Carry Your Cross
Carry Your Cross is more than a podcast—it’s a call to bold, Kingdom-centered living in a culture that’s constantly shifting. Rooted in scripture, we tackle real issues at the intersection of Christianity, culture, and modern life. From pressing topics to raw testimony, each episode delivers truth, perspective, and practical wisdom to strengthen your walk and empower you to carry your cross with purpose and conviction.
Carry Your Cross
#16 Unmasking New Age Spirituality
In this conversation, I delve into the deceptive nature of New Age spirituality and its philosophical counterpart, New Thought. I discuss how these belief systems infiltrate culture and even the church, promoting self-empowerment and denying the need for redemption. I emphasize the importance of biblical truth in countering these teachings and highlight the dangers of replacing God with self. I conclude by affirming the true gospel of Jesus Christ as the only source of real hope and redemption.
Takeaways
- New Age spirituality promotes self-worship and denies the need for a savior.
- New Thought teaches that thoughts can control reality and heal the body.
- These movements offer false hope and burden individuals with unrealistic expectations.
- Scripture directly confronts New Age and New Thought teachings.
- The heart is not the ultimate authority; God is.
- We are not divine; we are dependent on God.
- Suffering is not a sign of spiritual failure but can deepen faith.
- Redemption requires repentance, not manifestation.
- New Age teachings infiltrate the church, masquerading as motivational talks.
- The true gospel is about receiving new life through Jesus, not self-empowerment.
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Alright folks, if you haven't already, make sure you take a moment to go and listen to episode 15 with Abel Delgadillo. that episode we talked about fatherhood, biblical masculinity, and what he's doing in the community with Saved by Grace, which he is the small group leader of. and give it a listen. Episode 15, Abel Delgadillo.
Pretty soon I'm going to have on Tim Reed and that man is a walking encyclopedia. can't wait to pick his brain anywhere from, well, I'm not going to spoil it. Just tune in for that episode. That'll be coming up soon as well. Today we're diving deep into something that's everywhere, but rarely recognized for what it is. A belief system that's been shaping our culture, our churches.
and even our personal struggles without many of us realizing it. We're talking about the deception New Age spirituality and its philosophical cousin, New Thought.
So, let me ask you something. Have you ever heard someone say, just speak it into existence? Or maybe, the universe has your back. Everything happens for a reason. Or,
Change your thoughts, change your life.
Sounds positive, right? But what if I told you these uplifting messages are rooted in a lie? What author and apologist Melissa happy lies, a dangerous distortion of truth wrapped in glittery spiritual language. Let's unpack it.
So, new thought began in the 1800s. It's core idea that your mind can control reality. That your thoughts can heal your body, attract wealth, and shape the world around you. It teaches that God, or a universal intelligence, is not out there, within you. You are, in essence, divine.
Then came New Age, which exploded in the 1970s and 80s. It took new thought and blended it Eastern, mysticism, astrology, crystals, yoga, energy healing, you name it. The New Age movement says spirituality is whatever you want it to be. It's self-guided, self-defined, and ultimately,
self-worshipping.
why it sounds good but isn't. Here's the thing, these movements sound appealing. would want to believe that they can think their way to happiness? That the universe is bending over bless them? That their pain can be erased with just a
But Melissa a former follower of these teachings, exposes what's really behind these beliefs. She says, they're not just wrong, they're spiritually destructive.
Everyone go and check out her book, Lies, where she exposes new age and new thought, which is running rampant now in Christian circles.
But here's why they're spiritually destructive. replace God with self. In New and New Age, you don't need a savior. You just need to align your energy or vibrate higher. It's the oldest lie in the book. You will be like God. Genesis 3, 5. So these New Thought leaders use
Genesis 3 justify their practices. And number two, they deny sin and the need for redemption. If everything is energy and you're already divine, then sin doesn't exist. Only low vibrations. That's not just bad theology. That's spiritual blindness.
They offer false hope. thinking can't heal terminal illness. Manifestation can't fix a broken soul.
These teachings burden people with unrealistic expectations, then blame them when they suffer.
Finally, they infiltrate the church. Maybe you've heard sermons that sound more like motivational talks. believe it and receive it. wants you to be rich. that's not the gospel. It's new thought in a Christian costume.
So here's scripture's take on all this. Now you might be wondering, what does the Bible actually say about all this? Are there scriptural foundations to push back against these teachings? Absolutely. let's be clear, scripture doesn't just disagree new thought and new age.
directly confronts them.
Let's walk through a few key truths. Number one, the heart is not the ultimate authority. God is. Jeremiah 17, nine.
tells us, heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick. Who can understand it? New age thinking says, look within. God says, look to me. Feelings can deceive, truth can't. That's why we need scripture, not guide us.
Number two, we are not divine. We are dependent. New thought teaches that we are little gods, quote unquote, with creative power in our words and thoughts. But Isaiah 45 five says, I am the Lord and there is no other besides me. is no God.
humbles us. We're not the creator. We're the created. And that's good news because our hope isn't in our own power, but in the one who holds all power.
Number three, suffering isn't a sign of spiritual failure. In John 16 verse 33, Jesus says, this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world. The prosperity gospel rooted in new thought claims that if you're suffering, you must be thinking the wrong thoughts or
speaking the wrong words. That's a lie. Scripture shows us that suffering often deepens our faith and draws us closer to Christ.
And number four, redemption requires repentance, not manifestation. Acts 3.19 says, repent therefore and turn back that your sins may out.
That's the gospel, not manifest your blessing, air quote, but repent and believe.
not speak it into existence, but deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. Luke 9.23.
So let's be crystal clear. New age and new thought spiritually are not harmless add-ons air quote to your faith. They are counterfeit gospels and the Bible warns us about that too. In Galatians 1 8 it says, even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary
to the one we preach to you, let him be accursed. The stakes are high. This isn't just about feeling good. It's about knowing the real God and not trading him for a God who looks a lot like us.
So ladies and gentlemen, here's the good news. You don't have to fall for the world's counterfeits. There is a truth that doesn't change based on your feelings. There is a God who isn't an impersonal force, but a loving father. There is real redemption, not through your thoughts, but through the cross of Jesus Christ.
Christianity isn't about manifesting a better life. It's about receiving new life, eternal life, through the death and resurrection of Jesus. It's not about self-empowerment. It's about dying to self and finding true joy in surrender.
If you've been drawn to new age or new thought ideas, I get it. They promise peace, healing, control, but they can't deliver on any of it. Only Jesus can.
book, Happy Lies, is a powerful guide for anyone wanting to break free from these false teachings. She speaks with clarity, compassion, and yes, a little snark, because truth deserves to be spoken boldly.
So listener, you don't need to manifest your destiny. You don't need to find the divine within. You just need to turn to the one who made you, knows you, And gave his life to save you. Turn from the lies, turn to truth.
