10 False Teachings That Could Ruin The Soul

            The Bible instructs every Christian to “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11, NIV). False teaching,¹ most certainly, falls into the category of the ‘fruitless deeds of darkness.’ Hence, it is incumbent upon every sincere Christian to expose the false teachings prevalent in churches today.

                        Here’s a list of 10 most dangerous false teachings, which, I believe, have the potency to ruin our soul, if we believe and act according to them. In other words, we may not² be saved if we believe and live according to any of these teachings:

            1. No Truth: Postmodernists claim there is no truth. In other words, there are no objective standards of truth, rationality, and logic. They subscribe to alternate concepts such as relativism and subjectivism. Postmodern Christians subscribe to this notion as well. The Emerging/Emergent Church Movement is a derivative of postmodernism. The devious import of LGBTQ agenda into the church of Jesus Christ is an outcome of the postmodern thought process.

            2. No Bible: The detractors of Historic Christianity claim that the Bible is not the sole authority for a Christian. You can assimilate just about any religious book and trust just about any book that may seemingly offer you wisdom. This is another postmodern thought.

            The Roman Catholic Church buys into this thought as well. The Catechism of the Catholic Church believes that Muslims, just as Christians, would be saved even though they do not believe in Jesus or the Bible, so much so that the Catholic church considers the Quran and the Bible as coequals, “841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."³³⁰”³       

    

            Another variant of this teaching is to believe that the Bible is corrupt (filled with error) and fallible. This erroneous belief led the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, to start a new religion.

            3. No Jesus: Those who deny Jesus may believe in HIS divinity, but they also believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is not the only way to heaven. You can believe in just about any god and still go to heaven, they claim. Even if you do not believe in God, you can go to heaven. These are some of the various strands of Universalism. Quite a few Christians believe in Universalism or Inclusivism.

            4. No God, this Jesus: Jesus Christ is not God. Jesus Christ was a mere man during HIS life on earth. “Any teaching that redefines the person of Jesus Christ. Doctrine that denies the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, His sinless nature, His actual death, or His physical resurrection is false doctrine. A group’s errant Christology readily identifies it as a sect or cult that may claim to be Christian but is actually teaching false doctrine. Even many mainline denominations have begun the rapid slide into apostasy by declaring that they no longer hold to a literal interpretation of Scripture or the deity of Christ. First John 4:1–3 makes it clear that a denial of biblical Christology is “anti-Christ.” Jesus described false teachers within the church as “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15),” says Gotquestions.org.⁴

            Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was a mere man when he was born on earth.

            5. No Resurrection: Jesus Christ did not [bodily] resurrect. Proponents of this erroneous teaching either subscribe to a notion that Christ did not resurrect or Christ’s resurrection was not a bodily resurrection. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Christ’s resurrection was spiritual and not a bodily resurrection.

            Another false teaching that can be accommodated into this category is that Jesus did not die, but lived on to marry and have children. This was the main theme of the bestseller book Da Vinci Code.

            6. No Trinity: “Mormons believe that the Trinity consists not of three persons in one God but rather of three distinct gods. According to Mormonism, there are potentially many thousands of gods besides these,” says an article in The Gospel Coalition.⁵ 

     

            Christian apologist J. Warner Wallace claims that those who deny the Trinity subscribe to some form of polytheism or they deny the deity of Jesus Christ.⁶

            Trinity is actively denied by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Oneness Pentecostals, and Unification Church, etc.

            7. No Hell: Seventh Day Adventists believe that hell is not infinite torture. An article in Christianity.com states, “Adventists believe that hell is not an eternity of suffering and torture. They believe God is just but also merciful and it’s not in the nature of God to torture the unrighteous for eternity. Instead, sinners and unbelievers will ultimately die for eternity.

            Most Adventists believe some variant of annihilationism, which says that after final judgment, all unbelievers will be destroyed rather than suffering in hell. In this belief, the Old Testament and New Testament say that the final end for nonbelievers is total extinction. For example, in Romans, Paul describes hell as a final punishment, where the wicked die, perish or are destroyed.”⁷

            Annihilationism proposes a lack of hell. Those who subscribe to annihilationism believe that the wicked will die once and for all, thereby escaping the horror of hellfire. 

            8. No Grace, But Hyper-Grace: Hyper-grace teachers abuse God’s grace and teach people that our sins are forgiven once and for all (past, present, and future). Hence, there is no need to confess and repent our sins to God. “In short, hyper-grace teachers “pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality” (Jude 1:4) and flirt with antinomianism…Hyper-grace preachers also claim the Holy Spirit will never convict Christians of their sin. Mature Christians should recognize this fallacy right away. Every disciple of Christ has felt the overwhelming conviction of the Holy Spirit when he or she has sinned. Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of Truth” (John 15:26). Truth, by its very definition, will not tolerate anything false. When the Spirit of Truth abides in a believing heart (1 Corinthians 6:19), He brings conviction about anything that is not truth,” says Gotquestions.org.⁸

            The Lord Jesus said, ““But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a huge millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea…” (Matthew 18:6, NET). Hence, if hyper-grace teachers teach people that sinning is acceptable in the presence of God, they negate the Bible.

            9. No Grace, Yes Works: “Teaching that adds human religious works to Christ’s finished work on the cross as necessary ingredients for salvation. This teaching may pay lip service to salvation by faith alone but insists that a religious ritual (such as water baptism) is salvific. Some groups even legislate hairstyles, clothing options, and food consumption. Romans 11:6 warns against attempts to mix grace with works. Ephesians 2:8–9 says we are saved by the grace of God, through faith, and nothing we do can add to or take away from it. Galatians 1:6–9 pronounces a curse on anyone who changes the good news of salvation by grace,”⁹ says Gotquestions.org.

            The Bible does not say that Christians should not do good works. Doing good works, for a Christian, is a logical corollary/consequence to his/her salvation. This verse in the Bible sums it up well, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2: 8-10, NIV).

            Major religions emphasize doing good works (e.g. Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc.). Only Historic Christianity teaches that we are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be saved, “…because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10, NET).

            10. No Historic Christianity, Yes New Age: If you wonder why many churches around the world adopt yoga, then you need to keep the New Age Movement in your radar. Yoga is a Hindu salvific exercise.

            In an earlier blog of mine entitled “Should Christians Practice Yoga,” I stated the false teachings prevalent in the churches:¹⁰

False Teaching In Christianity To Encourage Yoga

Some false teachers within Christianity who encourage yoga⁸ emphasize that the yogic codes such as Yamas and Niyamas can strengthen our appreciation towards the Christian teachings. They maintain that the yogic codes resonate with the Christian moral teachings.

“Ahimsa” (non-violence) is one of the “yamas” (restraints) of the yoga sutras of Patanjali (an Indian sage - considered to be an incarnation of the mythical serpent Anantha, as some believe). It seems Ahimsa resonates with the Christian moral teaching “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Similarly, one of the “Niyamas” (observances) of Patanjali’s yoga sutras is “Saucha” (Cleanliness or purity). Saucha teaches the necessity of purity or cleanliness in body and mind so to attain union with God. Apparently, Saucha resonates with the cleanliness teaching of Matthew 15: 16-20, and prayer, fasting and Scripture reading that focuses on the cleanliness of the heart.

Exposing The False Teaching

At the heart of the false teaching that yogic codes are essential to appreciate Christianity is the notion that all religions should converge, and truth (from various disparate worldviews) is always convergent.

This is Syncretism (fusion of divergent religions) in full force. Syncretism presupposes an inadequacy of any single religion to comprehend the divine on its own.

But every Christian should understand that God can be adequately understood from HIS Holy Word – The Bible. Christianity does not require Hinduism or one of its practices, namely yoga, to help understand and believe in God and HIS Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is the significance of these similarities between Patanjali's Yamas and Niyamas with the Bible? None! There is absolutely no significance! So what if two worldviews teach similarly? Does similarity in teaching syncretize religions? No!

Hinduism and Christianity are two fundamentally different religions (Godhead, salvation etc). Certain points of interconnect in the teachings of these religions will certainly not harmonize these religions. 

            By now you may wonder why Prosperity Gospel (Health & Wealth Gospel) does not feature in the list above.  I do not think that those lay Christians who subscribe to health & wealth gospel would go to hell because they do not deny any of the essential tenets of Historic Christianity. But their proponents aka the teachers, who twist the Bible to their own benefit, are most certainly treading on dangerous grounds, with respect to their own salvation (cf. Matthew 7: 21-23).

Endnotes:

¹Any teaching that contradicts the Bible is a false teaching or false teaching could be defined as that which denies the essential tenets of Historic Christianity. The essential tenets of Historic Christianity being God’s Triunity, Christ’s Birth, HIS sinlessness, death, burial, bodily resurrection & ascension, Christ’s 2nd coming, the final judgment, heaven & hell, the inspired and the infallible Bible.

²I do not want to sit in the judgment seat, which only belongs to Christ, so I say ‘may not.’ However, the chances of them not being saved are very high.

³http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a9p3.htm

⁴https://www.gotquestions.org/false-doctrine.html

⁵https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/the-8-beliefs-you-should-know-about-mormons-when-they-knock-at-the-door/

⁶https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/why-is-the-trinity-an-essential-christian-doctrine/

⁷https://www.christianity.com/church/denominations/10-things-everyone-should-know-about-seventh-day-adventists-and-their-beliefs.html

⁸https://www.gotquestions.org/hyper-grace.html

⁹https://www.gotquestions.org/false-doctrine.html 

¹⁰https://rajkumarrichard.blogspot.com/2014/02/should-christians-practice-yoga.html

Websites last accessed on 7^th June 2019.

Should Christians Practice Yoga?

Introduction

Yoga seems to have taken the world by storm. However, many remain unconvinced. So let’s maintain that yoga is rapidly gaining popularity.

Minimally and popularly, Yoga (Transcendental Meditation – TM¹) is understood as a path of union with the divine in Hinduism. Yoga is any type of exercise (physical, mental, or spiritual) that promotes an individual’s journey to a union with the divine.

The human psyche is usually tempted by that which is popular. In the world of marketing, the supreme endeavor is to invade people’s minds by luring them with USPs (unique selling propositions). For instance, the slogan of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes is, “Every bite of these crispy, golden flakes is just as delicious as the first.”² Apparently, consistency, texture, and flavor are some of the USPs of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.  

If Kellogg’s cornflakes are popular, we may be motivated to try them at least once. If we like and can afford it, then we consume it.

But if our doctor advises us against corn flakes, we are quick to eliminate corn flakes from our regular diet. But is it easy to eliminate that which we are addicted to? It may be easy for a minority, but for the majority, eliminating an addiction may be difficult and torturous.

So is it wise to exercise caution before integrating anything new? I would most surely think so.

It is in this backdrop that we are to evaluate yoga. In other words, are we to practice yoga because of its popularity?

Yoga’s Development

Some of us belong to a generation where we have observed yoga grow from minimal to rapidly gaining popularity. But generations from now, people will consider yoga as something that has always been in the most popular existence. Unless they research, they would not be aware that yoga has grown in popularity in recent years.

We ought to be cognizant of the developmental dynamics of yoga. To gain popularity, the promoters of yoga strive hard to disconnect yoga from its religious significance. How else would they lure non-Hindus to practice yoga?

This is one of the primary USPs of yoga today – that yoga is not a religious discipline and that yoga is not specifically a Hindu religious ritual.

Some Christians and Christian churches bite this bait to practice yoga. Then they become so dogmatic about yoga that they assert that yoga is fully compatible with Christianity. This is where mortal danger creeps in.  

Please watch this video where practicing Hindu’s are agitated, and quite rightly so, about the secular world disconnecting yoga from Hinduism. 

Our society, consumed by consumerism, desires to make a few quick bucks at any cost – even at the cost of disconnecting a religious component from its religious roots.

Yoga In Light Of Christianity

If you desire to understand the real power of yoga, you should read “Death of a Guru” by Rabi R. Maharaj, a former yogi.³ Reading this book will not give you the opinion that yoga is non-religious. Yoga is a Hindu discipline.

Christians and Christian churches that practice or support yoga should think through their decision.

Did Yoga begin as a Christian practice? No, yoga did not begin as a Christian practice. Why? The Bible does not teach yoga explicitly or implicitly. This is certain.

Since yoga in its core spiritual essence, is salvational, is there a similarity between yogic salvation and salvation taught in the Bible? The Bible teaches that man is saved (receives his eternal life) by the grace of God through his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation for mankind is only through Christ (Acts 4: 12; Romans 10: 9). Salvation, most surely, is not through yoga.

Contrarily, Hinduism teaches that man unites with his maker through yoga. The Vedanta philosophy, based on the Upanishads,⁴ teaches four paths to liberation (Atman is the Brahman):

1. Karma yoga (selfless service to work off karma)

2. Bhakti yoga (path of devotion)

3. Jnana yoga (path of knowledge)

4. Raja yoga (path of formal meditation)

Some may say that “Hatha yoga” (physical exercises towards self-transformation) isn’t salvific, so practicing Hatha yoga is not a concern. But Hatha yoga is deeply rooted in Hinduism.⁵

Therefore, man is either saved through Christ or through yoga, certainly not through both. When Christians practice yoga, they are negating Christ.

But you may ask, “What’s wrong if I practice yoga only for exercise?” This is the juncture at which one falls into the enticement of those promoting yoga or Transcendental Meditation (TM).  

You may defend your practice of TM by quoting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who stated that TM is not a religion, “Transcendental Meditation is a simple, natural program for the mind, a spontaneous, effortless march of the mind to its own unbounded essence…. Transcendental Meditation provides a way for the conscious mind to fathom the whole range of its existence — active and silent, point and infinity. It is not a set of beliefs, a philosophy, a lifestyle, or a religion. It's an experience, a mental technique one practices every day for fifteen or twenty minutes.”⁶

But Maharishi also declared that TM is yoga, “Maharishi explained that Transcendental Meditation is Yoga. “I had to give it a new name—Transcendental Meditation…” ⁷ Therefore, TM is yoga, and yoga is a Hindu practice.

Yoga has nothing to do with Christianity. In reality, yoga or TM is deeply spiritual and very much non-Christian.

At the heart of TM is a deep distortion of other religions to prove a point that these religions are harmonious and not hostile to each other.

False Teaching In Christianity To Encourage Yoga

Some false teachers within Christianity who encourage yoga⁸ emphasize that the yogic codes, such as Yamas and Niyamas, can strengthen our appreciation for the Christian teachings. They maintain that the yogic codes resonate with the Christian moral teachings.

“Ahimsa” (non-violence) is one of the “yamas” (restraints) of the yoga sutras of Patanjali (an Indian sage - considered to be an incarnation of the mythical serpent Anantha, as some believe). It seems Ahimsa resonates with the Christian moral teaching “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Similarly, one of the “Niyamas” (observances) of Patanjali’s yoga sutras is “Saucha” (Cleanliness or purity). Saucha teaches the necessity of purity or cleanliness in body and mind so as to attain union with God. Apparently, Saucha resonates with the cleanliness teaching of Matthew 15: 16-20, and prayer, fasting, and Scripture reading that focuses on the cleanliness of the heart.

Exposing The False Teaching

At the heart of the false teaching that yogic codes are essential to appreciate Christianity is the notion that all religions should converge, and truth (from various disparate worldviews) is always convergent.

This is Syncretism (fusion of divergent religions) in full force. Syncretism presupposes an inadequacy of any single religion to comprehend the divine on its own.

But every Christian should understand that God can be adequately understood from HIS Holy Word – The Bible. Christianity does not require Hinduism or one of its practices, namely yoga, to help understand and believe in God and HIS Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is the significance of these similarities between Patanjali's Yamas and Niyamas with the Bible? None! There is absolutely no significance! So what if two worldviews teach similarly? Does similarity in teaching syncretize religions? No!

Hinduism and Christianity are two fundamentally different religions (Godhead, salvation, etc.). Certain points of interconnect in the teachings of these religions will certainly not harmonize these religions.  

Application

While it is a given that a Christian is to move away from yoga, what should he/she do when forced to do yoga?

Today’s dilemma is the teaching of yoga in schools. Our children are forced to attend these sessions.

It would be wise to move the child to another school where yoga is not a necessary subject. So the child can opt out of yoga. If moving the child out of the school is not possible due to various restrictions, then the child must be aware of yoga’s dangers. At the most, the child can go through the motions without getting involved. But educating ourselves and our children is of utmost importance.

What about stretching or breathing exercises? Anything that comes under the brand of yoga is a no-no. Stretching or breathing exercises is not a problem. So, one can do these exercises as long as it’s not connected to yoga.

Christians practicing yoga should get out of yoga by repenting and seeking forgiveness from God. It may not be an easy transition, but if we remain in Jesus through fervent prayer and reading of HIS Word, HE will surely deliver us.

Conclusion

Please think about this. Our God, the God of the Bible, is an Almighty God. HE says, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” (Jeremiah 32: 27, NASB; cf. Genesis 18: 14a).

When nothing is too difficult for our God, why do we run to other gods through practices such as yoga? Running to other gods portrays a lack of trust in our God. While we run to another god, we are running away from the true living God.

Do we need yoga to heal us? Can the living God not heal our bodies and minds? Praying to our Heavenly Father and obeying HIS commands revealed in the Bible is the most viable solution for any of our problems.

God will answer our prayers. God surely has a good and just reason, even if HE does not answer our prayers according to our desires. However, it is mandatory to trust in the living God – the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We do not need yoga to be united with God. We only need to believe in Christ and offer our lives as living sacrifices to HIM, for God to dwell in us (John 14: 23).

When we honestly seek to love and obey the Triune God, HE will enlighten our hearts with HIS understanding and will empower us to be HIS true disciples. Amen.

Endnotes:

¹Transcendental Meditation (TM) was promoted by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who merely followed the philosophical thoughts of [Swami] Vivekananda and Yogananda. While Maharishi promoted TM, the popular English rock band the Beatles popularized TM.

TM is yoga, says Maharishi, “Maharishi explained that Transcendental Meditation is Yoga. “I had to give it a new name—Transcendental Meditation—because I felt Yoga has been commonly misunderstood in terms of the physical level alone.”

Maharishi said that a great Yoga truth is that “Yoga is superior action.”

“When you want a superior quality of action, then you should practice Yoga on all levels,” Maharishi said. “Yoga is a good word, but it should be properly understood and practiced beyond the physical level. The result will be a rapid, holistic evolution of life.”” (See more at: http://www.tm.org/blog/yoga/maharishi-on-yoga/#sthash.XcTwTbXg.dpuf)

²http://www.kelloggs.com/en_US/KelloggrsquosCornFlakes.html

³http://globeservejournalofmissions.org/?p=206&m=200805

⁴“The treatises that deal with brahma-knowledge are called the Upanishads and so pass for the Vedanta…The Upanishads more clearly set forth the prime Vedic doctrines like Self-realization, yoga, meditation, karma, and reincarnation, which were hidden or kept veiled under the symbols of the older mystery religion.” (http://www.hindunet.org/upanishads/)

⁵""Lotus position” is one of the postures of Hatha yoga. Lotus is a deep symbol of Hinduism." Need I say more that Hatha yoga is a hindu discipline? (http://www.hindunet.com/faq/39.html)

⁶http://www.tm.org/maharishi

[Question:] “What is Transcendental Meditation, exactly?

Maharishi: Transcendental Meditation is a simple, natural program for the mind, a spontaneous, effortless march of the mind to its own unbounded essence. Through Transcendental Meditation, the mind unfolds its potential for unlimited awareness, transcendental awareness, Unity Consciousness — a lively field of all potential, where every possibility is naturally available to the conscious mind. The conscious mind becomes aware of its own unbounded dignity, its unbounded essence, its infinite potential.

Transcendental Meditation provides a way for the conscious mind to fathom the whole range of its existence — active and silent, point and infinity. It is not a set of beliefs, a philosophy, a lifestyle, or a religion. It's an experience, a mental technique one practices every day for fifteen or twenty minutes.”

⁷http://www.tm.org/blog/yoga/maharishi-on-yoga/

⁸http://christianspracticingyoga.com/wp/yoga-our-perspective/yamas-niyamas-pranayama/

Websites last accessed on 24th February 2014.