Jacob Ninan
New Age is a term used to refer to a modern set of views concerning God, man and morals that have essentially been borrowed from Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, etc. These religions themselves have diverse views on these subjects, and New Age is a loose term that envelops all.
One of the concepts from New Age that has infiltrated Christianity is something that is actually absolutely contrary to the Christian understanding of God and man. But it has had a major part in corrupting Christian teaching and practice in several areas in the recent times. Christians who believe and practise these concepts are not aware that they are wrong or that they have come from New Age. One of the concepts of New Age which I am referring to here is that god is an all-pervasive, impersonal energy which we need to tune in to in a way that it can work for us. For example, a crystal therapist says that placing different coloured crystals in strategic positions over our body can capture and channel this energy into our body to heal us. Pranic healing and Reiki which supposedly draw out this cosmic energy into a patient's body for healing through the practitioner are similar practices (the fact that some of these practitioners actually succeed in healing some people points to the presence of evil spirits). Some modern concepts of Christianity are essentially expected to work in a very similar way, where people try to tap into the resources of God using appropriate techniques and channel His power into their lives.
True Christianity believes in an almighty, all-knowing, all-present, all-loving God who is a Person similar to us in terms of personality (because we have been created in His image). He is not an impersonal energy which can be tapped into by certain procedures such that He cannot but do what He is expected to do! He is a sovereign God who does only what He wants and decides to do. Even though He listens to our prayers it is only what is according to His will that He will actually do.
If God were otherwise, amenable to manipulation by sinful and imperfect people and bound to do whatever they compel Him to do by their actions, He would not be the God of the Bible. Then He would be like the New Age energy which is at our beck and call, to be manipulated according to our will. If we expect that when we do certain things and then God has to oblige us with what we want, wouldn't that be a superstition? By superstition we mean unreasonable beliefs about the relationship between the natural things we do and the supernatural things we expect God to do. Christians too can have such superstitions!
For example, isn't it a superstition to believe that by speaking out what we want to happen we can make things happen? But based on misquoting a proverb (Prov.18:21) many Christians believe their words have power! In other words, just like placing crystals on our body and expecting healing, all we have to do is to speak out what we want, and God will be obliged to make it happen! At the same time, these people get scared that something negative that they carelessly spoke is going to happen! Of course, what we speak can help others or they can cause much damage, but that is not because words have any kind of supernatural power. It is true that God spoke and things happened, but we are not God! The power is in God and not in the words.
"If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven" (Matt.18:19). Taking this as a technique to get prayer answered, Christians try to get others to 'agree' with them about what they are praying for. But the answer does not come still! This is not a technique to follow but an assurance that when two or more people recognise something as the will of God they can be sure that it will be given to them. There is a guarantee for answered prayer only if it is according to the will of God (1Jn.5:14), even though Jesus encourages us to ask for anything that we need (Jn.14:14). Another related superstition is that if we spend the whole night in prayer, get a large crowd to pray for us or we fast and pray God will become obliged to grant us our prayer. The assumption behind this is that the more quantity or sacrifice there is in prayer, the more we will acquire rights before God to claim our prayer, forgetting that prayer is only a request (Php.4:6) and not a demand, and that techniques we use cannot 'tap' into God's power.
Many books on prayer actually describe techniques or procedures to follow in order to get answers to prayer. Some Christians prescribe the Lord's Prayer as a step-by-step procedure to make an ideal (successful) prayer – praise and worship to God, praying for God's kingdom and His will, asking for our needs, forgiving others and asking for forgiveness, and praying for protection (Matt.6:9-15). If we follow these steps mechanically, will they assure us of an answer?
'Seed money' is already an old concept now, preached for many years especially through TV, saying that if we 'sow a seed' of any amount of money as an offering towards God's work, God will be obliged to grant us a hundredfold return! This also involves forcing God's hand to give us blessings.
Numerology is a procedure where the letters of one's name are chosen in such a way that their numerical value adds up to a lucky number! Then such a person will draw in 'positive energy' from around him (a New Age concept) and find success. But what about us Christians thinking that there is blessing in the number 7 (drawing that conclusion from the Bible)? Didn't some Christian come out with the finding that God favours the number 12 (the tribes of Israel and the disciples of Jesus) and suggest that any Christian committee should have 12 members to receive God's blessings? What is the concept implied behind such assumptions? That a certain arrangement of things can produce supernatural results as a result of their alignment?
A recent addition to this list is the process of 'activating' one's faith or spiritual gifts or 'tapping into' God's power. Haven't you seen advertisements inviting people to workshops where their prophetic gifts will be activated? We are used to activating our phones, accounts, etc., but does the Bible ask us to 'activate' spiritual things? Do we imagine that any procedure or activity that we do will automatically draw out God's power towards us? Doesn't this remind us about the New Age concept of 'energy' being all around us and our doing some technique to tap into it?
What is missing in all such gimmicks is a personal relationship with God as our Father through Jesus our Saviour and the Holy Spirit as our Helper. But it is all about manipulating God. What is the concept of God behind such techniques? That He is sitting there loaded with blessings for us and that all we have to do to get those blessings is to follow certain techniques. It is all about an impersonal God!
God is a sovereign Person who thinks, feels and makes decisions. He does whatever He wants (Psa.115:3). No one can question Him, dictate to Him or make Him do anything. We have been given the privilege of knowing Him as our Heavenly Father when we approach Him on the basis of the blood of Christ which was shed for the forgiveness of sins. We can relate to Him through His word and prayer, aided by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. We can open our hearts to Him and tell Him about whatever we think we need. But if we have any understanding of who He is and what we are before Him, we will happily yield everything to Him for His decision. We will not even dare to manipulate Him or try to bring Him into a corner where He will be forced to do what we want.
But this understanding of God and our relationship with Him is becoming rarer and rarer because of the proliferation of techniques that are promoted, promising quick and guaranteed results! Let us get to know God personally instead.
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