Many Christians today believe in some principles that aren't actually from the Bible. These principles they believe come from different faiths. These faiths, like yoga and new age beliefs, or zen and other similar belief systems, introduce a savior other than Christ, a peace that doesn't come from being made righteous in God's sight, and a heaven that isn't attainable only by grace.

As such, these belief systems and principles contradict what God says in His word, go against the very teachings of Christ, and attempt to challenge God's word.

Should a Christian believe in such principles? The Bible clearly says "NO."

An impossible mix

Friends, there's no way that we can successfully mix a truth with a lie that it will still remain a truth. Just like how a glass of purified drinking water loses its drinkability when a drop of poison or cyanide is mixed into it, mixing God's word with wrong and sinful teachings is a dangerous thing to do and an even more dangerous thing to believe.

I remember a Q&A session at a conference my wife and I attended a few months ago. There, a participant asked if it's OK for a Christian to participate in yoga exercises. One of the guest speakers, who was formerly a Hindu who believed in yoga before coming to Christ, said that yoga was demonic and that no Christian should ever participate in it.

Another participant, however, tried to contradict the speaker's answer in the guise of asking a question. The reason? This participant was a certified yoga coach. Brandishing her yoga instructor credentials, she openly refuted the former Hindu's response, to no avail of course.

Now why did I share that? Many Christians continue to believe in wrong teachings simply because they don't want to repent of it. They like it and don't want to stop it.

Well, the Bible has very serious words to those who wish to add to the Lord's teachings or subtract from His principles, for whatever purpose they might have:

"For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Revelation 22:18-19)

What now?

Friends, if we truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we ought to realize that anything that He didn't teach clearly didn't come from Him and should not be treated as equal to His words. No matter how "beneficial" or "helpful" ungodly and unbiblical teachings may be, they're still ungodly and unbiblical, and thus irrelevant to our walk with Christ.

We need to repent of them and replace them with the pure word of God.

"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?" (see 2 Corinthians 6:14-16)