A Contrast Between Biblical Christianity and New Age or Spiritistic Theology and Philosophy
| September 13, 2005 |
| By: Dr. John Ankerberg, Dr. John Weldon; ©2005 |
| This extensive chart reveals how New Age beliefs contradict the Bible. |
A Contrast Between Biblical Christianity and New Age or Spiritistic Theology and Philosophy
| BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY | NEW AGE THEOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY | |
| GOD | An infinite-personal Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 15:2; 2 Cor. 13:14).
Only one true God exists (Jn. 17:3). |
An infinite-impersonal force. God may be considered a universal law, an impersonal principle, universal consciousness, or energy, etc.
Many gods exist. |
| MAN | Man was created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27), and as such is a finite creation who will never become God. (Isa. 43:10; Ezek. 28:1-2, 9)
Man is composed of spirit, mind and body (1 Thess. 5:23). |
Man in his true nature is fully one essence with God.
Inwardly in his true nature man is divine spirit only. |
| SIN | A willful violation of God’s moral law and character (1 Jn. 5:17).
The basic problem of mankind originates in his alienation from God produced through his morally fallen nature and rebellion against God (Isa. 59:2). |
Ignorance of one’s personal divinity and the consequences flowing from this.
The major problem of mankind originates from his ignorance of his divinity and corresponding lack of use of his divine potential. |
| JESUS CHRIST | The only incarnation of God, (Jn. 3:16, 18) undiminished deity and full humanity in one person, the unique God-man (cf., Col. 2:9; Phil 2:5-9). Jesus was born the Christ (Lk. 2:11) and to deny that Jesus was born the Christ is to be “anti-christ” (1 Jn. 4:2-3).
Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, conquering death itself (1 Cor. 15:3-7) and is Lord of all and Savior of all who are His children. Jesus alone is the way to God (Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5-6). |
Jesus is often seen as one of many avatars or cyclical manifestations of the impersonal God or the gods, (just as in Hinduism Krishna incarnates Vishnu). The New Age also offers an endless number of gurus, enlightened masters, spirit guides, etc., all of whom claim to impart enlightenment but whose teachings, in the end, are contradictory and destructive to human welfare. Most New Age teachings and channeled revelations view all people as the literal sons of God. Thus, Jesus is only an example of a man who realized his divine nature and became enlightened; therefore through proper use of knowledge (gnosis) the man Jesus became the Christ (i.e, enlightened).
Jesus did not resurrect from the dead but reincarnated as a higher spiritual entity and therefore did not conquer death, since in his new manifestation he would logically die again. (Some hold he has now finished reincarnating and has merged into the impersonal Godhead; therefore the person of Jesus Christ is now obliterated.) |
| SALVATION | Men are saved from their sins only by personal faith or trust in Jesus Christ. Christ’s death on the cross was a propitiatory atonement, i.e., it satisfied God’s wrath against sin so that God could freely forgive those who trust His son (1 Jn. 2:2; Jn. 3:16). In other words, salvation is from moral guilt by grace through faith leading to victory over sin and death (Ephesians 2:8-9). | Salvation involves enlightenment, i.e., release from one’s ignorance in thinking one is a limited creature and/or individual personality rather than one in nature with the impersonal God. Enlightenment occurs through occult practice and human works such as yoga, meditation, altered states of consciousness, etc. The stress is upon a change of consciousness, not faith and in obedience to Christ. Transformation and enlightenment are produced by a large number of techniques that can be applied to either mind-body and/or spirit— visualization, hypnosis, channeling, etc. No forgiveness from God is needed because sin is only ignorance, not a moral violation of God’s law. Salvation is earned, not a free gift. Man will finally perfect himself; the atoning death and resurrection of Christ are irrelevant and unnecessary because no sin ever existed to be forgiven. |
| DEATH | There is only one life prior to divine judgment (Heb. 9:27); physical death involves the separation of the spirit from the body; spiritual death involves the eternal separation of the spirit from God. Death is an abnormal and temporary condition of existence and was conquered by Jesus Christ on the cross (1 Cor. 15:53-57). Death is therefore no longer an enemy for the redeemed (1 Cor. 15:26). | Death is an “illusion” and carries no final consequences. Although individuals may be subject to karmic repercussions in the next life, inevitably, all men (even if they have regressed into the animal, insect or microbial stage) will eventually reincarnate back into union with the impersonal, absolute God. Therefore, New Age philosophy teaches universalism, that all entities will finally be “saved.” |
| FAITH | Faith is personal trust in God—in His mercy, wisdom, power and love; the goal of faith is to glorify God through one’s trust in Him and is objectively realized in history (Heb. 11:3, passim). Based on God’s will and power, faith can lead to genuine supernatural miracles which are good by definition and glorify God (Heb. Ch. 11). | Faith is power or knowledge/trust in the divine potential of human consciousness; the goal is to see man glorified and deified but this perception is primarily experienced in the subjective realm. Faith is trust in what one’s divine mind can produce in the world, e.g., in the sense of creating personal reality and ushering in the New Age millennium. Faith, i.e., mental affirmation, visualization, occult knowledge, etc., can produce “miracles” (psychic powers) done at man’s command through allegedly divine power but which are ultimately achieved through demonic power and associated with evil, glorifying the devil. |
| HISTORY | Linear, providential, and real. | Cyclical, e.g., in Hinduism periodic, eternally recurring manifestations of Brahman; a result of its maya/lila, arbitrary, and unreal, i.e., a dream or illusion of the Absolute. |
| FINAL GOAL OF HISTORY AND CREATION | The rule of Jesus Christ over the earth and in eternity; eternal heaven for the redeemed in Christ (personal immortality) (Rev. Chs. 21-22). Personal faith in Christ (involving regeneration, 2 Cor. 5:17-18) will result in some degree of transformation of society. However, a dramatically improved world will not arrive until Christ returns physically and rules during the millennium. A perfect universe will not exist until the eternal state arrives at the end of the millennium.
In the end, the problems of human suffering, pain and evil are permanently solved through Christ’s redemption (Rev. Chs. 21-22). |
The arrival of the New Age millennium, ultimate absorption into the impersonal Godhood (personal extinction). Based on a utopian view of the divine potential and powers of man, there will be a dramatic “leap in consciousness,” a fundamental spiritual evolution of mankind. This will be identified by mass conversions to New Age thinking, growing personal enlightenment and a religious, social and political unity that will transcend the individual, personal and nation-state differences which have created our current problems. Some hold this transformation will be gradual although many believe it will constitute a sudden massive shift in consciousness that will occur in a relatively short period of time, e.g., a few decades. Because history is cyclical and continues forever, the problem of evil and suffering are never resolved. There is no final forgiveness of sin, only an eternal balancing and re-manifestation of karma. |
| NATURE OF THE CREATION | Real, fallen, to be eternally redeemed in a new heaven and earth (Rev. 21:1). Rational thought, doctrine, language, etc., are rooted in God and reality since they reflect the nature of God. Jesus Himself is described as “the Word made flesh” (Jn. 1:1-14, cf., Matt. 22:37; Rom. 3:2; 12:2; 14:5; Acts 17:11; Titus 2:1). | An illusion or dream of the Absolute (e.g., Brahman), periodically destroyed (reabsorbed back into the Absolute) and subsequently exuded from the Absolute as illusion (maya). Rational thought, language, doctrine, written revelation, etc., are inadequate and finally meaningless since they too are part of the illusion or maya. In fact, they are a positive barrier to the experience of spiritual enlightenment which is why they must be “transcended” or eliminated. |
| BASIS OF SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE | Divine revelation in the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16). | Solipsistic; internal, subjective, relative. |
| ETHICS | Absolute; based on God’s nature and Word (1 Pet. 1:15-16). | Relative and amoral; based on human autonomy, situation ethics and occult revelations from the spirit world. |
| VIEW OF RELIGION | Only one religion is fully true—biblical Christianity (This is a religious exclusivism, not religious bigotry or intolerance, since ideas are either true or false—not broad or narrow—Jn. 14:6, Acts 4:12). | The core teachings of all religions are the same and refer to the same God leading to the same end point (final absorption into the Absolute, Brahman, the One or the Void). (This is a religious eclecticism and syncretism that ends in pantheism.) |
Interesting that C S Lewis foresaw the convergence of science with mysticism that the New Age thinkers promote:
https://thereluctantsamizdatwordpresscom.wordpress.com/2016/03/04/shiva-the-supermen/
Churches are desperate to debunk Spiritualism because America is leaving the church for it. We’re tired of brimstone religion…Ravi Zacharias says Spiritualism is “gelatinous ideology lacking necessary theological elements to be religion.” He’s right…it’s not religion!
Bishop John Spong says, “Church has always been in the guilt producing, control business and dangled us between their imaginary heaven and hell to control us.”
According to Parade, “What Americans are doing today is separating spirituality from religion, with many people disavowing organized practice altogether. In fact, 24% put themselves into a whole new category, ‘spiritual, but not religious.” (10/4/09 Issue)
So what is the “New Spiritualism” and why is it becoming mainstream?
Find out at blog: http://www.wheretonowstpaul.com/brad/
My only critique for this artical is using words like ” man , all men and mankind ” instead of (human , all humans and human kind) because it seems less inclusive and more like Judeo-Christian originated
who wants to be ultimately absorbed into a God and not exist anymore? that sounds horrible. i have experiences of god myself and have no reason to believe anything else, God has proved himself to me. so believe in the father, son and the holy spirit and redemption through Jesus Christ.
[…] Further reading: https://www.jashow.org/articles/new-age/christianity-compared-to-new-age/a-contrast-between-biblical… […]