Grace Thoughts
Hypocrites and Pagans – Navigating the Narrow Gate (Pt 3)
Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14
I began telling you two stories at the beginning of our series. One was about hypocrites. The other was about pagans. Both are challenges to navigating the Christian life successfully.
Investigating Paganism in the Church
We saw in the last part of our series that Jews in the Macedonian town of Berea “searched” the Scriptures to see if what Paul and Silas told them about Jesus Christ being the Son of God/Son of Man/Messiah of Israel was true or just another “pagan” tale. Jews living outside Israel in the 1st century AD were surrounded by pagans and paganism, and were careful of any belief system not supported by the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). That’s why they carefully searched the Scriptures to see if Paul and Silas were telling them the truth about Jesus being Lord and Savior – the promised Messiah.
Christians today need to do the same thing. Paganism (Neo-paganism/New-ageism) has infiltrated the teaching and beliefs of American Christians. Half or more believe and practice some type of paganism. I think that has played a role in the decline of Christianity in the Americas, including the closing of thousands of church buildings every year. As we saw in the last part of our series, a large number of younger Christians believe that evangelism (preaching the Gospel to the unsaved) is wrong. They don’t think it’s right to try to change what people believe is true. It’s not “culturally” correct or appropriate. That in itself is a type of Neo-pagan perspective.
Paganism in the 1st century AD included the worship of many gods (polytheism), while Judaism and Christianity worshipped one God (monotheism). Pagans also worshipped the spiritual power of “nature”, while Jews and Christians viewed nature as the creation of the Creator God. The Apostle Paul explained it this way in his letter to the Romans –
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Romans 1:18-25
Even though things look bad for the American church, let’s not forget that Jesus said He would “build” His Church. He is doing that right now. We are not seeing the decline of the “Church” that Jesus is building. We are seeing the decline of what many of us have thought of as “church” for most of our lives. Christians have too often thought of “church” as a building where Christians met to worship and fellowship. Even “house churches” in America are not immune to Neo-Paganism. Where Christians meet is not the issue. What they believe is the problem.
Resources for Investigating Neo-Paganism
So, how does a Christian go about investigating whether any teaching or practice in a church, denomination, conference, Christian college, or seminary is Neo-pagan (New Age)? While the process is not difficult to follow, it does takes time to discover and uncover the deception. It’s doing what the Bereans did – investigating to see if a particular teaching is true or false.
Step One – Learn How to Study Your Bible Correctly and Thoroughly
The Berean Jews were able to determine the truth of what Paul and Silas taught because they knew their Bible and how to study it. That’s important for any Christian who wants to ensure they can identifying false teaching (e.g. Neo-paganism, New-ageism). Be sure that you use a reliable Bible and study it carefully. That will help you know whether something you hear or see is true or false.
Here are some resources you can use to help you do that. There are many others, but these will help you get started –
What Is God’s Word? Why Study It?
Can I Trust My Bible Translation?
Can I Trust The Bible – Part 1
Can I Trust The Bible – Part 2
Can I Trust The Bible – Part 3
Can I Trust The Bible – Part 4
Can I Trust The Bible – Part 5
Can I Trust The Bible – Part 6
Step Two – Learn About Neo-Pagan and New-Age Deceptions in “Christianity“
[Many of the following articles and videos are the works of former Neo-pagans and New Agers who are now strong Christians.]
Top Five New Age Teachings in the Church
Post-Christian or Pagan?
How a Christian Can Have New Age Beliefs and Not Even Know it
What is the New Age movement? What do new agers believe?
Christian Answers for the New Age
Why I Quit the Enneagram
From New Age to Jesus: My Story Out of Deception
Biblical Responses to the New Age Movement
I Left the New Age Behind When I Read the Old Testament
Why Doreen Virtue Left the New Age to Follow Jesus
Word of Faith Pastors Using “Christianized” New Age Teachings
From Darkness to Light: One Woman’s Journey out of the Occult, with Jac Marino
Is Progressive Christianity Christian?
5 Ways Progressive Christianity and New Age Spirituality Are Kind of the Same Thing
Another Gospel?: A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity
What is ‘New Age’ Religion, and Why Can’t Christians Get on Board?
Former psychics tell all, and warn Christians NOT to have psychic readings
Why I quit “holy yoga” – Former instructor speaks out
Apologetics for False Preachers & Teachers
Step Three – Learn How to Identify Neo-Pagan and New Age Teaching in Your Church or Denomination
One of the primary principles of investigative journalism is to – “follow the people.” If you hear your pastor or Bible teacher mention a book they’ve been reading in preparation for a sermon or lesson, look up the book online. Who is the author? What other books has the author written? Look for videos of the author teaching or speaking. Is the author a pastor, teacher, professor, or denominational leader? Do you read, see, or hear anything that bothers you about the author your pastor or Bible teacher is looking to for spiritual guidance? By “bother” I mean anything that runs contrary to what the Bible teaches.
If your pastor, Bible teacher, or worship leader says they’re planning to attend a Christian conference, look up the conference online. Who are the speakers? Those are the people who will have some effect on the theology and teaching of the people who teach you. Check out each person speaking at the conference. What do they believe? Have they written books? Have they recorded podcasts or videos? Do you hear or see anything that bothers you about any of the speakers?
When you spend enough time investigating the backgrounds of celebrity pastors, teachers, singers, authors, etc., you will become adept at spotting pagan/new age influences. In fact, you will eventually be able to spot a pagan/new age problem months or even years in advance. Some of the celebrity “Christians” give away their dangerous theology early in their careers. If Christians pay close attention to what’s being written and taught, they can spot that dangerous theology before small celebrities become big celebrities in the Christian world.
Step Four – Learn How to Address or Avoid Neo-Pagan and New-Age Teachings and Practices in “Christianity”
Once you have identified a teaching or practice in your church, denomination, Bible study group, etc., as Neo-pagan/New Age, you need to decide whether to “address” the problem or “avoid” the problem.
Addressing the problem means following one way Jesus and His apostles taught Christians to address false teaching or practices. You might begin by taking one or more like-minded Christians with you to talk to the person(s) teaching or practicing Neo-Paganism/New Ageism. If the person is the pastor, you might take a few undeceived elders with you. Be cautious when dealing with elders who are involved in false teaching. They are often masters at deception and can make you look like you’re the person practicing false teaching or trying to ‘stir up’ trouble.
Avoiding the problem means following another way Jesus and His apostles taught Christians to deal with false teachers and people who practice false teachings in the church. If you have the support of the pastor and/or elders in your church or denomination, this is the New Testament way to handle the problem of Neo-paganism and New-ageism in your congregation or denomination. Check out the context of each Scripture so you know how to apply the avoidance properly to the offense –
Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Matthew 18:15-17
O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. 1 Timothy 6:20-21
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. Romans 16:17
But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 2 Timothy 2:23
But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned. Titus 3:9-11
I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person. 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
[Sexual immorality is mentioned often in the Bible as being connected to paganism. Paul told the Corinthians that the sexual immorality of two of their members was such “as is not even named among the Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 5:1). Given the list of sexual sins Paul mentioned in Romans 1, to say that Christians could be guilty of sexual immorality that even the pagan Gentiles didn’t do is nothing short of terrible. Christians should not participate (partner with deceivers) in any type of sexual immorality. If they do and will not repent, Paul says the church is to “put away from yourselves the evil person.” You can read 1 and 2 Corinthians to see how the church in Corinth responded to Paul’s rebuke.]
There is the possibility that you may find yourself in the position of being alone in your concern about Neo-pagan and New-Age teaching and practices in your church or denomination. Avoiding the problem in that case may mean you’ll have to leave the church or denomination and find somewhere else to worship, serve, and fellowship. That’s not easy to do, especially if you’ve attended a church or been in a particular denomination for many years. However, obeying God is always better than obeying men.
Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Acts 4:19-20
If your only choice is to move on, by all means move on. If you think you can make a difference by staying, you can try it alone but your chances of breaking through the deception will be slim.
The Apostle John sums this issue up nicely at the end of his first letter –
We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. 1 John 5:19-21
Christians and Idols
Idol worship is anything that becomes more important to us than the worship of God. Read the Old and New Testaments and you will see that is true. Jesus spoke about the “gate” leading to life being narrow and difficult. He said “and there are few who find it.” I’m now in my sixth decade as a Christian after having lived as an atheist and a Neo-pagan before that. I can attest to the truth of what Jesus said. The “way that leads to destruction” is broad. It’s easy. Just do what everyone else is doing. Don’t rock the cultural boat. Blend in with the culture. Be a cultural Christian and life will seem good – until you find out it’s not.
Cultural Christianity in America (which according to many national surveys is a majority of “Christians”) has opened its arms to Neo-paganism and New-ageism. It’s popular and makes participants feel good about themselves and their life decisions. The problem is that cultural Christianity is not “biblical” Christianity. It’s not what Jesus Christ taught. It’s not what the Spirit of God inspired the apostles to teach. People are being deceived as they walk in and out of church buildings in America every week. People are being deceived as they go about their lives with no thought about whether what they believe and practice is approved by Jesus Christ or not. What matters to them more than the approval of Christ is the approval of the culture.
I could write more about this problem, but this is hopefully enough to interest you in learning more about Neo-Paganism/New-Ageism in American churches, denominations, conferences, schools, seminaries, books, and music. It’s a mess and it will take a huge shift in Christian thinking to clean it up.
May God bless you richly as you study His Word and follow His Will. May He give you the strength to make tough decisions that lie ahead of us all as the “deception” grows stronger.
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:1-5
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Founder & Director of GraceLife Ministries View all posts by gracelifethoughts
