Last night, I taught our youth about the religious and philosophical beliefs of those who are involved in New Age occultism. Because this movement is a loosely structured network of individuals and organizations, I was forced to make generalizations which may or may not apply to every participant across the board. Below are some of these beliefs followed by a biblical response.NEW AGE BELIEFS
- They believe the Bible must be interpreted esoterically. This means that it is to be understood symbolically and never simply literally and/or historically.
- They affirm many sources of revelation. This is called eclecticism, which means that they draw from many sources of truth that includes the teachings of the Bible along with writings from other leaders of differing belief systems.
- They are Monistic believing that "all is one" and that everything is interrelated. They are also pantheistic believing that "all is God."
- Many believe Jesus to be a "guru." They teach that Jesus (human) discovered his divinity and that we should follow his example by discovering the divine within ourselves.
- They teach that man is not sinful, but forgetful. They believe that since humans are divine, they are a law unto themselves and cannot be held guilty of "sin."
- New Age "salvation" involves individuals recognizing their own divinity. Many believe that reincarnation can eventually lead to one's reuniting with "god." This is very similar to Hinduism.
BIBLICAL RESPONSE
- The Bible is to be understood in its historical and grammatical context.
- The Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). It alone is our sole authority.
- Christianity is exclusive meaning it does not draw from other sources, but affirms the authority of God's Word alone.
- What connects created things is that they all exist because God created them and is sustaining them.
- The Scriptures reject pantheism by making a distinction between the Creator and all He has created. Although man is created in the image of God, he is different from Him. For example, man is not infinite, unchanging, self existent, omnipresent, eternal, holy etc.
- The Bible teaches that man has a sin problem, not an ignorance problem (Rom. 3:10, 23).
- Jesus is not a "guru." He was God before taking on flesh, was fully God during his entire earthly ministry and will always be God (John 1:1, 14).
- Salvation occurs when one repents of their sin and places their faith and trust in Christ alone (Acts 3:19, 4:12).
Rhodes, Ron. The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2001. 129-152.
