What is meant by the term, "The New Age Movement?"

What is the Nature of Truth?

If we are to find the truth, we must become acquainted with the exact nature of truth. Of all human pursuits, this is the most necessary, fulfilling and rewarding. Ralph Waldo Emerson insisted, "Every violation of truth… is a stab at the health of society."⁵ Certainly the opposite is also correct. Discovering and upholding the truth greatly improves the spiritual health, first, of the individual soul, then second, of that person’s sphere of social influence.

One of the most important determinations any person will ever make concerns truth being objective or subjective. If truth is objective, it is the same for all people, whether it is consciously affirmed or not. If truth is subjective, every person can 'create' his or her own reality. One person can have his 'truth' and another person can claim another 'truth' and both be right simultaneously. This is the foundation stone of "Pluralism": "the belief that the world is far too complex for any one philosophy to explain everything" and that all religions are equally effective means of achieving the Ultimate State.⁶

The following quote by John Hay Allison exemplifies this view-point well:

“Truth is the disciple of the ascetic, the quest of the mystic, the faith of the simple, the ransom of the weak, the standard of the righteous, the doctrine of the meek, and the challenge of Nature. Together, all these constitute the Law of the Universe.”

If truth really is the "disciple of the ascetic," then it can be manipulated or altered by a single person to fit a worldview imagined by him to be genuine. If it is simply the "faith of the simple," then any simple person could have faith in any desirable, spiritual concept and for him it would be correct. If the "standard of the righteous" automatically qualifies as truth, then any righteous person could set any moral or religious standard and for him it would be "truth": perfectly just and right.

If this is the criterion for acceptable doctrine, then authority for setting standards rests in the hands of men, not the hands of God. We must make a quality decision concerning this central and crucial issue. Either the "Law of the Universe" is a product of human intellect (to which God himself is subject) or a product of the wisdom of God (to which man must be submitted in order to have a fruitful and meaningful life-both now and forevermore).

The following parable pleads the case of truth being objective:

A man climbs to the top of the Empire State Building. A number of persons are sitting there who appear knowledgeable. So he poses the question, "What will happen to me if I jump off the edge of this building?" Several responses indicate drastically differing opinions. One person asserts, "You will sprout wings and fly over the Atlantic Ocean." Another informs, "You will free-fall ten stories, then a net will automatically swing out from the building and catch you. You will have a very exhilarating experience." Finally, a third warns in no uncertain terms, "You will fall all the way to the ground and be immediately killed by the impact."

Though this proposed situation is certainly unrealistic, it illustrates an important point. Choosing the correct view is absolutely essential, because the outcome is a matter of life and death. Of course, only one answer is true, that which is objectively correct for all, regardless of personal opinion. So the question we must ask ourselves is this - If someone would show extreme caution over a choice like this (stepping off the edge of the Empire State Building) should we not all show even more care over a far greater transition (stepping from time into eternity)?

Certain natural laws rule the natural realm-like gravity, friction, inertia, magnetic fields, and so on. Whether we acknowledge these laws or not, they are constantly influencing us and will ever remain a permanent fact of our physical existence. In like manner, it makes sense to believe that definite spiritual laws govern the spiritual realm-which remain the same for all human beings and affect us all, whether we acknowledge them or not.

One permanently established divine law is the declaration that reconciliation with God is only available through the cross. The very beams of the cross-being vertical and horizontal - speak of God and man reunited. The cross of Jesus is the connecting point between time and eternity and the main thing that sets the Christian faith apart from all other religions. The apostle Paul declared that "the preaching of the cross" is the "power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18) At the very place where it appeared that God himself became utterly weak, he imparts his awesome power to men-power to overcome sin, power to master the flesh, power to overcome this world. Our appraisal of this truth should be similar to Lyn Landrum’s:

“That the Potter should die for his clay is a stupendous miracle.”

O, that all men could see the wonder of this mystery!

“God Is One! We Are All One!”

In the past thirty years I have asked many advocates of various Far Eastern religions if they have ever considered receiving Jesus into their hearts. Quite often I receive a kindly spoken answer like:

"God is one! We all are one! We are all seeking the same God different ways."

I deeply appreciate the humility, compassion and consideration for others a response like this indicates. But I must say, humbly, compassionately and out of deep consideration for others, that I have strong reservations about any statement that implies this view. I agree wholeheartedly that God is one. There definitely is only one God. However, through the millenniums, many theories have surfaced in this world about the Creator, some of which are right and some of which are wrong.

In a similar, analogous way, the solar system is one – there is only one solar system containing the planet Earth. However, there have been various ideas promoted regarding its nature, some of which have been right and some wrong. For instance, in the second century, an astronomer named Ptolemy promoted the idea that our solar system is earth-centric: that the sun, moon and other planets all revolve around the earth on a backdrop of unmoving stars. Over a thousand years later, the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus offered an opposing view: that the solar system is instead heliocentric (sun-centered), that all the planets, including the earth, revolve around the sun.

Both of these ideas cannot be true simultaneously. If one is right, the other must necessarily be wrong. Of course, modern astronomy has proven Copernicus’ viewpoint - though scorned and rejected in his day - to be the correct one. Had Ptolemy and Copernicus lived at the same time, and were it possible for them to dialogue concerning their beliefs, Copernicus would have never suggested to Ptolemy, "Truth is relative. Truth is subjective. You can have your truth and I can have my truth and we can both be right simultaneously.” To even consider such a merging of ideas would have been absurd. One viewpoint had to be accepted at the expense of the other being rejected.

Based on similar logic, we can further deduce that God is either internal or external before the experience of salvation. Both concepts cannot be true simultaneously. Ultimate Reality is either an impersonal cosmic energy or a personal God - it cannot be both. The 'self' in man is either identical with God or distinct from God - it cannot be both. True religion is either man-centric, focusing on man’s superlative greatness and his ability to tap into and control some mysterious, inner, divine energy, or it is God-centric, focusing on the matchless wonder of the Redeemer God and submitting lovingly and worshipfully to his Word and his will. The human race is either saved by grace or by self-effort. We each have only one life or we have many incarnations. Either Jesus was the only incarnation of God or he was just another Avatar, another prophet, another teacher. In all these areas, only one of the two opposing beliefs can be retained while the other is discarded.

Hindus, Buddhists and Jainists tend to express a great deal of sympathetic open-mindedness concerning other worldviews. However, when their foundational beliefs are closely inspected, they are found to be very exclusive. Geoffrey Parrinder offers this penetrating observation:

“It is sometimes thought that only the Semitic religions believe that they have revelations, which tend towards exclusiveness, and that Hindus accept anything and believe that anybody can be saved by doing, or not doing, what any religion teaches. But Hindus have been as insistent as Christians and Muslims that they have a divine relationship, which is the only way to salvation… Sankara [a teacher of Advaita Vedanta, born 788 A.D.] believed that only the Vedas could give knowledge of Brahman… Buddhists and Jains also claimed to have the final truth; the Jains holding that he alone is righteous who believes the true teaching [of Mahavira], and Buddhists that anything which contradicted the Buddha’s teaching could not be true. So modern exponents of Hinduism should make it explicit that such statements as ‘All religions are true’ are made only on their own authority, and do not represent the orthodox Hindu tradition.” ⁷

Rabi Maharaj also explains that "the Vedanta Society, founded by Vivekananda, the successor of Ramakrishna, with centers around the world, professes to teach tolerance for all religions. However, the 'unity of all religions' it espouses is really not liberal or broad-minded, but is based upon this uncompromising monism which says that everything is One."⁸

Divided opinions on major issues even exist between many religious groups that trace their roots back to Far Eastern religions. For instance, in defining his "Krishna Consciousness" Movement, Swami Prabhupada unashamedly promotes exclusivity. He quotes Krishna as saying, "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me."⁹ Adding to this, he gives his own suggestion, "Give up all other ideas of so-called dharma, or religiosity… Krsna is theauthority."¹⁰

Another popular Eastern leader in the Western world, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, describes Transcendental Meditation in glowing terms, "If this teaching is followed, effectiveness in life will be achieved. Men will be fulfilled on all levels and the historical need of the age will be fulfilled also."¹¹ Yet Swami Prabhupada responds to the Transcendental Meditation movement quite negatively, "They do not know what real meditation is. Their meditation is simply a farce."¹² So who is right? Or could it be that neither of them is interpreting truth and reality correctly?

The Dalai Lama, exiled leader of Tibetan Buddhism, admitted the irreconcilable differences between Buddhism and Christianity in a recent interview:

“The entire Buddhist worldview is based on a philosophical standpoint in which…all things and events come into being purely as a result of interactions between causes and conditions. Within that philosophical worldview it is almost impossible to have any room for any temporal, eternal, absolute truth. Nor is it possible to accommodate the concept of a divine Creation.

Similarly, for a Christian whose entire meta-physical worldview is based on a belief in the Creation and a divine Creator, the idea that all things and events arise out of mere interaction between causes and conditions has no place within that worldview. So in the realm of metaphysics it becomes problematic at a certain point, and the two traditions must diverge.”¹³

Many years ago I instructed my yoga students that they could find God by looking within and that from within, the divine nature would be awakened. Now, as a Christian minister, I share instructions that are much different: that God is transcendent, separate from human beings, and he must be invited to come and dwell within their hearts. I also teach that this experience can only happen through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and his redemptive work. As a believer in the Bible, I now fully realize that these two traditions cannot walk side by side (as well as many of the other traditions mentioned in this book). As the Dalai Lama honestly and correctly disclosed, they "must diverge."

Having experienced both the Christian and the Far Eastern mindset, I can speak with absolute certainty on this issue. Jesus’ life and teachings are unique and unmatched by any other religious belief system in the world. The New Testament refers to this as "the mystery which has been hidden from ages and generations… Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians1:26-27) Though it was hidden from the human race for millenniums, thank God, the mystery has now been revealed! And though many of us have wandered far from God, he still beckons lovingly from above. According to Jesus’ teachings, we are all 'lost' - groping through spiritual darkness and grasping for reality - yet to all of us the Good Shepherd extends a gracious invitation: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20)

You may have seen the famous painting titled, The Light of the World that portrays this promise. Jesus is shown standing at night in a garden, holding a lamp with one hand and knocking on a heavily paneled door with the other. When the artist, Holman Hunt, formally unveiled this work of art, a number of art critics were present. One of them noticed what seemed to be an obvious flaw. He abruptly pointed out, "Mr. Hunt, you haven’t finished your work!" "O yes, it is finished," the artist replied. "But there is no handle on the door," countered the critic. With calmness Holman Hunt responded, as if his answer was well rehearsed, "That is the door of the human heart, and it can only be opened from the inside."

I would urge you to hold this statement suspended in the inner chamber of your soul as you finish the remaining pages of this book. Why? Because the kernel of truth it offers needs to be replanted in our thinking again and again…

Yes, it is so very true…the human heart can only be opened from the inside.
Man’s Nature and Basic Need

Why is it is so important that we open our hearts to the entrance of God’s Spirit? This question is answered when we discover man’s true nature and his basic need. As the illustrations on the previous page reveal, man is a triune being (in the image of the Triune God) - comprised of spirit, soul and body. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 4:12.)

Prior to the experience of salvation, human beings are "dead in trespasses and sins." (Ephesians 2:1) This condition affects our whole being and is first an inherited status. When Adam transgressed God’s command in the beginning, he died spiritually and began dying physically. This condition was passed to all of Adam’s offspring ("for in Adam all die"). (1Corinthians 15:22) So we all enter this world spiritually dead. Inevitably, we pass through damaging experiences in life that can further darken the soul with death-dealing attitudes like anger, fear, guilt, depression, lust, selfishness, and so on.

Many human beings are flesh-ruled, driven by their passions and locked inside of their senses. The soul is the primary functioning part of the invisible nature of persons who are not born again. Because the soul is the abode of the mind, will and emotions, prior to the experience of God’s reality, our problems are often soulish-involving mental and emotional struggles. Furthermore, a weak will often causes us to fall short of the inner dictates of the conscience. This often causes a deadly cycle-more failures, more inner struggles-more inner struggles, more failure. When the soul finally 'overloads,' people are driven to make a choice: either give up on higher ideals and give into the flesh, succumbing to its deadening influence, or make an attempt to change in a positive way. A great deal of intellectual, emotional and moral reformation can take place without God’s intervention simply by self-analysis, self-denial, self-discipline and self-help: psychological, philosophical and religious. However, these means always fall short of the full work that must be done to fill the void in man. 'Soulish problems' in human beings cannot be fixed until their 'spirit problem' is solved.

The human spirit, in the original perfect man, was the fully functional abode of conscience, intuition and communion with God. Once sin separated man from God, a state of spiritual death set in. Communion with the Creator ceased and is no longer possible (by man’s effort) unless a relationship is initiated by God, and in this era, until true salvation takes place. Intuition (which includes revelation, inspiration and creativity) descended primarily into a lesser, non-spiritual expression (intellectual or artistic). True intuitive knowledge about God became quite limited and rare. Being out of touch with God, men have made many assumptions about the nature of God. Some have been right; many have been erroneous. Only those who received direct revelation about God’s character and purposes (like Abraham or Moses) got a firm grip on truth. Other seekers may have received some elementary, intuitive glimpses into the nature of Ultimate Reality, but often these 'insights' became mixed with other false, man-made views. Many religions have developed correct guidelines about moral behavior, yet this has resulted not as much from intuition, as from the influence of the conscience.

This third aspect of the spirit remained most active after the fall, though according to the Bible, it too is darkened, defiled and undependable. The conscience is a gift from God, but it is not the evidence of the presence of God within the heart. The conscience is that inward sense of what is morally right and morally wrong, that carries with it a desire to do what is morally right. However, the conscience is a barely burning ember where there used to be a raging fire of sensitivity to God. When a person becomes born again, the conscience is cleansed "from dead works to serve the living God."(Hebrews 9:14)

So when the Bible describes unsaved people as being "dead in trespasses and sins," this does not mean a state of absolute death, or we would not be functioning at all! This is biblical hyperbole - intended exaggeration that shows the seriousness of man’s plight. For instance, some say that a developed human mind is only functioning at about 10% of its potential. So, to use the same kind of language, the mind is about 90% 'dead.' It is not dead in an absolute sense, but a relative sense -(related to what it was originally in a perfected state).

The New Birth - When a person is 'born again' this curse of death is reversed. Three primary things happen: (1) The blood of Jesus cleanses the inner man from sin; (2) The human spirit is regenerated (made new); (3) The Spirit of God takes up His abode within the spirit. Notice it is the spirit that is initially reborn, not the body or the soul. This is far different than just a moral reformation brought about by a response to conscience. Ezekiel, the prophet, revealed God’s promise concerning the impartation of the 'born again' experience under the New Covenant, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26) Once man’s spirit is regenerated, it once again becomes the abode of true communion with God, correct intuition and a revived conscience (all of which manifest according to the level of a person’s consecration to God).

From that point forward, the spirit should daily influence the soul toward a strong will, godly emotions and a mind filled with correct interpretations of the truth. The goal of a true Christian is for the spirit to become the dominating influence in his or her life, daily transforming the soul and bringing the body under subjection-anticipating the final 'rebirth' of the body also, into a glorified state, at the Second Coming of Christ.

Identifying the True Light

Recently I happened on a simple, yet striking metaphor penned by a man named Samuel Rutherford:

"If you saw a man shut up in a small room, idolizing a set of lamps and rejoicing in their light, and you wanted to make him truly happy, you would begin by blowing out all his lamps and throwing open the shutters to let in the light of heaven."

Though I related to this analogy and sensed its worth, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy. The sequence of events just wasn’t right. Extinguishing someone’s only source of light could easily be misinterpreted. An act that was truly sincere and compassionate could be construed to be a belligerent and aggressive one. Besides, if you strip a person of his dependencies before giving him a superior replacement, he will quickly rise to his own defense. Had I composed the allegory, I would have worded it differently:

"If you saw a man shut up in a small room, idolizing a set of lamps and rejoicing in their light, and you wanted to make him truly happy, you would begin by throwing open the shutters to let in the light of heaven. Automatically, with exceeding joy, the man would then proceed to extinguish all manmade lights himself, realizing their inferiority.”

One of my chief desires in writing this book is to make others "truly happy." In the preceding pages, therefore, I have attempted to throw open the shutters of truth to let in the "light of heaven," the glorious light of the living God! I pray that I have achieved this goal. If I have, then those who read my words will quickly discern the insufficiency of artificial, manmade 'lights,' extinguish them, leave them behind and turn their faces toward man’s true and only Source.

One Old Testament prophet portrayed the coming Savior as "the Sun of righteousness" who would arise with healing in his wings. (Malachi 4:2) When Jesus came into the world, how brilliantly he radiated the truth! And when he arose from the dead, what a healing, revitalizing, enlightening effect he shed forth toward all those who would ever come to him in faith! No wonder one of his chief disciples explained:

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men… that was the True Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” (John 1:4, 9)

This passage speaks two very important things:

First, it reveals that Jesus shines his eternal light upon every person born into this world. I believe this is more than just an admonition that the Gospel should be preached to every people-group in the earth. It rather implies that Jesus, as the Light of the world, spiritually influences every individual inhabiting this planet. Sometimes the signs of his influence are quite evident; sometimes they are subtle and barely discernible. Often the results of his influence are not even attributed to him. Instead, other gods or non-biblical teachings may be credited for the changes that take place in people’s lives.

However, it is the Spirit of Christ worldwide that constantly, subliminally convicts the souls of men concerning their sin, stirs their consciences and draws their hearts toward a life of devotion to righteous principles. This could very well explain why there is some evidence of truth in almost all religions. Tragically though, many have not heard the story of Jesus, so they fail to understand how salvation through Christ can be obtained. (See John 6:44, Romans 2:1-16.)

Dealing with this calamity, the Scripture goes on to explain that "the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:5) I believe this happens often. After being inwardly influenced by the Spirit of Christ-by the stirring of the conscience-men and women truly repent of their sin and alter their lifestyle. But they fail to comprehend the next steps that need to be taken (most often, because of lack of biblical instruction), so they embrace religious ideas more readily accessible to them regionally or more comfortable to them culturally.

I now recognize that years before I became a Christian, God was dealing with me. His Spirit was drawing me, influencing my choices, convicting me of sin and creating in me a deep thirst for spiritual realities. Though I did not recognize it at the time, "the True Light which gives light to every man" was beginning to light up my life. I was only fully 'enlightened' when I acknowledged the Source of the light, when I called on that Name the Bible says is "above every name," accepting Jesus as Lord of my life. (Philippians 2:9)

Second, the declaration that Jesus is the "True Light" implies that there is a false light as well. Even though I gleaned some valuable truth from all the books I studied and teachings I received as a yoga student, it is clear to me now that the majority of those teachings were untrue - they were 'false light.' They were spurious attempts to analyze the nature of the Creator and man’s relationship with him.

I also realize that the supernatural experiences I received were deceptive. The times my soul exited my body into the astral plane, or into 'white light,' were all counterfeit occurrences, false light. Of course, no one could have convinced me of such a thing at that time. Yet I should have heeded Jesus’ warning, "Be careful lest the light in you be darkness."(Luke 11:35 RSV) Once I experienced the "True Light" it became very simple for me to identify the false. It will work the same for you. Once he illuminates your heart with his indwelling presence, he will illuminate your mind with the correct interpretation of truth.

Many New Age and Far Eastern teachers emphasize the heart above the mind. For instance, one well-known guru insisted, "All religions are basically dear to me. It is not so much what you believe that counts, but what you are." Though I absolutely agree that character is much more important than creed - I must add that the latter, in many ways, gives birth to the former. What you believe actually determines what you are, so it is of the utmost importance. Even the Bhagavad-Gita states, "Man is made by his belief. As he believes, so he is." (Bhagavad-Gita 17.3) And Jesus exhorted that true worshippers must "worship the Father in spirit and in truth" - so character ("spirit") and creed ("truth") are both vitally and equally important. (John 4:23)

Of course, you may still have many questions about certain aspects of the teachings of Christianity, but please don’t allow these to prevent you from experiencing the reality of Jesus. Only after you come into a personal relationship with this Christ of Calvary will all the answers fall in place. I cannot emphasize this too much. Knowing him is the priority; knowing about him is the result. In his day, Jesus answered some of his critics with the statement:

“My teaching is not My own. It comes from Him who sent Me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether My teaching comes from God or whether I speak on My own.” (John 7:16-17 NIV)

Again, this is the key-those who make an effort to approach God according to his will (according to God’s revealed plan of salvation) will inevitably experience the reality of Jesus. Once a person experiences that reality, he or she will know the validity of the doctrine Jesus promoted. Do not seek to be convinced of the doctrine first; meet the One who authored it.

Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati suggests, "Your first and foremost duty is to know who you are. Without knowing oneself real life does not begin." I respectfully offer that our first and foremost duty is rather to know the true God - because when we discover him, automatically, we discover ourselves. So let me encourage you with the same words Kent Sullivan spoke to me in the Fall of 1970 – "Just try Jesus!” Once you experience his reality, everything else will fall into place. So this really is the answer… and once again, I share it in deep, heart-felt compassion: