Another kind of good Part two

ANOTHER KIND OF GOOD

Deceit – Part 2

The Man

We continue the article, wanting to fly over the vast area of this complex subject, the New Spirituality. We will do this by letting her followers talk about it, their thinking, and their plans. In this article, we bring up the HUMAN.

A. The Man – the new paradigm
1. The divine man
a) The elevation of Man to the stature of divinity.

Neal Donald Walsch – writes in “Conversations with God” that:
• Man is already a God, but he simply does not know it;
• You are exactly, literally, the Word of God, made flesh;
• There were many Christs, not only Jesus of Nazareth. He says that you (man) can also be Christ;

Thomas Merton, a renowned contemporary Catholic mystic and important evangelical writer, claims that being a member of the human race entails a glorious destiny. He says we would fall and worship one another if we humans saw ourselves for who we are, in reality. He claims that there is a “point of pure truth,” right at the center of our being, which is the pure glory of God within us. This “point of nothingness” is in all people, he says.

b) The purpose of life – reassuming divinity
Adherents of the new Movement believe that as we realize that we are all God and that we have His attributes, the whole meaning of our lives changes. This, the purpose of life, becomes the resumption of the divinity within us, of love, wisdom, and perfect intelligence.
Source: Apologetics / A New Age Glossary

2. God and Christ is in all people regardless of religion and belief
We, humans, just need to realize that we were never separated from God.
One of the Catholic mystics, Henri Nouwen, author of the book “Here and Now” tells us that God dwells in the inner sanctuary of every human being.

Likewise, Robert Schuller, an American Christian televangelist, pastor, and motivational speaker, affirms that Christ dwells in every human being, whether that person understands it or not. (Robert Schuller, Possibilities Magazine)

One of the great evangelists of the last period, Billy Graham, makes some statements that justify the claim that he was also influenced by this new ideology. He says that the body of Christ is made up of all the Christian groups around the world, or even outside of them. He believes that all who know Christ, whether they are aware of it or not, are members of the body of Christ. It’s possible, he says, that they don’t even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts that they need something and they turn to the only light they have. He believes that they are saved and that they will be found with Christians in heaven.
(Billy Graham, televised public interview on Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power show)

Graham also believes that Jesus Christ can come into the souls and lives of people, even if they were born in darkness and were never exposed to the Bible. He says that he met people in different parts of the world, in tribal settlements, who had never seen a Bible or heard of Jesus, but who believed in their hearts that there was a God, and tried to live a life that was quite different from the surrounding community in which they lived.
(B. Graham, “Believes Men Can Be Saved Apart from Name of Christ,” Christian News)

In a confession, Billy Graham also stated that he used to play the role of God, he used to believe that the pagans in distant countries were lost and that they went to hell if they did not hear the Gospel of Christ preached. He says he doesn’t believe that anymore. He believes, however, that there are other ways of knowing the existence of God, through nature for example, through which you can say a “yes” to God.
https://carm.org/billy-graham

3. Man’s faith is based on experiencing God, not on His Word
Leith Anderson, an American evangelical Christian leader, author, and pastor, said that
the “old paradigm” taught us that if you have the right teaching, you will experience God. The new paradigm tells us that if you experience God, you will have the right teaching. This, he tells us, can be disturbing to many who assume that truth claims must always precede and dictate religious experiences.”
(Leith Anderson, President of the National Association of Evangelicals USA (NAE), “A Church For the 21st Century”)
Source: http://nae.net/about-nae/leadership/;http://apologeticindex.info/wpn/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/biserica-emergenta.pdf.

Another famous New Age writer, Marilyn Ferguson, tells us in her book “The Aquarius Conspiracy: Social and Personal Transformations in the 1980s” that her understanding of Christianity has broadened over the years after she got involved in meditation (our note – mystical, respectively oriental meditation, prayer contemplative attitude prevalent today even among evangelical leaders in key positions).

She says that she experienced, for example, a vision of Christ that enlivened her more than she had by listening to sermons and dogmas (our note – that is, the teachings of Scripture).
She also makes the least surprising claim, saying that you would be surprised to know how much of the New Age Movement focuses on Christ consciousness (our note – the mystical idea that we are already “Christ-like”, i.e. divine, or, in the early forms of this occult teaching, that we can become or evolve to be “Christian”, i.e. divine).
Many Christian churches know this spiritual experience. Her view is that it offers a revitalization of modern Christianity.
Marilyn Ferguson, „Conspirația vărsătorului: Transformări sociale şi personale în anii 1980”
Source:https://www.resursecrestine.ro/tipareste-resursa/176230
http://apologeticindex.info/wpn/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/biserica-emergenta.pdf

4. Man can create his destiny, without any input from God
We remind Neal Donald Walsch, an American screenwriter, speaker, and author of a series of conversations with God, in his book with the same name “Conversations with God” he propagates the idea that man, each of us, are both creators and created.
(Neal Donald Walsch – “Conversations with God”)

That is why he encourages man, you and me, to think, speak, and behave like the God who we are. He is convinced that the future of each of us is createable. That is why he urges us without hesitation to create it as we wish.
(Neal Donald Walsch – “Conversations with God”)

5. Man only has to realize that he is not and never was not separated from God
This same author, Neal Donald Walsh tells us that we, you and I, are already God. But, we simply don’t know.
(Neal Donald Walsch-“Conversations with God”)

In the book “The Signature of Jesus”, by Brennan Manning, we find the names of monks, who are part of the community of Roman Catholic clergy, and medieval mystics, who contributed to the promotion of modern contemplative spirituality.
It is quite possible that the roots of this New Spirituality are not new, they stretch according to some researchers to the 4th century AD.
For the “New Monks”, all religions at their deepest mystical level use myths and symbols to say the same thing. Thus, these “New Monks” believe that we simply need to realize that the chasm that seems to separate “sinful” humanity from a righteous God never existed. We, they say, are and always have been one with God.
(“The Signature of Jesus,” by Brennan Manning, translated by Stephanus Christian Publishing)

„NOII CĂLUGĂRI” AI LUI BRENNAN MANNING ȘI MONAHISMUL LOR CONTEMPLATIV PERICULOS

Brian McLaren, one of the most influential evangelicals in America, says that he does not believe that making disciples of Jesus Christ must mean making followers of the Christian religion. It may be advisable, he says, that in many circumstances we help people become followers of Jesus, but continue to remain within their Buddhist, Hindu, or Jewish religious contexts.
(Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy)

Leonard Sweet, also appreciated as one of the most influential Christians in America, says that “embodying the New Light” means being “in connection” and “informed” with other faiths, with other religions. He states that one can be a loyal disciple of Jesus Christ without denying “the glimmers of the sacred in the offspring of Yahweh, or Kali, or Krishna.”
(Leonard Sweet, Quantum Spirituality: A Postmodern Apologetic Dayton, Ohio: Whaleprints)

B. Sin and repentance
a) The idea of sin is avoided or directly excluded
People are no longer considered sinners, but gods, or as part of God (pantheism).
God’s unconditional love and grace made it so that there never was, or is, a “sinful” humanity. “Cosmic Christ”, in his great generosity includes all people, from all religions and all beliefs.
This includes the idea of the non-existence of sin, and, of course, the non-existence of the need for repentance.

Robert Schuller makes a startling claim. He says that he does not believe that anything has been done in the Name of Christ or under the banner of Christianity that has proved more destructive to human personality and more counterproductive to evangelistic efforts than the often brutal, crude, and unchristian strategy by which it is attempted people aware of their condition as lost sinners.
(Robert Schuller – one of the first American televangelists and mega-church starters, preachers of the “Gospel of Success”. He also mentored other popular American pastors, including Rick Warren and Bill Hybels)

Joyce Meyer, an American woman, charismatic Christian speaker, and author, said that she is no longer a sinner: “I am not poor. I am not miserable, and I am no longer a sinner”.
Surse: http://carm.org/joyce-meyer
http://www.letusreason.org/popteac17.htm

Word of Faith False Teacher Joyce Meyer’s Shocking Doctrine and Heresy

b) The idea of repentance is considered outdated, even offensive
Swami Vivekananda, one of the most popular and influential modern Hindu mystics, who promoted the idea of religious unity and Vedanta philosophy in the West, addressed Christians by saying that the Hindu refuses to call the Christian a sinner. This is because we are all children of God, partakers of eternal blessing, we are all holy and perfect beings. He says that Christians, and more, are deities incarnate. He says that just calling a man a sinner is a desecration of human nature.
(Swami Vivekananda, speech at the World Congress of Religions in Chicago, USA, 1893)
The Offend
To offend, to insult someone is a serious violation of the right to be respected, of someone’s very dignity. The Bible is very categorical about this. Jesus Christ himself says: “You have heard that it was said to those of old:
Matthew 5:21-22
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
But, as anything taken to its extreme is wrong, this too must be seen with more discernment, especially when it comes to the Christian space, about brothers in the same faith, with the same goal – the salvation of the soul.

The Bible exhorts us to:
Hebrews 10:24
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: ”
Not to be interested in what the one near us is doing, in the Christian sense of the word and of sincere love, not to pay attention to him, your brother, when he goes in the wrong direction, outside the will of God, just because of fear of offending, means that you do not care for him and that you are outside the area of selfless Christian love.

When offense becomes a law unto itself, and yet another that supersedes God’s law, then things go wrong, go awry.

Finally, there is a need for discernment, and consultation between those who care about the wrong one, the sinner, to choose the right way to watch over and show full knowledge of the cause and love the wrong way to the one in question. Even if things are delicate, the truth spoken in love helps more than being silent and hiding under the “law of offence”.

To pass up the possibility of helping someone to repent, to restore or improve their relationship with their Savior, to better understand God’s will in some way, and even to grow spiritually, means that we are not left with much of Christian teaching.

In addition, always remember the Bible verse:
Matthew 7:1-5
“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

c) Likewise, the idea is promoted that the state of “perfection”, “without sin” can be achieved already during life.
We simply ask a rhetorical, natural, question that runs through the entire Bible: if people do not need the Gospel to be saved, but can be saved by their strength, by the “light” they have, then why does Jesus have to die and then say:
Matthew 24:14
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. ”

C. Salvation versus regeneration
a) Redefining the notions of salvation, redemption, and rebirth and replacing them with the idea of regeneration
People being “little gods” or being “part of God”, the idea of salvation is no longer justified.
Lothar Gassmann claims that “salvation no longer means the escape of man from sin, death, Satan, through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, as the Bible states, but the liberation of man’s consciousness to reach supernatural knowledge.
(Lothar Gassmann, New Age – Nuua Éra, edited by Stephanus)

We mention that in Hinduism, where the New Age comes from, salvation means enlightenment. Enlightenment means the awareness of one’s own divinity in man or of man, of the inner self, which is achieved through mystical fusion with the divine. This means self-salvation.

b) Human transformation: personal transformation and planetary transformation.
The notion of “regeneration” replaces the word “birth again,” which is done through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. The word “regeneration” is, however, a much more general notion, with more meanings, which suits the new Movement better.
The counterpart of the word “birth again” in Christianity in the New Spirituality is the word “personal transformation”.

This idea of “personal transformation” refers to the “personal recognition of merging with the Godhead, with humanity, and with the universe.” “This recognition is variously described, either as ‘enlightenment’, ‘attunement’, ‘self-realization’, ‘God-realisation’ or ‘self-actualization’.
It is argued that we need such enlightenment because we, the people, have “accepted the lie”, we have succumbed to the illusion, the human limitation, the limitation of man, because we have forgotten our true divine identity.
(Shirley MacLaine, Dancing in the Light, New York: Bantam)
To get rid of this “lie”, to discover and realize our true potential, say the followers of this Movement, will only be possible through a transformation of our consciousness.
And as for the “planetary transformation” it will be achieved by individuals who have been personally transformed themselves, a true “critical mass”, who will assume the responsibility of transforming the whole society in turn.
Source: Apologetică | Un glosar New Age, Articol: Mişcarea New Age Noua Eră

c) Every man has his own way to God
Henri Nouwen, a prominent neo-evangelical leader, states in his book “Sabbatical Journey” that he believes that since Jesus came to open the door to God’s house for man, all beings humans can enter through this door. Either they know about Jesus or they don’t. He concluded that he had a special mission, a personal calling for him, that of helping each person claim their own path to God.

D. The inclusion of new terms – doctrinal tolerance, ecumenism, synergy, consensus, positive message, etc.
These terms are increasingly present in the speech of pastors in our times, and not only.
Because of the terminology used, especially of Christ and God, the churches can be more easily convinced to accept this new way of thinking, this new orientation.

As a counterpoint to everything affirmed by the New Spirituality related to the relationship between man and God, we recall some biblical verses through which we emphasize the fact that God dwells, through the Holy Spirit, only in those who believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and have received as Lord and Savior.
2 Corinthians 6:15-16
“And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

John 1:12-13
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Ephesians 2:19
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”

Source:
https://apologeticindex.info/wpn/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BISERICA-EMERGENTA.pdf
https://www.resursecrestine.ro/eseuri/176905/atacul-new-age-asupra-bisericii-partea-a-iii-a
Dave Hunt, Seducerea creștinătății, edit.Agape;

Other apologetics resources recommended for further study:
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/
http://apprising.org/
http://www.thebereancall.org/
…………

This article focused on the subject of man concerning from the New Age perspective. But man, the church, etc., are only adjacent targets, not the goal of this New Spirituality. In the next article, Part 3, we present to you what is the main target of this Movement.
To be continued

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