THE NEW AGE CHRIST- Introduction
New Agers freely mention Jesus in their literature and discussions. But are they talking about the Jesus of the Bible? The CRI Perspective in a moment.To Christians, Jesus is synonymous with Christ. Thus, we refer to God the Son equally as Jesus or Christ. Trivial as this may seem to some, it nevertheless provides a key to understanding how New Agers view Jesus.
THE NEW AGE CHRIST- The New Age Concept of Jesus
You see, the New Age Jesus is not God Almighty, the second Person of the Trinity. Rather, New Agers reduce Jesus to a mere man who attained spiritual enlightenment through occultic involvement. He numbers among the so-called Masters, like Buddha and Zoroaster, who offer a way to enlightenment. What a far cry this is from the Jesus of the Bible who boldly proclaimed Himself to be not simply a way, but the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)!
THE NEW AGE CHRIST- “The Christ”
As if all this weren’t enough, New Agers go a step further and separate Jesus from what they term “the Christ.” Despite minor differences, all New Agers agree that the Christ is divine, and is often regarded as a cosmic, impersonal entity. New Agers further allege that this Christ-force or principle took over the body of the man Jesus with a view to helping humanity evolve spiritually. This same Christ is said to lie dormant within each person, waiting to be fully realized so that humanity as a whole may experience spiritual enlightenment.
THE NEW AGE CHRIST- The Scriptural Truth
As we to turn to the Bible, however, we quickly realize that such teachings are antichrist, for Scripture draws no distinction between Jesus and Christ. Indeed, Luke 2 and 1 John 4 both proclaim that Jesus is Christ, that they are the name and title of one and the same divine person. There’s no doubt that the New Age Jesus is a counterfeit who preaches a message condemned by the Bible, a “Jesus” that Christians need to expose as an imposter. On the New Age Christ, that’s the CRI Perspective. I’m Hank Hanegraaff.