The New Age. That wonderful time when mankind will evolve spiritually and finally reach its full potential! Or at least that’s what a New Ager will tell you. I would tell you that the concept of the "New Age" and the complex belief system behind it are a grand lie. And in all actuality, it is a very old lie, but given with a new twist. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden when Satan told Adam and Eve that they could be like God. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that those who actually believe in such things are trying to be dishonest and untruthful. On the contrary, they sincerely believe what they are preaching. Tragically for them, though, the concept is not true and they are being deceived.

You would have to be a hermit living in a cave not to have been confronted with New Age beliefs these days. Indeed, these beliefs are thrown in our faces every day on television, movies, books, and magazines. In fact, it is considered "hip" to be knowledgeable about and involved in programs that promote New Age beliefs. In a way, these beliefs have become common knowledge in our society, and for that reason are given a place of credibility by the general populace.

My purpose here is not to give you a detailed expose on New Age beliefs and how they are even creeping into some mainline Christian denominations (trust me, they are). What I’m going to do is to give some common New Age beliefs and then give Scriptures that refute those beliefs. Why go about it that way? Because the Bible is the inspired word of God. If what God says is in disagreement with what anyone else says, I think it is safe to say that we can put our trust in the Lord.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)

"Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’" (Isaiah 45:9)

"They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen." (Romans 1:25)

These three verses show that (1) God is the Creator, and (2) that God is separate from his creation.

"I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is none like me." (Isaiah 46:9)

"Before Me every knee will bow; by Me every tongue will swear. They will say of Me, ‘In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength.’" (Isaiah 45:23-24)

"To whom will you compare Me or count Me equal? To whom will you liken Me that we may be compared?" (Isaiah 46:5)

God is saying in these verses that He alone is God. Mankind is not divine, only the Lord is.

"Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’" (John 14:6)

"I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the One I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins." (John 8:33)

"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." (Matthew 7:13-14)

"Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth." (Revelation 2:14-16)

"Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways." (Revelation 2:20-22)

"All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world." (Revelation 13:8)

"Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face the judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; …" (Hebrews 9:27-28)

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far way, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

"But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

"He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

"Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

"’No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

"He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’" (Luke 16:19-31)

Jesus, you will be told by New Agers, was only a great teacher, but he was not the Son of God as Christians would have you believe. By saying this, they neglect to consider exactly who Jesus said He was. You see, Christians claim that Jesus is divine because, and only because, Jesus claimed that He is God. If you want to check it out for yourself, you can read the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (and then check out Revelation, too).

The argument that Jesus was simply a great teacher but nothing more simply does not hold water. Jesus claimed to be God. You see, there are only two possibilities – either He is God or He isn’t God. The New Agers claim that He isn’t – that He is only a great teacher. The problem with this opinion, however, is that Jesus, if He isn’t God, was either a liar or was deluded. In neither case (being a liar or being deluded) can Jesus be a great teacher. For a more in depth look at this argument, I suggest you read "More Than A Carpenter" by Josh McDowell.

In no case can the conclusions of their argument match the premise. So, either the premise or the conclusions must be wrong. In all actuality, both the premise and the conclusions are in error. Which brings us back to the original question – either Jesus is God or He isn’t God. I can’t make the decision for you, but I can tell you one thing for sure: Jesus was not just a great teacher.

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