New Age and the Original Lie

It’s a time of graduation here and throughout the whole country. I can still remember how I felt when I graduated. It’s a great turning point for a young person, a time when many leave home perhaps for the first time and are exposed to new people and new ideas.

Lately, we've learned about the events of the last days. 1 Timothy 4:1 says: "in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons." This is a sign that the end of the age is near.

Early this year, my wife found a book called Seth Speaks in a used bookstore. Seth claims to be an entity who was conscious before our earth was formed. He supposedly dictated this book through a medium in the 1960s. Some claim the Seth material launched the modern New Age movement.

It seems clear to me, after reviewing the book, that Seth is a demon.

C.S. Lewis says there are two mistakes we can make when it comes to demons. One is to refuse to believe they exist. The other is to fear or have excessive interest in them. The Holy Spirit protects us from demons so we need not fear them. Because God is Sovereign, demons operate only under His rules. Even Seth says that he cannot communicate with anyone without permission. Susan read the book not because of an unhealthy interest but because she has a family member who believes that Seth’s words are true. She thought perhaps knowing what Seth said might help her better understand her loved one.

Two things continue to amaze me. One is that many intelligent people believe in the New Age philosophy. The other is that these ideas are nothing more nor less than a repetition of the original lie in Genesis 3. But if you hadn’t read Genesis 3, I guess you’d be susceptible.

The serpent said to the woman: "Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden?" The serpent implied that God was keeping something wonderful from the woman. Seth says the same thing: "How can your soul have boundaries, for boundaries would enclose it and deny it freedom."
The serpent said, "You will not surely die." Seth assures his readers, "There is no death as you think of it." The doctrine of reincarnation is accepted uncritically by many intelligent and educated adults in America today.
The serpent said, "When you eat of it your eyes will be opened." Seth says: "There are other realities all about you, but you ignore their existence. Little by little you must wake up. My purpose is to open your inner eyes."
The serpent said, "You will be like God, knowing good and evil." Seth says we are all incipient gods. He denies the existence of evil, claiming that everything is part of the greater good, regardless of appearances. He says, "Limited, dogmatic, or rigid concepts of good and evil can hold you back."

I was especially interested in Seth’s comments about Christianity and Christ’s crucifixion. He said little about the other world religions.

There was a historical Christ. He was not crucified.
Others felt a crucifixion was necessary to fulfill the Jewish prophecies.
There was a conspiracy to make a martyr out of Christ.
Another man was drugged and told he was the Christ.
Judas pointed out the impostor in order to save the life of the real Christ.
Christ was a great psychic who caused wounds to appear upon his own body because others expected Him to have them.

The true Christ, Seth claims, is an entity like himself who will come to earth again at the "Second Coming." He will be known as a great psychic and will straighten out Christianity and set up a new system of thought. Through it, the inner nature of man will free itself from the constraints that have bound it. Everyone, even small children, will be in touch with their divine inner nature. This sounds suspiciously like the Antichrist, the counterfeit who will be eagerly accepted by most as the savior of the world.

New Age ideas have infiltrated mainstream culture and are even found in many churches. They are positive, upbeat, appealing, even alluring. Seth repeatedly asserts that there is no devil, no death, no sin, no evil, no hell and no predestination. The apparent difference between good and evil is an illusion, he says. Everything is really just part of the greater good.

Our graduates will come into contact with New Age ideas in college if not before. The best defense is to really know the Bible. New Age ideas are subtle and may appear at first to be compatible with Christianity. Since this particular counterfeit is so popular, it is very important to teach children to recognize the original lie. We are in spiritual warfare. One principle of warfare is to know the enemy. By reading and studying the Bible, we inoculate ourselves from deception.

There is one truth. There are endless lies and counterfeits. Before I began in-depth study, I believed the Bible, but I didn’t really KNOW the Bible. It would have been much easier then to believe attractive lies that appear compatible with it. Before I knew the Bible, I was nearly influenced by a friend who had recently become a Jehovah’s Witness.

The Bible says there are eternal consequences to our choice of who and what to believe. May we all be committed to whatsoever things are true.