Q: "Is the New Age Movement something new... some of it sounds like ancient stuff?"

A: The New Age Movement is a modern revival of very ancient, divergent, religious traditions and practices. The actual origin can be found in Genesis 3:1-5, and expresses itself throughout the movement's continued historical existence. In the original lie, Satan questions God's word, His authority and rule, disputes that death results from disobedience, and claims that through the acquisition of secret wisdom, mankind can be enlightened and can be "like God."

Many of the occult practices and beliefs revived by the modern movement were a part of the original pagan cultures. Many practices common to the New Age, such as witchcraft, spiritism, divination, clairvoyance, necromancy, and astrology, are clearly and strongly condemned in God's manual called the Bible (Deuteronomy 18: 9-17; Isaiah 47: 9-15). These and other occult practices were spread through the ancient mystery religions of the Chaldeans, Egyptians, and most notably, the Assyrian-Babylonian culture. Three major world religions whose beliefs and practices are entwined with the New Age are Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. Another prominent occultic influence in Europe was Druidism, the religion of the Celts, which extended from 300 B.C. into the middle ages.

Q: "I have confusion about the meanings of sanctification and justification."

A: Sanctification as taught by Christ, the Apostles, and the Prophets is related to justification. In justification, God declares the sinner righteous and innocent for the sake of the atoning work of Christ, a gift received through faith (Romans 3:24-26; Philippians 3:9). In sanctification, God is at work to strengthen and mature our faith and life that we live in Christ's righteousness (Ephesians. 4:12-16). Through the truth gleaned in the preached Word and the Lord's Supper, God is continuously at work, building up our awareness and confidence that we are forgiven children of God and heirs of salvation (Colossians 2:7). As we have become a New Creation through faith in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), we are now enabled to live a life of faithfulness as Christ strengthens us (Philippians 4:13; 2 Timothy 3:17). The sanctified life of the Christian is a life of growing and maturing faith that is active in prayer, praise, thanksgiving, and various works of living service (Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 3:13). Sanctification, as with all of God's saving work, is His doing and our gift and treasure to enjoy and share.

The Mystical view of sanctification, though never mentioned in any church creed, has existed as a doctrine among all Christian denominations. Christian mysticism more or less depreciates the dependence of the soul for light upon the objective revelation of the word of God, and the necessity of the means of grace and human effort, and emphasizes spiritual intuition, the regulative value of religious feeling, the physical communion of the soul with the substance of God, conditioned on quiet and passivity of mind... all meaning it is not by mere intellectual ascent that one gains awareness about the need of Christ. God's supernatural work moves in our souls to lift the blinders from our fallen nature to gain a glimpse of the eternal gift through Christ. Even though I maintain many things intellectually, I do have a reformation viewpoint on the supernatural work of God as related to the sanctification process.

When our Lord used the word regeneration, He said to His disciples, “Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28). When the Apostle Paul used the word “regeneration,” he wrote, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). Paul used the word referring to the regeneration of the individual man, his being born again into God’s new order. This new order is the Church, the Body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22, 23), not an organization, but a spiritual organism. No effort on man’s part can bring him into God’s Kingdom, for it is “not by works of righteousness which we have done” (Titus 3:5), “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9).

The biggest misconception of regeneration is that it means baptism. Jesus' words, as said to Nicodemus, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5), have been given widely different interpretations. Perhaps the most erroneous of these has been, and still is, “baptismal regeneration,” the idea that the text is teaching that water baptism is necessary to salvation. This is a doctrinal emphasis resulting in the Baptist denomination. The “baptismal regeneration” theory also holds that baptized babies of believing parents are saved, and babies who die as without the ritual are lost forever. There is no trace of infant baptism mentioned in the Bible and is one of the created doctrines of the Catholic Church.

To make it simple and break it down: Regeneration (new birth: supernatural) -> Justification (by faith: not guilty) -> Sanctification (renewed daily: until death).

Q: "What does it mean to take up my cross daily?"

A: The "taking up the cross" is taught by Jesus in several scriptures, some almost duplicated exactly. Jesus said to His followers during His ministry on earth, "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake, shall find it." Matt. 10:38,39. He also said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it." Matt. 16:24,25. And He (Jesus) was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Luke 9:23. Jesus said, "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." Luke 14:27.

I have heard some Christians express the opinion that the word "cross" in this context is a symbol representing the myriads of trials, tribulations, and frustrations Christians must bear in their fleshly life. However, at the time that Jesus made these statements concerning his followers "carrying their own cross," He had not yet been crucified. To Jesus a cross was not a mere inconvenience of the trials of life. We should understand that the "cross" that he bore was not his own. It was mine! It was the horrible symbol of the future that was in store for me, the symbol of the judgment for my sins and fallen nature. And Jesus willingly substituted Himself for his created and bore my cross! If my judgment of death on my cross is to be cancelled in the substitutionary death of Jesus on my cross, I must take up my cross; that is, I must acknowledge my cross which is the righteous judgment against me, and I must pursue Jesus as his disciple! That is the meaning of Jesus' statement.

Q: "Do the Old Testament sacrifices point to the cross of Christ?"

A: The Old Testament animal sacrifices were indeed pointing to the cross and how they were deemed acceptable substitutes until the Lord's finished work on the cross... a spiritual event that the prophets of old longed to know. They studied the scripture constanly trying to unveil understanding. Much in the same manner, today we strain to understand Daniel in combination with the book of Revelations that offer us only obscure details of the future. After the resurrection, Jesus met two dejected disciples on the road to Emmaus who were puzzled about why Jesus died. Jesus asked them if they did not understand the Scriptures (i.e. our Old Testament). And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself (Luke 24:27). Using the books of the Old Testament, written hundreds of years before he came, Jesus showed how his coming and the reasons for his purpose were predicted again and again.

Many of early books, especially Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, deal with animal sacrifice. Daily and annually, especially Passover Lamb (commemorated deliverance from Egypt), Day of Atonement, peace offerings, burnt offerings, sin and trespass offerings. These taught people the sinfulness of their sin, the holiness of God, the costliness of being right with God. Animals were substituted for the sinner. Blood demonstrated its life poured out in death, which was the punishment. Epistle to the Hebrews in the New Testament stresses these sacrifices pointed forward to one final sacrifice made on the cross. Jesus was the true lamb of God. If Old Testament is the lock, the New Testament is the key. Become a student on the book of Hebrews and much will be explained.