Derek Prince - Why New Age Teaching Is Obviously False?
And then we need to see a remarkable statement that Peter made in 2 Peter chapter 1, one of the most remarkable statements, I think, anywhere in Scripture. Just verses 3 and 4 of 2 Peter chapter 1. And it’s in the middle of a sentence. The apostles wrote rather long sentences. I think Paul wrote the longest but Peter came up with some pretty long ones, too. And in English we usually have to divide them up. So, I’m not going to go back into the beginning of this sentence, I’m going to start in the middle. His divine power [that’s God’s divine power] has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue.
That’s an amazing statement. It says God’s divine, omnipotent power has already given to us everything we’re ever going to need! You might respond, Well, God, I don’t seem to have it, where is it? And the next verse tells you. by which has been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. So how has God given to us all things that we need for life and godliness? Where are they? They’re in the promises. I like this little sentence that I’ve coined The provision is in the promises. Would you say that with me? The provision is in the promises.
So, if you want to receive all that God has provided for you you have to receive it through His promises because in them is everything you’re going to need. But it also comes through the knowledge of Jesus. Because the Scripture reveals Jesus. And the amazing statement if this weren’t so clearly written in the Bible I wouldn’t dare to say it is that through partaking of the promises we can be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Now, we need to be very careful because there’s a kind of teaching which I won’t name but many of you would know the name of it. Which is very fashionable today, which teaches that if you go on long enough and do the right things you can become a god. I’m sure some of you have encountered that teaching. In fact, let me tell you it’s called New Age. I used to use the phrase New Age, I said a new age is coming. Then they stole it from me, I had to think of something else! So I said the Kingdom of God is going to be established on earth. Jesus is going to establish His kingdom, and that they don’t like! But anyhow, the New Age, incorporating a lot of Hindu philosophy and so on, teaches that if you go on long enough, and incidentally, the Mormons teach the same, (they don’t say it publicly at first but it’s there,) that you can become a god.
I want to tell you, that is obviously false. And I’ll tell you one basic reason. God is uncreated, we are created. And the created can never become uncreated. It’s a deception. But we can become partakers of the nature of God. as we receive and apply the promises. I always think of Jacob’s ladder. You probably remember the dream he had. he was out in the desert by himself and he went to sleep pillowed on a stone. How many of you would like to use a stone for a pillow? Well, I'll tell you, when I was in the Sudan amongst the hadundua in the Northen Sudan, I found they did use stones for pillows. And I watched a Sudani one day he took a long stone with a rather sharp edge, put it on the ground and put the back of his head on the stone. And happily went to sleep.
So, it is possible, but most of you wouldn’t enjoy it. But Jacob was sleeping with his head on a stone. And I heard somebody say once: I'd give... I’d be willing to sleep with my head on a stone if I could have what Jacob had after that! Because, he had a vision, a dream of a ladder, reaching to heaven. The foot was on the earth, the top of the ladder was in heaven and the angels of God were ascending and descending. And Jesus Himself was at the top of the ladder and He spoke. But I think of the Bible, in a sense, like Jacob’s ladder.
You see, every promise is one rung on the ladder. And every time you appropriate a new promise you go one step higher. And ultimately, it will take you to heaven. So, don’t ever neglect your Bible. It’s the key to your well-being, the key to your success. It’s the most precious gift that God has ever given us. And let’s bear in mind as we have so many Bibles today and we discuss whether we’ll use this translation or that translation or whether we want it illustrated or with notes...
Let’s remember that there are millions and millions and millions of people in the world today who have never once opened a Bible. They don’t have any choice. And let’s remember another thing, that in the past in previous centuries, men and women laid down their lives in sacrifice, to preserve the Bible for you and me. So let’s treat it with reverence. Let’s be respectful to the Bible, because it is the way that God comes into our lives.