity (1 Peter 3:15) as well as prayer for God’s Spirit to open their hearts and minds.
