Cults And The Idea Of The True Church

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Cults And The Idea Of The True Church
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Metaphors Of The Church

• Grudem pages 858-859
• Family ( Timothy 51,2 Ephesians 314, 2 Cor
  618, Matthew 1249-50, 1 John 314-18)
• Bride of Christ (Ephesians 532, 2 Corinthians
  112)
• Vine (John 155) Olive Tree (Romans
  1117-24)Field of crops (1 Corinthians 36-9)
  Harvest (John 435, Matthew 131-30)
• Building (1 Corinthians 39) Temple of Living
  Stones (1 Peter 25) built on Christ the
  cornerstone ( 1 Peter 24-8) with believers as
  royal priests (1 Peter 25). Gods house
  (Hebrews 33-6) and a pillar of the Truth (1
  Timothy 315)
• Body of Christ 1 Corinthians 1212-27,
  Ephesians 122-23, 415-16, Colossians 219

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Universal Church vs. Visible Church

• Universal Church all of Gods children, all
  truly born-again believers
• Visible Church the visible church organization
  / denominations
• Augustine said of the visible church many sheep
  are without and many wolves are within
• Grudem p 857 We may conclude that the group of
  Gods people considered at any level from local
  to universal may rightly be called a church

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Error 1 Only We Are Saved

• Only the members of the cult are saved
• JWs, Mormons etc
• The cult members are in the light and others
  are compromised or in darkness
• Catholic doctrine no salvation outside the
  Catholic Church
• Thief on the cross, woman of Samaria, people in
  remote areas, often saved without any
  organization to belong to

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Error 2 Every One Is Saved

• Liberal theology
• New Age theology
• Universalism
• Christ died for everyone they just dont know
  it
• All roads lead to God
• Jesus teaching on Hell in Mark 938-50
• Paul Jews not saved, Romans 101-3, Galatians
  51-11
• Peter even the righteous are saved with
  difficulty (1 Peter 417-19)

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Error 3 Salvation Depends on Factor X

• Grace X salvation
• X can be things such as
• Works
• Giving to the cult
• Obedience to the cult leader / doctrines
• Ritual holiness
• Baptism
• Church attendance at Christmas and Easter
• Matters of food, dress, drink etc.
• Colossians 28-23, Galatians 410, 51-11

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Error 4 Church Doctrine

• Only those adhering to exactly correct doctrine
  are saved (Hyper-Fundamentalism)
• But what about someone w. Downs syndrome? Does a
  person w. Alzheimers lose their salvation?
• Salvation is primarily via a saving faith
  relationship
• It is only secondarily about doctrine
• 2 Timothy 223-26, Titus 39-11

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Error 5 Church Correct Leadership

• Great Leader X defines the true church
• Apostolic succession defines the true church
• Correct structure defines the true church
• Modern apostles and prophets define the true
  church
• There are very few direct instructions about
  church structure and government in the Bible
• The structure of the visible church has nothing
  to do with whether the people within it are
  born-again or not!

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Error 6 Church A Ceremony

• Mass
• Sunday services
• Sabbath observance
• New Age Rituals
• God looks on the heart and the godly lifestyle
  not on the ceremony
• Isaiah 2913, Jeremiah 71-15, Micah 66-8, Mark
  71-23

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Error 7 Church Culture

• Church as a cultural or societal tradition rather
  than a living faith
• Attempting to return to the 1800s or the 1950s
  or to ancient times
• May involve banning certain kinds of music or
  technology
• May involve strong political ties that end up
  compromising the group
• Scribes, Pharisees, High Priests etc.

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Error 8 Church Ecstatic State

• Must speak in tongues to be saved (United
  Pentecostal Church)
• Or must have a certain spiritual experience in
  order to be saved
• The church consists of those who have got it
  and the outsiders are those without the
  experience
• Colossians 2 angel worshippers and those not
  holding fast to the Head which is Christ

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Error 9 Church The Pure Ones

• Church those who are holy
• Holiness defined by the groups standards e.g.
  not smoking, drinking, not committing sexual
  immorality etc.
• Those who fail these standards are expelled from
  the church
• Makes Gods grace very conditional
• Corinthian church was messy, and contained many
  problem individuals, but was still a church!
• Note We should still strive to be holy!!

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Error 10 Church First Century Church

• Church must have apostles, prophets, gifts of the
  Holy Spirit etc.
• Must be in house churches, cell groups etc
• All hierarchy seen as corrupt / sinful
• Or must have certain practices of the early
  church such as immediate baptism by immersion
• Argument from silence. The Bible does not
  directly prescribe these things or even condemn
  certain church structures.

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Error 11 Church An Enterprise (Business)

• Watchtower Tract Distribution Society
• Sale or relics, indulgences and marketing of
  pilgrimages
• Cults where converts become sales-people
• Some televangelists
• Some multi-level marketing companies with
  strongly religious overtones
• The bottom line is cash not Christ
• Cannot serve God and Mammon
• The Church is a Body and when a Body becomes a
  business it is a prostitute!
• 1 Timothy 63-10

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Error 12 Church State

• Constantine (Roman Emperor) head of State
  head of Church
• Queen Elizabeth is head of the Church of England
• Pharaoh, Roman Emperors gods
• Some cults declare themselves to be sovereign
  nations not subject to laws, taxation etc
• Bible separation of prophet, priest and King
• Priests from Levi, Kings from Judah, separate
  duties, when King Uzziah tried to offer incense
  he became a leper (2 Chronicles 2616-21)