NEW AGE DECEPTION AND THE DILUTION OF THE GOSPEL

NEW AGE DECEPTION AND THE DILUTION OF THE GOSPEL

 My friends, you are NOT gods.  You were never designed or intended to be.

 The very first lies that the ‘master deceiver’ strategically concocted and craftily presented to human beings are recorded in Genesis 3:1-5.

 “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.  And he said unto the woman, Yes, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.  And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die: for God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and yOU shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”

 Satan is the master of lies and half-truths.  Yes, you were created in the image of God, after the likeness of God.  Yes, you were endowed with certain characteristics of God.  But no, you are not a god!  At the risk of sounding somewhat uncouth, let me break it down this way.  Does God use a toilet?  Does God need to wash His body?  Does God work for a living?  Does God ever become tired?  Does God contract disease and (as a result) experience death?  Does God make any errors or commit any sins?  I could go on and on.  Although we are much more than our human bodies reveal, meaning that at our core we are alive spirits, there is so much about our nature, our attitudes and our actions that is so very far removed from the supernatural being of Almighty God.

 The foregoing insights frame our inquiry into one scripture that Satan uses as an effective weapon in his New Age-soul-destructive agenda.  It is frequently misquoted and typically misunderstood.  Psalm 82:6 states, “I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”

 First of all, the most accurate translations of the Hebrew word for “gods” used in this scripture, i.e. the translations that align with the totality of God’s Word are recorded in The Message and Amplified Bibles, as follows:

 “I said, You are gods [since you judge on My behalf, as My representatives]; indeed, all of you are children of the Most High.” [Amplified Bible Classic Edition]

 “I appointed you judges, each one of you, deputies of the High God, But you’ve betrayed your commission and now you’re stripped of your rank, busted.” [The Message Bible]

 Therefore, the word “gods” does not literally mean gods.  Rather, it is a synonym for representatives, judges and deputies.  When we translate or attempt to comprehend it literally, and walk away with the understanding that we are some sort of quasi-deities, we are perceiving and proclaiming a message that is devoid of wisdom because it is in stark contradiction to the totality of Bible truth.  According to New Testament teachings, our fundamental task is “rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15)

 This false, misleading, egocentric teaching (that we are gods) is currently projected in pulpits across America.  We must ask ourselves a mission critical question: “What is its source?”  The obvious answer is the New Age movement.  Therefore, we must courageously reveal what it really is, a systemic and deadly spiritual disease that is sweeping the Christian community with the intent of diluting the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is now reaching pandemic proportions.  And Satan, whom Christ identified as “the thief…who comes to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” is its diabolical enabler. (John 10:10)

 What is Satan’s modus operandi?  He is characterized in Genesis 3:1 as being “more subtle” than any of God’s creations.  As such, he skillfully capitalizes on the fulfillment of the end-times prophecy that “knowledge shall be increased.” (Daniel 12:4)  But generally speaking, are we better off for it?  Our generation certainly appears to be far more informed than previous ones, but clearly not any wiser.

 What is the New Age movement?  Generally speaking, it is a conglomeration of humanistic beliefs, with roots in Eastern mysticism.  It includes pseudo-spiritual activities such as meditation, the occult, the teaching that man is inherently good and thus needs to focus on self-help, self-actualization, self-reliance and self-love.  A recent Pew Research study reveals that New Age thinking has aggressively infiltrated the Christian community.

 Let me be clear.  Although we are correct in assuming that humans have intrinsic value (since we were created by God and we are loved by God), the Word reveals that we are born in sin and need to be redeemed by the vicarious atonement of Christ on Calvary’s cross. (Psalm 51:5 – John 3:3;16 – I Peter 1:23)  Thus, there is nothing inherently good about fallen humanity.  In the identical messages of the Psalmist David and the Apostle Paul, “there is none who does good…no, not one.” (Psalm 53:3 – Romans 3:12)  Instead of having dominion and taking authority over this world system (as was the divine plan for God’s highest creation), we have allowed ourselves to be governed by “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” (Genesis 1:27 – I John 2:16)  Notably, these were the exact three temptations that Satan presented to our fore-parents who failed to overcome, and eventually to Jesus Christ who prevailed victoriously over them. (Genesis 3:1-7 – Matthew 4:1-11)

 Now let us carefully note the primary lie that the deceiver presented to our fore-parents.  He implied that God’s true motive for denying them access to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was some strange sort of jealous control, i.e. that God knows that once you disobey and eat, “your eyes will be opened, and you shall be as gods.” (Genesis 3:5)  Think.  How would the omniscient and omnipotent God be somehow intimidated or diminished by the ‘knowledge’ of one of His creations?

 The not-so-subtle strategy of the New Age movement is to deploy this same satanic lie against us.  As “the prince of the power of the air,” Satan seeks to invade the mind (the battleground of spiritual warfare) and appeal to the flesh, i.e. that which is seen, or felt, or would directly appeal to our ego and pride. (Ephesians 2:2 – I John 2:16)  His intent is to cause us to embrace the most subtle and addictive form of idolatry, to worship ourselves and, for all practical intents and purposes, to sit on the throne that must be occupied solely by God, to become captains of our ship and masters of our destiny.  Satan lied to our fore-parents that they could somehow be gods; and he is actively spreading that same lie today.

 We cannot allow this destructive New Age deception to dilute the Christian faith.  This devotional is not intended to denigrate or rebuke any persons or groups, but it is my heartfelt appeal to every one of us to “study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15)  God has spoken; let the church say, “Amen!”

 Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!