New Age Beliefs

New Age Beliefs – Could these tenets provide fulfillment?
As a supporter of new age beliefs, never would I have imagined that after 10 years of marriage, two beautiful children, and material prosperity, I would feel incomplete and unfulfilled . . . but I did. I started a costly journey questioning life’s purpose that would break apart my family and cause much heartache. I was empty and I yearned to understand the meaning for my life. What was true?

Restless, I broke my family commitments in order to seek answers at virtually everyone else’s expense.

New age beliefs and spiritualism continued to capture my attention and I read many books and took seminars in my search for “Truth.” I explored reincarnation, past-life regressions, numerology, astrology, tarot, chakras, palmistry, out of body experiences, and spirit guides. I meditated and experimented with drugs and hypnosis in my quest for god-like understanding. I was open to new age teaching and once had a nationally known psychic stay at my home and give readings to others who were seeking.

I especially embraced reincarnation and past life experiences. I was deceived into believing I had lived many past lives and even had other life forms.

Self-empowerment is another deluding tenet of new age spiritualism. The allure is in making one believe that through one’s own power, anything is achievable. It’s all about self effort and tapping into the spiritual power sources all around. Self-centered and prideful, I had placed myself on the throne of my life. If God, or a godhead existed, it was purely to help me become what the world esteemed as important. “Me, myself, and I” were my self-defined Trinity.

New Age Beliefs – Beginning to see the Truth
I began to sense a darkness while seeking new age beliefs and experienced a vague distrust and insincerity with these leaders and acquaintances.

New age spiritualists frequently state that “all paths lead to god.” To accommodate this claim, everyone’s view must be valid -- no one is wrong. This didn’t seem plausible to me and I began questioning the teaching. I desired to know objective truth that I could believe in and rely upon, not subjective (man’s) ideas about truth.

The Bible is said to be God’s truth revealed by divine inspiration -- truths that remain the same -- yesterday, today, and tomorrow! Could this be the truth I was looking for?

Though there is power in the supernatural, I soon realized there is a battle being waged between good and evil. It sounds like science fiction, but the Bible says our battle is against world forces of spiritual wickedness. Disguised as “an angel of light” Satan comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. 1 Peter 5:8 says “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” These are powerful declarations.

As 2 Timothy 4:3 predicts, “A time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accord with their own desires; and will close their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.” This was me.

I began to compare the new age beliefs with those of the Bible. Two important points stood out:

• The Bible says all paths do not lead to God. Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 states “The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
  
  
• The Bible in Hebrews 9:27 states “. . .Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” I learned that reincarnation is a deception which removes an individual’s accountability in their decisions and actions.

New Age Beliefs – Can I find this freedom?
If you are caught up in new age beliefs, but find yourself questioning, wondering if there is more to life, think about the journey I went through. Begin to study the Bible and see for yourself.

Why does Satan, called the prince of this earth, want to blind your mind? There is a spiritual battle waging war for your soul. Our souls are eternal and where they reside for eternity is at stake. What are the choices?

The Bible says we can be forever with God in heaven which has been prepared for those who have placed their trust in Jesus, the Savior. The alternative is a godless realm inhabited by those who refused God’s offer of grace through His Son, and these shall be in eternal torment.

God loves you and created you. Psalm 139 says “You [God] knit me together in my mother's womb . . . All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” He has a perfect plan and purpose for your life. He created you in love, and wants to be in relationship with you.

God also gave you free will. The choice is yours to make, hence, the battle for your soul. You cannot earn your way into heaven by your good deeds (Ephesians 2:8-9). All have sinned (Romans 3:23). A perfect, righteous God cannot have fellowship with sinful man.

Jesus, God the Son, left heaven and came to earth, taking on human form, to offer us a way to have fellowship with God the Father. Jesus lived a perfect life without sin, then sacrificed Himself and died on the cross, taking the punishment for sin that we deserved, upon Himself. He rose again to life, defeating death, thus opening the door for us to have a personal relationship with God. We can walk through that door when we believe this.

Jesus says “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). We must come to the cross, believing in the atoning work of Christ, and humbly ask and receive His free gift. In that moment, we receive forgiveness of all our sin, and begin an eternal relationship with God and the assurance we will spend eternity with Him when we die. You can have that fellowship with God the Father and Creator of all the universe. It is real, and will change your life. You will never be the same. All it takes is a repentant, humble heart and a sincere prayer. God is calling to you right this moment.