Today I wanted to talk about how after salvation, our flesh actually doesn't change. This is important to understand because you might still find yourself liking newage teachings or practices even after you are saved and have "left the newage movement". Or you'll find that your flesh gravitates to other similar religious practices in Christendom.
For example, I still like meditation. Meditation in itself isn't bad or sinful. Quiet meditation such as just sitting quietly and practicing normal deep breathing, while thinking about a peaceful Bible verse can help calm your nervous system. It's when we attach all kinds of religious newage teachings that it becomes a problem- like if we are imagining that we are "at one with the universe" or telling ourselves we can "attract whatever we want into our lives with just our thoughts". My flesh still likes meditation, to ease my anxiety and help with insomnia, but I can choose to meditate on God's Word and God's love for me, His amazing grace, what heaven might be like, etc instead of meditating on false teachings.
It's NOT just ex-newagers who have these kinds of temptations, but anyone who was heavily involved in any kind of false teachings (even false teachings within Christendom). And we face many other kinds of temptations in the flesh too. But as believers, by having God's word built up in our inner man it enables us to be able to bear the temptation. God doesn't take away our temptations, but His word working in and through us makes it possible for us to bear it and overcome it.
1 Cor 10:13 KJB
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Yoga is another example - stretching your body is not a sin. It becomes a sin when you attach all kinds of false teachings and are saying "namaste" before and after your stretching. Also, you don't even have to do specific yoga poses at all to stretch as there are plenty of other stretching exercises that could be done! But my point is that stretching in itself isn't a sin.
Crystals are also not sinful, they are part of God's beautiful creation, but using crystals to "attract prosperity" or "make yourself more loving" is definitely based on false newage teachings. At the same time however, you might also have to completely avoid certain things like keeping crystals in your home for decor if it causes you to stumble and especially if you are not yet established in sound grace doctrine.
These are just a few examples. Newage often takes common everyday things like stretching, or beautiful crystals that God created and makes it a false religious practice and turns them into idols. Satan likes to pervert the things of God most of all!
The Apostle Paul says,
1 Corinthians 10:23 KJB
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
As believers, we are eternally secure and can never loose our salvation (Read Romans chapter 5). That being said, we have to realize that even though we can never loose our salvation, that doesn't mean that we should just do whatever our flesh wants. We should ask if something is edifying or not. We need to also consider our brothers and sisters in Christ around us. We don't want to cause weaker brethren to stumble (read Romans chapter 14).
We need to also give ourselves grace. There will be times that we choose the flesh over the Spirit! But, by reminding ourselves of who we are now in Christ and that our identity is in Him, and renewing our minds with God's word, we can make better decisions.
When we are first saved and then leave newage teachings, we might be hyper-aware of the evil in the world and of sin etc. However, as we become more established in sound grace doctrine, we focus more on Jesus, His love and grace towards us and we relax more. We can REST in Christ! I caution against following the "discernment ministries " and people who are constantly hyper-focused on "exposing" others, or who are obsessed with "Christian gossip". They are actually weak in the faith (even if they are preachers with seminary degrees!). Yes, we should warn one another of false teachings but not be overly focused on it. Most important is to teach people sound grace doctrine so that they will be established, and then they can use proper discernment for themselves.
[As a sidenote: I use the term "ex-newager" to help clarify that I'm talking about believers who left the new age movement. Our identity is NOT "ex-newager". That past is dead and buried! Completely forgiven by Christ! All of our sins - past, present and future are completely forgiven from the very MOMENT we believed the Gospel! We have a new identity now - Christ Himself is our new identity! He is in us and we are in Him! And we are eternally secure in Him, no matter what! Amazing!]
All of that being said, it's important to realize that our flesh doesn't change but our inner man HAS been changed. We are a new creature in Christ! We have to reckon our old man to be dead, and choose to walk in the Spirit instead.
Interestingly, sometimes ex-newagers exchange newage religious practices for religious "Christian" practices- they might immediately get water baptized, join a church, start fasting, confess their sins before a whole church, pray a rosary, visit a "faith healer", etc. But it's all works of the flesh! And even some "good things " like volunteering to help out at church every week can be a fleshly work if you are not doing it based on God's word working in and through you as a believer - you might be doing it because you think you have to perform or to try and fit in with the church people around you! That's why getting established in the foundational doctrines in Romans is essential first and foremost after salvation. We can only serve God by walking in the Spirit.
This also takes time and we need to be patient with ourselves and patient (and gracious) with new believers too.
If you find yourself gravitating back towards newage teachings and practices, just remember who you really are in Christ (in the inner man) and that it's just your flesh desiring those things. The flesh DOESN'T have total power over you anymore. Unbelievers have NO power over the flesh because they are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins and all they have is the sin nature. But as believers we are now spiritually alive in Christ and we can choose to walk after the flesh or after the Spirit. Our old, sinful nature is dead and we are to reckon it to be dead. It's kind of like a chicken with its head cut off- dead but still running around. At the rapture we will have new glorified bodies and we will never sin again. But until that time our flesh wars against our spirit!
Galatians 5:17
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Here are some more great verses to meditate upon:
2 Corinthians 5:17 KJB
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Romans 6:11 KJB
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Col 3:4 KJB
When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
1 Corinthians 12:27 - Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Galatians 2:20 - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Colossians 3:1-4
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Ephesians 4:22-24
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Again I want to emphasize studying through the book of Romans first as it establishes us in the grace doctrines.
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