Who's Your Daddy?
I was
accused of being into New Age religion instead of Christianity. I thought if a
friend was concerned about my faith; it was worth checking out. One of my aims is to work out my
"salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12). I went online
and found some criteria to describe New Age beliefs. When I'm done writing this article, I should
know if I'm a liberal Christian or if I've slipped over into the sin of not
following Jesus and need to repent.
1. Jesus was not and is not the only Christ, nor is he God.
I believe
Jesus is the ONLY Son of God. I believe He is God and part of the Three in One"
godhead or Trinity. I believe the Apostles' and Nicene creeds of the early
church without changing the definitions of any of the words from how they've
been interpreted since they were written.
2. Jesus was not and is not the only
Christ, nor is he God.
I believe
Jesus is the ONLY Son of God and the ONLY Christ. We are called the sons (lower case)
of God (Galatians 3:26) but only Jesus is the Son (capital letter) of God. I believe Christ is not Jesus' last name like I thought as a little
child. The term Christ defines His role of Messiah. I believe He is fully God
and fully human; and He is a member the Trinity. The Trinity will never become
a Quinity to allow a fourth person in - so Jesus is the ONLY Christ or ONLY son
(our only position in the Trinity is we’re in Christ who is in the Trinity).
Even before the world was created, He was the Christ and will be throughout
eternity.
3. "God" is impersonal,
cosmic, a God of energy forces.
I believe
God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is very personal and loves all people and
lets it rain on the just and unjust and gives oxygen to those who believe in
Him or don't. However, to those who are open to have a relationship with Him,
they open the door not only to their salvation but to a very personal and
potentially intimate relationship with Him.
God is a gentleman and won't force us to be saved or have a growing
relationship with Him; however, His love will continually and constantly woo us
into the depth of His love - we accept or reject that magnanimous offer every
second of every day.
"The Cosmic Christ can be defined as that aspect of God which
pervades all of creation, the Christ who "fills the universe in all its
parts" (Ephesians 1:23) (quote by Margaret Pirkl). I found that definition of Cosmic Christ in
agreement with the scriptures and my beliefs. The Cosmic Christ has been a
Christian doctrine for a long time and the term started with St. Francis of
Assisi and Clare. (born in the last 1100s). Just as the term Trinity does not
appear in the Bible but the concept does; the expression Cosmic Christ does not
appear in the Bible but the concept is there.
The God of energy forces. Interesting concept. Science says energy is
what holds everything together. Energy
keeps the electrons from flying off and away from the proton and neutron; it's
energy that keep the moon moving around the Earth; it's energy that keeps
planets going around the sun and continues to the Milky Way Galaxy moving
around whatever it moves around. In Col
1:17 the scripture says he holds all things together. Science tells us energy
always was and won’t end; and the Bible tells me God is infinite
Omnipotence – He always was and will never end. From those two example, I
could possibly extrapolate that God is energy.
I'll take the Bible's word over scientists' words; however, I won't rule
out that science is in agreement with the Bible even though most may have
reached that through non-Biblical means.
According to Brown–Driver–Briggs
Bible Dictionary, the Hebrew word tôqephmeans, means
"authority, power, strength, energy."
In Greek, Dunamis is most often translated "power"... also
ability, abundance, mighty work, miracle, etc... "Power" in the NT
also comes from Exhousia or "authority". Seems like the Bible writers
were trying to communicate a similar idea but had to use words that readers
could relate to. In the OT, Power is most often from "Yad" or Hand.
Anciently the hand was symbolic of mystical Power
4. Man is himself
God, for he consists of and is the creator of "the forces." Man
already exercises the powers inherent in his divinity and needs only to awaken
to this fact.
I had to think about that statement a while. It is not a concept I had
ever heard before. I'll break it down. God is God and man is created
by God and subject to God. With Christ in me the hope of glory (Col 1.27),
that does not make me God, it makes me empowered by God to grow and change and
be obedient, etc. But it does not change me from a creation to a creator.
With Christ in us, we have the powers of the gifts, fruits and ministry
of the Spirit and yes, we do need to awaken to this fact for which God has
gifted us with. But these are not play toys; but gifts to use in obeying Him.
They are given without repentance but they operate as the Holy Spirit wills and
not as our hopes and desires want. Thus, any power I have is a gift from God to
manifest his love and to bring glory to Him - it has nothing to do with me
except that it gives me a way to grow in obedience; and I'm shallow enough to
enjoy when His gifts move in me because it helps me feel I belong (which I do
whether I consistently remember that or not). He loves me and I belong to Him not
because I deserve it or have earned it; but because it is His attribute to love
that expansively and connect that deeply.
5. Man should seek and accept
spiritual instruction and direction directly from the spirit world.
I believe our instruction should come from God, the Bible and tradition
(stated like a good Anglican). I've heard some New Age believers use spirit
guides and angels to direct them. That would not work for me since I want a
deeper relationship with God; and being instructed, directed and befriending
God is part of my journey into a deeper walk with God.
6. All
religions and religious teachings lead to the same goal. All are equally of
merit.
I believe most religions have some moral teachings that are important
for a (hopeful) more civilized society and less hostile and selfish world;
however, only Christianity has Jesus who shows us the fullness of God. (Colossians
2:9). If the goal of religion was morality; then most religions would compare
equally; however, the goal of Christianity is to show us our need to repent
(have a change of heart) and form us into the image. Thus the goal is
different.
7. The "ancient wisdom" of
Babylon, Egypt and Greece - not the Bible - is the basis of all truth.
I believe
that Jesus is the way, the TRUTH and the life.(John 14:6) I believe the difficulty in this time is
seeing Jesus without our preconceived blinders, the influence of Greek philosophy,
Victorian morality or the Western political and religious agenda of greed,
etc. To me, in truly seeing Jesus we see God. (John 14) I call this "gazing on the beauty of
God" from Psalms 27.4. He is the ONLY door for the sheep (John 10).
As mentioned
in the previous paragraph; the difficulty is learning to not read the Bible
with our political/social/economic filters on but to read it in purity. The
question mentioned Greece; yet some Bible scholars say Plato had a bigger
influence on the church then Jesus did. As I learn a little about Plutonian
philosophy, I think that question is true. Several times I have listened to the
free online sermon series "De-Greecing the Church" by David Pawson. I
have found it quite an eye opener.
From my own
reading and for my own life, Plato's division of body and spirit are
antithetical to Jewish Jesus's harmony of body and spirit. Yet, dividing body
and spirit (or soul) is such an integral part of Christianity for almost two millennium
that I don't think it can be extracted.
8. Sin and evil do not exist. Peace and
love are the ultimate realities.
I believe
the Bible shows us what sin and evil are; and they certainly do exist. For
example, the Bible says adultery is sin; I agree. I see the damage it causes to
marriages and the marriages that have ended because of that sin.
I think some
believers and unbelievers label things sin and evil that are not specified in
the Bible as sin or evil. Is using an accordion in church to praise God evil
because that instrument was not mentioned in the Bible? Is my cell phone evil because it was not
mentioned as kosher in the scriptures? Thus, if seems it is my intention of
good or evil in my use of things is important. If I use my car to rob a bank,
that is evil; if I drive somebody to church for a service, that is good --- the
car doesn't change to good or evil because of how I used it.
As I look
back on my life, most of my personal growth in trusting God came through the
times that were riddled with sin and evil against me. In hindsight, I can look
back at those times when attacked by sin and evil and be grateful because it
drew me closer to God and was the fire that refined me. (Malachi 3:3). The
Bible says what was meant for evil God turned into good (Genesis 50:20) - and
that is truth.
CONCLUSION: I'm still Christian. I'm a Christian
who is learning to dislike labels; but didn't know how to answer my friend's
concern without the use of labels. I
have moved from a predominantly Fundamentaist or Conservative leaning to become
more Liberal; however, I'm still very much in the Jesus game and hyped about
it. I'm rooting for both the Liberals and the Conservatives or Fundamentalists
because we're all brothers and sisters in Christ.
So, who's my
Daddy? It's my heavenly Father; and I
believe He's doing a fine job in raising me to be what He would have me be.
The eight questions
are taken from http://www.jeremiahproject.com/prophecy/newage01.html
