Should Christians remain friends with someone with New Age beliefs?
Philippians 3:7-8 Yet all that was gain to me, for Christ’s sake I have reckoned as loss. Nay, I even reckon all things as pure loss because of the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
Sometimes there are people in our lives that are very important to us that believe differently than we do. It is ok to express that even if we don’t agree about our spiritual views, we really love them and appreciate and love them as a person.
Jesus was very loving and patient and he reached out to those who were considered “outcasts” and those who had different views. We can benefit from the principle he acted on in Matthew 9:10-13:
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
It is important to find common ground in conversations, which could include lessons in life we are learning, appreciation of nature, etc. This principle is gleaned from 1 Corinthians 9.22:
I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.
We must be careful in these relationships. Different priorities and lifestyles can have an influence on us. There is an important need to guard those influences. The principle of 1 Corinthians 15:i33 is helpful:
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners (habits).
It is also important to remember the principles of scripture in regard to relationships when the two people are not on the same spiritual footing.
2 Corinthians 6:14: Do not come into close association with unbelievers, For what is there in common between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what partnership has light with darkness?
This does not mean we have no association with unbelievers, for we are to be a light to the world.
Matthew 5:14-15: You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. People don’t light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
One of the best ways to be a light can be to have a loving and respectful attitude toward others, and to show interest in them and their lives. These principles suggest having sanctified thinking in regard to the degree of involvement we have with unbelievers. How encouraging it is to remember the breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus. There is a special future blessing in store for those who are not believers. The sacrifice of our Precious Lord Jesus has such far reaching effects.1 Corinthians 15:22: For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.
We see the amazing breadth of the outcome in Christ to bless ALL the families of the earth through the kingdom in heaven for faithful Christians and the kingdom on earth— the opportunity for all the rest of the human family to be blessed and to know Christ and to walk a lifestyle that leads to holiness and happiness on earth forever. See John 5:28-29; Isaiah 35:5-10
We want to remain a strong example of truth and righteousness because that light may be important as the day gets darker. Find wholesome common ground in your relationship outside of spiritual things, but since the treasure of your heart does not line up with our friends, it is likely the relationship will not remain as strong as perhaps it once was and might naturally or intentionally drift away. Maybe in time you are able to offer a “word in season” (Isaiah 50:4) of true comfort and peace. Be honest with any discussion of New Age beliefs makes you extremely uncomfortable and that you are not interested in having anything to do with its slippery slope.
To learn more about how Christianity and Pagan beliefs are different listen to our series, “Can Christianity and Paganism Work Together?”
To learn more about what we should do for unbelieving friends watch our short animated video, “What if your friends don’t believe in God?”