Are you following Christ or spirituality?
There is a definition of being spiritual according to the world, and then God has His own standard and defining of “spiritual”. Be aware that there are different practices of “spirituality” that doesn’t align with God’s word and desires, so that you won’t name every “spiritual” involvement as godly. There are evil spirits that have eased both covert and overt spiritual dangers in the world.
Anything an evil spirit could lead us into can ultimately be classified as sin (disobedience to God’s righteous command). Sin can manifest itself in endless ways even in the field of “spirituality”. So, this blog will not focus on every misleading vice (according to God’s word), but will skim some common ideas and compare them to God’s true calling within Christianity.
The Idea of Ascension and Christ-consciousness
Sweet morality! The thing that missing from the world! If only we could all evolve into our higher selves, this would save the world, right!?
Wrong.
The idea of wholeness is a good aim, but we can never be whole without God the Father. Sickness, natural disater, disabilities, possessions and death will always be apart of our world despite our character.
It is a myth that we die and return to this world for another chance at growth. It is a myth that gives no justice to victimns presently suffering pain from fallen spirits or hope of escaping the corruption of a psychotically damaged mind. We are empty of true salvation without the intervening and redeeming power of our creator God. We need His external abilities of restoration.
Jesus came to earth, sent from God, born of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit to be the God-Man crucified for mankind’s sins, yet perfectly innocent and resurrected by God’s holiness. Jesus is the light of the world, who came to earth, sent from God, to show us God’s hope beyond this world and the grave. He testified of an afterlife. He unlike any one else deemed a prophet was resurrected, which showed His exclusive favor and divinity.
Some spiritual practices name Jesus as simply “the perfect moral example” for our exhibition of transcending/ ascension, and say that we can all be “gods” or “Christ”… but Jesus warned us against such beliefs (Matthew 24:5), and continued on to preach and speak of our God who made a first and second death as the judgement for our sin/evil ways in this world, and said that “God” alone is good, and unless we’re “born-again” our dying flesh will overcome us and perish by just wrath…
That unless we’re born again in the Spirit (His Spirit being renewed in us by the propitiation made by Christ, that we may repent, be forgiven and redeemed by faith and trust in Him) reunited with God and all His love and power, there will be no ascension/ no salvation/ no sanctification and going to the new heaven and earth place the Lord is preparing for His redeemed people.
Going higher/ becoming better vs. Redeeming relationship with Christ/God (who is beyond us [Creator God] and alone holds true [healing] power.
Now, biblically speaking, and keeping in step with proper doctrine (which is important because proper doctrine leads to the proper God who prophetically prove the scriptures true to show their authority)), there are no levels of transcending or ultimate “ascension” without Jesus. Though believers will be raised (one could even say ascend if we know the correct perspective of it) and will receive a new body, fully sanctified, surrendered and known under the righteousness of God, this happens not by our works (not by meditation, good deeds, ect.), but by faith in Christ, as He is the meditator between man and God.
- Hebrews 12:5 “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
- I Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,”
- I Thessalonians 4:13-14 “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
Christianity is not to be compared to any other religion.
All religions except Christianity speak of a form of “works salvation”, but God’s gospel message of Jesus Christ alone says that God has finished the saving work completely through Him.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Idols – Spiritual Objects and Witchcraft
Exodus 34
14: “(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),”
17: “You shall make no molded gods for yourselves.
Because Christ is our mediator, there is no need to create or look to any creation/ or person to have fellowship with God. God is not bound to places or objects, rather He has always created an intimate space for His people to know Him. Now God welcomes Jew and Gentile to know Him personally through Christ at any moment and position in life. God, in His word says come, repent and believe (Matthew 3:2; Acts2:38), and Jesus says if we ask in His name, the Father will share with us (John16:33).
This is wonderful!! Though culture may build alters and follow methods and superstitious routines to receive the favor of God, God is not summoned by the will of man, but by His grace alone He impartially gives.
And our God is displeased with outlets that blaspheme who He is and go against what He has commanded about these devious vices the enemy has sown into our world to keep us divided from the true God, in sin/ corruption, lost, alone, bound by limits and forbiddance of His holiness in need of justice…
- Leviticus 26:1 “‘You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God.”
- I Samuel 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”
- II Kings 21:6 “Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.”
Return to and rest in the simple purity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God delights to share His Spirit with us, and to not only promise and make us redeemed bodies sharing the Holy Spirit, but people who walk with Him, Our Heavenly Father, and the Son of God, Jesus our Lord and Savior.
- II Corinthians 11: 2-4 “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
- Galatians 1:6-10 “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.