Are you a Christian currently practicing or holding on to New Age beliefs without knowing it?
Do you or have you ever practiced the law of attraction? Do you witness New Age teachings surrounding you and or your church? Are you currently being told that you can 'manifes' something something you want into your life?
The rise of New Age spirituality and its infiltration into the Christian faith is a growing concern for many believers. The Pew Research Center's 2017 survey revealed that many Christians unknowingly hold at least one New Age belief, with 60% embracing at least one of four common teachings.
What does this mean for the church and its followers?
The Law of Attraction, in particular, has become a popular topic in recent years, thanks to the mainstream success of books like The Secret. This concept teaches that our thoughts and emotions have the power to manifest our desires and create our reality. While it may seem like a harmless, feel-good concept, the Law of Attraction has its roots in New Age spirituality and is, in fact, a false teaching that conflicts with the Bible.
As Christians, it is important to be aware of these teachings and understand how they conflict with traditional Bible teachings. But it's not enough to simply be aware - we must also be willing to speak up and address these issues within our churches and communities. If you don’t feel confident enough to have these conversations, you can begin your research by taking some some time to study for free on youtube, read blogs (check the sources) and if you can, pick up some books! At the end of this blog post we’ll share some of our favorite channels and books to learn from.
"Even more frightening, many churches around the United States today actually embrace New Age teachings and incorporate them into their services." – Josh Peck
The ultimate tool..
Aside from other resources, the Bible is our ultimate tool for discerning false teachings. If you don’t have a Bible and don’t know what Bible to get, start with a study Bible, click here for one of our recommendations. It's important that churches focus on teaching Scripture without taking it out of context to satisfy a cultural and demonic New Age philosophy. Scripture and Scripture alone is sufficient to combat the rise of New Age teachings. It is also important for you as a Christian to be able to discern between these teachings and ask yourself ‘do I hold these beliefs and low key don’t even realize’?
How can we do this effectively?
One approach is to emphasize the importance of discernment in our daily lives. We must learn to discern between what is true and what is false, and to test all things against the Word of God.
Another approach.
Although scripture is sufficient, there are many tools that are based on scripture that we have at our disposal. We must educate ourselves and others on the dangers of New Age teachings. Particularly, we can use The Law of Attraction: A Gateway Drug to Spiritual Heroin as a wonderful tool to understand the harm that these practices can cause and to equip ourselves with the knowledge to combat them.
Ultimately, it's up to each individual to take responsibility for their own spiritual journey and to seek out truth in all things. But as a church community, we must come together to address these issues and support one another in our pursuit of truth and the sharing of the good news! If you're reading this and have never heard the good news you can read it here.
In closing..
In conclusion, the rise of New Age teachings within the Christian faith is a concerning trend that cannot be ignored. We must educate ourselves, be discerning, and use the Bible as our main source for discernment. By doing so, we can ensure that we and our churches remain grounded in the truth and continue to spread the message of salvation to all.
Some recommendations:
Books:
Youtube channels:
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