What is the New Age Movement?

The New Age Movement is one of the fastest growing movements among people from all sorts of cultural, social, economic and spiritual backgrounds. New Age beliefs are practiced all over the world.
New Age beliefs and practices have gained significant influence, affecting almost every area of the culture – sociology, psychology, science, arts, education, the business community, entertainment, sports, and even the church.
However what is the New Age Movement and is it Biblical or Christian?

 

New Age Movement Beliefs & Practices

The New Age is a combination of many different belief systems which are meant to provide a supposed new way of thinking; a new way of living life; and a new way of succeeding in life. It gets its name from the belief that we are entering or have already entered a new age, the Age of Aquarius and this age will bring about a supposed spiritual evolution in mankind.

The New Age Movement encompasses a wide range of belief systems and practices from:
Astrology, Horoscopes, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, the Law of Attraction, Mysticism, Pantheism, Reincarnation, Spirit guides, Theosophy, Hypnotherapy, Transcendental Meditation, Yoga, Chakras, Chi Energy, Extra-terrestrials, Crystal healings, Astral projection, Mantras, Séances, Tarot cards, Shamanism, Divination, Channeling and any belief system that is linked to Spiritism and the Occult.

All of these New Age beliefs and practices are demonic and spiritually dangerous. A few examples of modern literature which promotes New Age thinking is the book The Secret and various literature by authors such as Deepak Chopra.

The New Age Movement uses special terminology or loaded language for these beliefs.
Words like “karma”, “law of attraction”, “being one with the universe”, “spiritual energy”, “levels of consciousness”, “your truth and my truth”, “spiritual awakening”, “cosmic energy”, “illumination”, “achieving your higher self”, “Christ-consciousness”, “kundalini” and many more.

The common factor concerning New Age Movement beliefs is that each belief system which is categorized to be “New Age” appeals to the following:
a) The human desire for hidden knowledge, self-improvement, worldly success and achieving self-perfection,
b) The desire to achieve human potential even beyond one’s physical and natural abilities to the extent of desiring to perform supernatural abilities, for example astral projection or psychic abilities
c) The desire to bypass the mind or bypass one’s natural physical limitations in order to achieve a spiritual god-like status,
d) The illusion that anyone who practices a combination of these New Age belief systems can achieve “Christ-consciousness” or become a little god or just like God.

The root motivation behind all New Age beliefs and practices is found in the first original lie which satan presented to Adam and Eve. This is the deception that man can be just like God (Genesis 3:1-5).

Who are some of the foundational teachers of the New Age Movement?
Some of the foundational teachers who propelled the rise of New Age philosophies or New Age spirituality are Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891), Alice Bailey (1880-1949), Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910) and Phineas Quimby (1802-1866).

 

1. New Age Beliefs about Success & Self-improvement
New Agers believe you can create your own reality through practicing such techniques as the Law of Attraction which is an occult belief system that is taught by many human potential gurus, life coaches and various religious preachers.
Many New Agers seek direction for their personal life from spirit entities such as spirit guides. However spirit guides are actually demonic spirits that pretend to provide genuine spiritual direction.
Other New Age methods of achieving success, self-improvement or higher consciousness is by practicing a combination of New Age practices such as Yoga, Chakras, Astrology, Transcendental Meditation, Tarot cards, Black Magic / White Magic and Psychic readings to predict and manage one’s future or fortunes.
Therefore engaging in the occult or in occult activities for the agenda of seeking success and self-improvement is a natural habit of a New Ager’s lifestyle.

 

2. The New Age Beliefs about God
New Agers have a wide range of contradictory beliefs pertaining to God or gods. They are pantheists and polytheists.
So they reject the Christian belief that there is one God or one Creator of the universe.
They believe everything is God and God is everything. They also believe that the universe is God and all that is in the universe is part of God.
New Agers also believe that man is God or part of God. They believe that man can become a “little god” or become just like God through achieving what they call “Christ-consciousness”.
Therefore New Agers commonly subscribe to the philosophy that man is a god or that man has the capacity to become divine by applying various New Age practices and techniques.

 

3. New Age Beliefs about Jesus Christ
New Agers believe that Jesus Christ was just a teacher and an ordinary man who “self-realized” just like Buddha, Krishna, Confucius or Gandhi.
They do not believe that Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son who came to die on the cross for the sins of mankind (John 3:16-17).
They do not believe that Jesus is God and that He is eternal and has always existed before the creation of this world (John 1:1-3).
Therefore the Jesus Christ of the Bible is not perceived by the New Age Movement as the Savior or Messiah of mankind.
So the New Age version of Jesus is different in nature and character from the true Jesus Christ who is mentioned in the Bible.
According to New Age ideology, Jesus was an ordinary man who achieved “Christ-consciousness” which is the epitome of New Age perfection or self-realization.

Yogapedia defines “Christ-consciousness” in the following way: Christ Consciousness is an awareness of the higher self as part of a universal system. Although it can be interpreted in a number of ways, a common understanding is that Christ Consciousness is the state of consciousness in which a person has found self-realization and unity with God or the Divine. It may also be used as a synonym for the yogic and Hindu concept of samadhi, or deep spiritual bliss.
Although Christ Consciousness is not intended to relate solely to the personality of Jesus Christ, its combination of Christian language with Eastern religious and philosophical concepts make it a controversial term to some.

Therefore the New Age term and concept of “Christ-consciousness” is not attributed to be solely Christian or about the Jesus Christ of the Bible.
Instead the New Age Movement believes that anyone from any religion or spiritual background can achieve “Christ-consciousness” through a practicing certain New Age techniques.

 

4. New Age Beliefs about Death & Afterlife
The New Age Movement believes in reincarnation which can be defined as the rebirth of a soul in another body. Reincarnation is the concept that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body that may be human, animal or spiritual depending on the moral quality of the previous life’s actions.

Therefore the Christian belief that a man is appointed to die once and then face God’s judgment is not part of New Age beliefs
Hebrews 9:27 says: And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

 

5. New Age Beliefs about Salvation
New Age beliefs concerning salvation can be very contradictory. However most New Agers do not believe that Jesus is the exclusive way to God or Heaven. They do not believe in the Gospel.
The New Age movement believes there are many roads that lead to God or paradise. Others do not believe that man is in need of salvation or in need of a Savior. Some are universalists.
Their core belief is that since man is divine or has the capacity to become divine all by himself – then man does not need a Savior. They believe that man is inherently good and continuously seeking self-improvement.

The Bible tells us however that man is a sinner who needs Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Romans 3:23 says: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In John 14:6 Jesus says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”

 

What Does the Bible Say About the New Age Movement?

The New Age Movement involves spiritual but occult beliefs. For example God speaks against New Age practices such as consulting the dead, psychic readings, divination, astrology or any kind of spiritual practice that does not revolve around God and His word.

In Deuteronomy 18:10-12 God says: “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a wizard or a necromancer, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.”

In Leviticus 19:31 God says: “Do not turn to mediums or wizards; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God”

The Scriptures also teach us that there is only one God. Therefore a human being is not a “god” and neither can a human being become like God. Humans are a creation of God and humans ought to worship the one and only living God.
In Exodus 20:3 God says: “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

The Bible also tells us that there is no other person or entity that is like God.
Therefore God is unique and there is no one who is like Him.
In Isaiah 46:9 God says: “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.”

The Bible also warns us about false teachers and even false religions that will preach a “different gospel”, a “different Jesus” and a “different spirit”.
The New Age movement is an example of people who believe in a different Jesus than the Jesus who is described and portrayed in the Bible. The New Age movement does not believe in the divine nature and character of Jesus Christ in the way that He is portrayed in the Bible.
2 Corinthians 11:4 says: For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough

True success and prosperity is not found through engaging in demonic practices. Nor is it through occult self-improvement techniques such as the law of attraction or seeking psychic readings.
True blessing is found through having a relationship with God and obedience to His word. True success is when God Himself in the driving seat of your life. True blessing is not always attached to outward things such as money and possessions – instead it is attached to our salvation and relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:3 says: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

The Bible says that man is sinful and is therefore in need of a Savior – Jesus Christ.
Without Jesus Christ man is headed for eternal punishment to experience the wages of his sins.
However man can escape hell and receive salvation as a free gift “by grace through faith in Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Acts 4:12 says the following about salvation being exclusively through Jesus Christ: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

New Age beliefs and practices are dangerous and demonic. New Age beliefs give people the false illusion of power and freedom, but eventually and very subtly it is known to destroy lives. Ultimately such beliefs draw people further away from God and place New Agers into spiritual bondage.
Escaping spiritual deception that is associated with the New Age movement can only occur when we have a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ and when we have an understanding of God’s word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

DO YOU WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN or A FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST?

ACKNOWLEDGE
Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
This means that we have all broken God’s laws and God’s 10 Commandments like those mentioned in Exodus 20:1-17.
For example, if you’ve told a lie; if you have stolen something; if you have lusted after somebody or if you have coveted. This means you are guilty of breaking at least one or more of God’s 10 Commandments. Breaking God’s commandments makes us sinners. The fact that we are sinners who have broken God’s law or commandments means that we are accountable to God who is the Lawgiver.
Romans 6:23 says that “the wages of sin is death BUT the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
So you must acknowledge that you are a sinner who has broken God’s commandments and that you therefore need Jesus in your life.

REPENT
Luke 13:3 says: “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish”
Acts 3:19 says: “Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out”
Repenting means: to change your mind; a sincere turning away, in heart, mind and action;
Therefore God wants you to change your mind about sinful values and of sinful living. God wants you to decide to follow Him and to make Jesus the Lord of your life.

CONFESSION
Romans 10:9 says: “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”
1 John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
God is a forgiving God. God will forgive any sin that you have done because Jesus died for ALL your sins and to set you free from the bondage of all types of sin in your life.

BELIEVE
John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”
You must believe that ONLY Jesus can save you and restore your relationship with God. You must believe that Jesus is the ONLY way by which you can have everlasting life and escape from eternal separation from God. You must believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and resurrected from the grave.
John 1:12 says: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name”
By faith you must receive Jesus as your Lord & Savior and therefore; you become a child of God; you become born again; you become a Christian; you restore your broken relationship with God

 

Why Not Make Your Eternal Decision NOW?

We become born again Christians by GRACE through FAITH or TOTAL TRUST in Jesus Christ as our Lord & Savior (Galatians 3:26) & (Ephesians 2:8,9). Salvation is a FREE gift received through FAITH in Christ.

PLEASE NOTE: You can choose to pray in your own words. This prayer is a sample prayer and it is only an EXPRESSION of your faith, belief & trust in Jesus. Salvation is by GRACE through FAITH or BELIEVING in Christ Jesus as your Lord & Saviour.

“Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your love. I thank You that You died on the cross for me and resurrected so that I may have eternal life through You.
I confess Lord that I have sinned against You and broken your laws and commandments. Today I ask You to forgive me of all of my sins, past present and future.
Today I repent and I’ve decided to follow You. Thank You for forgiving all my sins.
From this moment, come into my life Lord Jesus & take full control of my life. I want to follow You Jesus and I want to follow Your ways. Save me and from today, make me a new creation in Christ.
I receive You Lord Jesus right now by faith. I trust You as my Lord and Savior – Amen”

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