CULTS AND THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

I was sitting in Starbucks talking to two missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) or as everyone knows them as Mormons. We use the same language: repentance, baptism, salvation but we define these terms differently. With so much to potentially talk about I wondered what direction to take the conversation.

So what are the two most important questions we could ask someone (including ourselves)? I believe they are “who is God?” and “how can we approach God?” - so that’s where I decided to start.

What about “Does God exist?”

These two Mormon missionaries already acknowledge the existence of a god. But what about those who don’t believe in God - you might object thinking what about the question “does God exist?”.

Well it can be an interesting topic but it’s not an important question, not because it’s irrelevant, but because the answer is so self evident. It would be like asking does a house have a builder? or a painting a painter? Creation has a creator. We all know he exists but “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” (Romans 1:18-20)

So back to why our two questions are so important - if we get either wrong we can’t connect with God the creator - our source of life.

Wrong direction or destination

If we answer the first question incorrectly we have at best only a connection with a god of our own imagination and at worst a demonic power. If we answer the second incorrectly then even if we know who the true God is we’ll never find him.

If asking for directions you won’t find the place you want to go if I give you perfect directions but to the wrong place or gave you wrong directions but know where you want to go. In either case you’re lost.

So how do these questions relate to cults?

Well a cult (theologically) is a group gathered around one man’s misunderstanding of God.

Cults gets one or both of these questions wrong - leading people to eternal separation from God. Many use christian language like the Mormons, but with a false God or false gospel - the result is “depart from me I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21-23)

The Mormons answer the first question by telling me that there are three separate God’s of this world. Their main God is the Father, but Jesus and the Holy Spirit are also separate Gods - this isn’t something they’re upfront about but by asking them who God is they do admit they have a different view to biblical Christianity. Their church also teaches that there’s no difference in nature between man and God. Joseph Smith (the founder) taught that God the father was once a man on another planet who became God by obedience to his god. The Mormons teach that God is not the creator but had a god who had a god (infinite regression).

This is not the God of the Bible.

‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.” Isaiah 43:10

If you’d like a fuller discussion of why we should believe in the trinity - the idea that there is one God and three persons identified as this one God, please see my video https://youtu.be/4LxVZTVBguY? si=tFS5cBpbZWjhdjMS

So how then do they answer the second question - how can we approach God? Well in the words of 2 Nephi 25:23 (Book of Mormon) “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”

Notice it’s “after all we can do” there is no salvation for sinners in LDS theology - only those who have “cleaned up their act” - done everything they possibly can to earn their salvation, then God makes up the difference between their efforts and his standard - perfection. As the LDS website puts it “individuals cannot be saved in their sins; they cannot receive unconditional salvation simply by declaring a belief in Christ with the understanding that they will inevitably commit sins throughout the rest of their lives, However, through the grace of God, all can be saved from their sins as they repent and follow Jesus Christ.”

Here there is no assurance of salvation because it is based on your performance, you can never know you are saved because you will always commit sins in the future; which you will need to repent from. Is that the biblical gospel?

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” - Romans 5:8-9

The biblical gospel, the reality that Jesus died for sinners is scandalous to those who wish to earn their salvation. They fail to understand that Jesus paid it all on the cross - the past, present and future sins of those who trust in him. When people hear it they should object “that means you can just go on sinning” (Romans 6:1-4). But think of a fireman who has saved you from a burning building, are you going to want to thank him or play with fire? We fight against sin not to earn our salvation but out of gratitude for it.

Ok now what?

Well the good news is you don’t need to learn everything about every cult to help people who have been captured by their false ideology. Like Spurgeon said “If a crooked stick is before you, you need not explain how crooked it is. Lay a straight one down by the side of it, and the work is well done. Preach the truth, and error will stand abashed in its presence.”

So when you hear someone talk about Jesus be like the Bereans of Acts 17:11 - test everything against God’s word and remember the scriptural answers to the two most important questions. So you can share with them the true God and the true gospel trusting that He will save his people and might even use you as part of that process.