Cults
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:10-13
Scripture
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against …
Sermon Description
What are cults? Why are they so dangerous? In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “Cults,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that cults are groups that are not Christian, but nevertheless claim to be. They teach things that fundamentally deny the Christian faith and gospel. Often, cults are centered around one person who claims to have received a special divine revelation. These cults either deny the authority of Scripture altogether, or they put another authority on equal level or above that of the Bible. Many of these cults minimize or deny the doctrines of sin, the incarnation, and the atonement. Unlike heresies, cults are groups that are entirely outside of the church and Christianity. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that cults are one of the many ways that the devil deceives people. False teaching can and does destroy people’s lives because it sets them on the path to destruction by denying the true gospel. This is why the church must be clear that the gospel is by faith alone in Christ who is both truly God and man.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul was concerned about the wiles of the devil against Christian people.
- The cults are a manifestation of the devil's activity against Christians. They are counterfeits of Christianity.
- The cults sound like Christianity and use Christian terminology, but they are not actually Christian.
- The cults offer blessings and solutions in an attractive manner. They seem more exciting than real Christianity.
- Followers of cults are often sincere and zealous, but they lack knowledge. Their zeal is not according to knowledge.
- Cults tend to flourish during times of crisis, trouble, or uncertainty when people are seeking solutions.
- Although cults vary in their specific beliefs, there are common characteristics that identify them as cults and not as true Christianity.
- Cults typically originate from a new revelation given to a founder, often a woman. The cult revolves around the founder and their teachings.
- Cults recognize an authority in addition to the Bible, such as the writings of the founder. The Bible is secondary or reinterpreted through the lens of the cult.
- Cults deny or distort essential Christian doctrines like the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the atonement, sin, salvation, creation, and prayer.
- We can test cults by their view of the origin and authority of their beliefs, their understanding of Christian doctrines, and their view of prayer.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.