New Age Christianity
Vanity, Vanity
I thought in my heart,
“Come now, I will test you to find out what is spiritually good.”
I tried cheering myself with Holy laughter, and embraced the folly of being drunk in the spirit, my mind still guiding me with wisdom.
I undertook great projects: I built church buildings and sowed to reap in the vineyards of religion.
I attempted to apply the fruit of the Spirit and transferred reservoirs of spiritual power to help the church flourish.
I made myself a student of tradition and ritual and led others in the same way.
I amassed great spiritual experience and sacrificed family and friends to know my god.
I acquired titles and prestige among the religious.
I joined in with worshipers, with men and women singers, and a choir of prophetic intercessors.
I denied myself nothing my spiritual eyes could see; I refused my heart no spiritual power.
My heart took delight in all my Christian work, and this was the reward for all my labor.
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve; everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his Christian neighbor and this too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Of all things most grievous to me, Jesus did not have to be present for any of this.
Can anybody tell me how to get back home?
New age philosophy attempts to either bring people into spiritual realms or invite spiritual realms into people. The desired result is to become enlightened and self-empowered. Yet at the foundation of this practice is a trust in humanities strength and creations many resources. Basically man’s goal here is to add spiritual meaning to all his natural endeavors.
Now we maybe able to sympathize; having once lost oneness with God in the garden left man empty and void of spiritual fellowship. In the beginning God’s glory encompassed man and it offered him a suitable spiritual covering.
Could it be that man is looking for that spiritual embrace once again?
The thought is not far from unreasonable, after all the Old Testament was also replete with examples of spiritually equipped saints proclaiming the wonders of our God and King.
• Elijah ran ahead of the chariot 1 Kings 18:46,
• Joshua defeating the giants Joshua 14:1–15,
• David’s 30 fighting men 2 Samuel 23:8–38,
• Samson’s source of strength Judges 14:19.
Yet if such remarkable feats were never documented humanity would still crave a familiar ethereal presence. It is simply that the triune nature of man seeks for fulfillment in physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual ways. The pervading goal then for humanity has been to embrace all things that can fill the senses: enter the Serpent.
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
As Adam and Eve stood before the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil a world empire was being born that day. Prior to this moment God reigned over His creation unimpeded by darkness. Yet the Devil found away to usurp God’s authority by deceiving mankind. A binding contract was being offered that would test the fiber of man’s human fortitude.
Genesis 2:15-17
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Genesis 3:1-5
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
The Contract
Genesis 3:4“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Adam and Eve made a choice in that moment to follow the counsel of the Devil and it was now signed, sealed and delivered. What ever God once granted to Adam in the form of a stewardship was now placed under the Devil’s control. A verse in Luke shows us how broad this take-over truly was.
Luke 4:5-7 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”
What we discover is a spiritual force now rules over humanity as a counterfeit source of power and influence. In this way the very promises of our God suffer as man seeks to define his way based on this early path of compliance. For instance let’s look at the opening contract once again. We discover that the very warnings that came from God were altered by the seduction of the Serpent. From that day forward humanity would measure success by what they see, think and feel. They would also come to rely upon the god of this world for added support.
Consider the Devils added influence.
Genesis 3:4-6
” The Serpent said to the woman.
• “You surely will not die”…......................................Mediation and definition regarding death
• “For God knows”….......................................Mediation and interpretation of the mind of God
• “That in the day you eat from it”………….Mediation and interpretation regarding God's will
• “Your eyes will be opened,”…........Mediation and definition regarding revelation knowledge
• “You will be like God,”…………………......Mediation and definition on how to be like God
• “Knowing good and evil.”.....................Mediation and interpretation of what is good and evil
“Contract signed”
Within this contract of compromise man defines the meaning of life and faith by the presence of a spiritual seduction. As man complies the Devil then receives worship every time humanity says “yes” to his ways.
Another form of validation takes place as men unite within worldly goals. No longer does the Devil alter the will of a single individual, but lays hold of the likeminded. We saw this at the Tower of Babel as the masses sought to reach heaven on their own terms.
Of course the sky is the limit when it comes to a unity in seduction. If man is prone to relying upon what he sees, thinks and feels he will naturally gravitate to the worship of creation.
Earliest inspiration made use of:
• Animals. (The bull, the raven, the dragon, the eagle) “animism.”
• The earth’s seasons. (Winter, summer, spring or fall)
• Celestial bodies (Sun, moon or constellations.)
• Spiritual powers (Angels or Demons)
• The elements (Water, fire, wind and earth.)
• Examples of daily human exchange. (Mother, father, fertility, man, woman, feasting, and health.)
• The Human body or parts thereof. (The eye, the hand, the blood, human organs, genitalia or human actions as an example of worship.)
God did warn humanity about following such delusions;
Deuteronomy 4:15-19 You saw no form of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire. Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below. And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
However in our day and age worship begins with the rise of self. As man finds opportunity to advance in life, that same seductive reward inspires him to explore without constraint. Yet due to his triune nature a spiritual man ends up creating his own religion.
The religion of;
1. Self improvement in body, soul and spirit
2. Self exploration
3. Self advancement
4. Self reward
5. Self deification
Paul the Apostle warned us about such activities but this also speaks of “Self Religion”.
1 Timothy 4:1
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
It should not come as a surprise that all religion begins with man setting goals for himself. Since he is comprised of body, soul and spirit that spiritual side of him seeks to define eternity. Yet without access to the eternal nature and character of the “Uncreated” Savior he still calls upon the created to feed his religion. Said in another way; all religion begins with man and finds that old form of spiritual support. Now we could talk about various religions of the world, but Christianity has its own problems. With over 45 thousand denominations (Barna) calling themselves Christian we have to conclude that this divide is the result of man seeking to help God along.
Romans 8:5
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
Romans 8:8
Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
This causes us to question what we adhere to in the way of “experience”. If our physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual lives remain the barometer of what we perceive as good for us, then doctrine serves another religion and finds added spiritual support. Thus every good feeling will more than likely be classified as an example of god’s favor, and every unpleasant or empty feeling, is an example of his displeasure. Yet both are limited in their reach and missing true faith in Jesus.
Jude 1:17-21 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
Let me tell you a story about spiritual experience.
I personally started out in a very conservative church setting. For the most part there was a strong emphasis on the word and traditional worship. Though it remained subtle, man’s attempts to interject his own ideas, insights and agendas into the message, began to affect me in a negative way. This was as slight as making humanity the focus of any church service. When the message is religious we endeavor to discover;
• How to do for God.
• How to not do for God.
• How to be like the saints of old.
• How to not be like the saints of old.
• How to perfect the flesh in physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual ways.
This was not limited to just one church connection, but each time I moved on and entered another congregation, man somehow always became the center of attention. Not surprisingly, this corrosive pattern of making man the focus taught me a means of discernment through self awareness and sadly my senses became the chief barometer for defining success. However feelings do lie to us and misplaced belief and faith, becomes its own stronghold.
As an example look at the matter of sin; if we didn’t feel good about our sin or addiction, then it is likely we wouldn’t keep sinning; we would actually get bored with it.
Remarkably, I had never thought to question whether my religious experiences could be a stronghold. These attempts at “feeling” were not about God, they were about me. As sensory validation became more and more important to my walk, I jokingly called myself an “anointing junky”, but the joke was on me, the clarity of Christ was gone.
My search led me away from what the Holy Spirit could offer me in rest, and conditioned me to always be looking for that ultimate sensory high. How do I now know this wasn’t from God?
• The Word warned me about this type of trouble. (1 Tim 4:1)
• The spiritual effect ministered to my flesh both outwardly and inwardly at times, but did not edify my new man in Christ.
• It didn’t produce lasting change in my walk with God.
• It made me dependent on others for more power and experience.
• It didn’t curb sensual desire in me, but added to the fire. (Very common)
• It wasn’t producing in me a righteous life, but only offered unique spiritual and fleshly encounters.
• It made me pay a price for gaining more spiritual power, presence and purpose.
• It made me arrogant; believing I had received greater reward because I had paid the price.
• It bound me to the will of others who ministered with their own perceived brand of good spiritual seduction.
• It directed me away from sound biblical teaching and solid Christian relationships to seek out what could only be described as the Christian party scene.
• • Last but not least; I began to test all these feelings at the Cross, and surprisingly many of them went away.
Belief and faith in feelings = a false god and spiritual blindness.
Does God provide a level of sensory validation?
Certainly God made Adam with this capacity to feel and to enjoy the senses, yet any search for God that focuses on these human qualities quickly forgets that we were born of the Spirit. If we are wise we should not expect there to be a validation of the senses where our skin tingles or our head wants to pop.
First and foremost the presence of God manifests as a confidence and peace within, rather than an ecstatic feeling. We remain filled with the assurance that we belong to Jesus and He is our supply of faith, hope and love. Thus as we dwell in Him, and Him in us, we are immersed in all the advantages that His nature and character is adding true rest within our quest.
Let me add, I am not suggesting that this invalidates our right to be moved in our emotions. When we are suddenly overwhelmed by the reality of who God is, we will naturally respond with our emotions. Yet in Christ, our emotional response is more readily the result of a heart connection with the Savior, rather than the senses.)
I finally lost a significant amount of spiritual presence in my life as I challenged the sensory issue. These alluring and seductive powers were very committed to keeping me bound to religious performance. After all they displayed the most wonderful and powerful warm fuzzy feelings at times and who could compete with that? The trouble was this was nothing more than a seducing power backing up my attempts at religious perfection. Each power delivered its own brand of reward, but it also led me away from real stability in Christ.
The delusion to the body of Christ is actually wide spread. It is the basis for why we keep serving and sacrificing for the prize. It also explains why we keep adding new religious agendas to our walk. This counterfeit sensory blessing inappropriately gets defined as “the anointing of God”. We often hear people validate it by saying; “did you feel the anointing on that worship, on that music, on that person, on that performance or on that message?” However the danger in making the Christian life all about feelings is we never really know who’s answering us.
To add to the problem a minister’s own expectations can stand in the way. For instance how does a deliverance ministry prove a deliverance session has taken place? They expect demonic convulsive and guttural utterances to be a sign. Yet it inappropriately takes our eyes off of Jesus and places the spotlight on leadership and a morbid form of entertainment.
By adding fleshly expectations to the Kingdom we run the risk of serving a sensory god.
Now you might think I am disqualifying the gifts of the Holy Spirit and labeling them as just warm fuzzy experiences; I’m not. The gifts of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12 cannot be denied as God’s intended means of equipping the saints. That goes for those that minister the gifts and those that receive the gifts. The gifts make use of the power, presence and purpose of God, but don’t require feelings to be an affective witness. It’s His glory to do with as He sees fit and not mine. The true witness is a changed life.
So what is required of us is a willingness to mature in our faith by separating the proverbial wheat from the chaff. The glory that resides within us and the fruit of that glory belongs to God. But how do we then lay down any counterfeit attempt at seeing, thinking or feeling?
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Biblical deliverance comes about by the work of Jesus on the Cross. Through death He severed the Devils ownership of humanity. But this moment in time was also the place of our own death, burial and resurrection. By sharing in Jesus’ death the strongholds that are present within our poor life and religious choices get severed. The resurrection life of our Savior then offers us new direction in how we live, move and have our being. If we want freedom it amounts to a return to the simple gospel message that puts all our “self” effort in the grave. Paul the Apostle says it best;
Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
He is even clearer as to how we put to death our many misdeeds:
Romans 8:11-13 … if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live
Freedom from the “New Age” is freedom from the “Old Age” and is a request of God, just as it was on the day of salvation. That’s right; we are still partaking of salvation which leads to new life.
As for gaining freedom from inappropriate sights, thoughts and feelings; keep in mind we don’t decide what is or what is not acceptable sensory interactions within true faith. Our confession simply lets the Holy Spirit decide what needs to be changed on the outside and on the inside. Personally I now have no expectations that I will feel my way into the Kingdom. In fact there is now such wonderful quietness within my heart and spirit that I no longer want anything other than Him. The end result properly glorifies Him and we come to know true edification in the arms of our Lord.
Application
Jesus based on what you did on the Cross and by the Holy Spirit;
• Test by the Cross where I have sought to heighten my Christian experience through sensory powers that fall short of being from You.
• Test by the Cross where my sight, thoughts and feelings remain owned by other powers that want to blind me to a counterfeit faith, practice and devotion.
• Test by the Cross where I am subject to religious people and organizations that have added improper sensory ministry and doctrine to my walk of faith. (Name them)
• Test by the Cross where I am unified with the world and with new age proponents attempting to be spiritually seduced and influenced by demonic powers in body, soul, spirit, mind, will, emotions, conscience and subconscious, sexuality, Christianity, communication and gender.
• Test by the Cross where I am “conditioned” to be pulled into other realms of spiritual sensory support which have been lying to me about true faith and relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
• Judge by the Cross the spiritual realm associated with these issues.
Jesus, You are the resurrection power that now saves me and makes my salvation new.
