The stereotypical notion when people hear the word cult is a group that worships Satan, weird rituals involving blood, people cutting themselves, chanting iffy slogans, etc. In the broadest sense of the word, a cult is simply a group of religious people who adhere to a set of rules and rituals. “In a Christian context, the definition of a cult is, specifically, “a religious group that denies one or more of the fundamentals of biblical truth.” A cult is a group that teaches doctrines that, if believed, will cause a person to remain unsaved. A cult claims to be part of a religion, yet it denies essential truth(s) of that religion. Therefore, a Christian cult will deny one or more of the fundamental truths of Christianity while still claiming to be Christian”
This fine-tuned definition is very important because it means people who think they are Christians can actually be part of a cult. So what are the characteristics of a cult?
Authority of extra-biblical revelation
Cults do not hold to the authority and sufficiency of the Scriptures. They often trace their origins to a leader who saw a vision, had a dream or claimed to have an encounter with God and that becomes the basis of the doctrine of the group. These leaders then go ahead to author a book that then becomes authoritative to the level of the bible, if not higher. It is quite common to hear people in cultic groups quote and refer to their founder’s writings as the authoritative standard for Christian life and doctrine.
Selective teaching of the bible
Another trait of a cult is that they do not teach the whole counsel of God. They have a tendency to focus on one portion or genre of the Bible, and it is often the part that teaches what they emphasise. So there are groups whose primary teaching is based on the first five books of the bible (the law), then there are groups whose main preoccupation is the prophetic books, etc. What these groups forget is that “all scripture is… profitable (2 Tim 3:16-17).
Works salvation
Cults also teach a works salvation. For them, a person can earn their salvation through their own efforts and by their merit. It is common to hear such groups teach that a person can earn a right standing before God by human efforts such as adherence to the law, baptism, good deeds and sacraments. They cannot stomach the words of Jesus Christ in John 14:6, where he declares I am the way, the truth and the life; no one can come to the Father except through me. Or the charge in Romans 3:21 that the righteousness of God is revealed apart from the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus. Or the glorious message of Ephesians 2, that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ and not of ourselves; least anyone should boast.
Human mediators
Yet another characteristic of a cult is that they often have human mediators. They teach that not everyone can have access to God except through some super spiritual human being. So their prayers are offered in the name of another human, or they will need a fellow man to stand in for them before God. This they do despite the Scriptures telling us that we have one mediator before God, and that is Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5), and through Him we have access to the throne of God (Hebrews 4:16).
Preoccupation with discovering new theology
This comes as a result of their belief in extra-biblical revelations. These groups feel the need to invent new doctrines each passing day. They are not content with the old story of the gospel of Jesus Christ. These new teachings come in different forms; i.e. there are some who are so preoccupied with the details of the last days that they have, on a number of times, identified a person to be an Anti-Christ only for that individual to die, and they without shame move on to another person! There are others who come up with all kinds of teaching on prosperity or visions and dreams.
False teaching about Christ
The mark of every cult is their unbiblical view of Christ. Some will deny His deity, others will deny His humanity, yet others will deny His finished work on the cross. As a result, cults will often reduce Christ to a prophet, an angel, a good man or, to some, simply a name you use to end a prayer or unlock your breakthrough. They refuse to acknowledge that Jesus is the bedrock of Christianity and everything else is held together by Him, and it is through him that growth takes place (Colossians 2:8-19). If Christ is not your Lord (the master of your life to whom you submit) and Saviour (the one trusted for the forgiveness of sins), then you are not a Christian and any church that does not teach this truth is a cult.
Conclusion
These characteristics are obviously not exhaustive and may not necessarily apply to all cults; they are, however, very representative of what a cult in the Christian context looks like. Why is this important, you may wonder? It is important because our country is full of cults that are misleading many and condemning them to hell with their Christless gospel. Those of us in the light need to make sure that we proclaim the gospel intentionally and with clarity. Secondly, we need to be ready to give a defence of the faith against the many false teachers misleading the masses.