The Secret with The Secret

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE IS FOR SPIRIT-LED CHRISTIANS!!!

The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, is a high-breed of spirituality and personal development. While many sections of the secret make absolute sense for anyone seeking self-development, The Secret, has several fundamental doctrinal errors in as far as the Christian faith is concerned.

To avoid a laboriously long article, I’ll share just two fundamental doctrinal errors for now…

First, The Secret, advances the concept of the Universe as our Source thus equating God with the universe. God Almighty is a person – a Living Being – by whose image we were created (Genesis 1:27). God is NOT a force, but a Being. God does not live in the universe. God does not live in time. The universe lives in God. God was before time began. God was before space (universe) existed.

God created the universe. All things were created by God.

Genesis 1:1 – In the Beginning (TIME), God created the heavens (SPACE/UNIVERSE) and the earth (MATERIAL).

Nehemiah 9:6 - You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

And guess what? The Father created everything together with His only begotten Son – one with God Most High.

John 1:1-3 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

Colossians 1:15-16 - The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him

Secondly, some of the best brains that swear by, The Secret, like Bob Proctor and Dr. Dyer Wayne among others advance spirituality in their teachings. Dr. Wayne derives his inspiration from Tao Te Ching’s spiritual verses credited to Chinese Philosopher, Lao Tzu, on which Taoism is based.

I’m a professional trainer and a pastor. We must draw a clear line between the two. As a professional trainer, I wear my professional cap just like any other professional (doctor, lawyer, engineer, accountant, pilot etc.) In this professional space, I train on Personal Leadership, Personal Branding, Emotional Intelligence, Strategic Thinking, Project Management, and Culture Change. My PhD is in Project Management.

Pastoral work is a divine calling. As a pastor, I teach the Bible. The bible is about Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Word of God (Bible). Jesus Christ is the Bible. Period. The Bible is not an inspirational book – the Bible is a transformational book. The Bible is about eternal life through Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father. The Bible’s ultimate purpose is eternal life through a transformed life in Christ Jesus.

I have zero problem if anyone teaches life skills (personal development) from an inspirational perspective. However, we must draw a clear line between life skills (which I teach in the market place as a Tent-Maker) and the Holy Scriptures. Anyone from whatever faith or creed can teach Personal Branding if they are trained in that field.

But, if one touches on spirituality, then they have crossed the line from personal development to spiritual matters. In that case we must interrogate the source of their spirituality. The Bible tells us to test every spirit.

1 John 4:1-3 – Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

For a book that has sold 30 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 50 languages and endorsed by stars like Oprah Winfrey, some of my readers may be agitated that I touched on such a sensitive matter. Many believers these days fear sounding controversial. We want to be all things to all people. We want to be popular and politically correct. Many believers these days conform to the patterns of this world.

Romans 12:2 – Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

If a theory is academic, then we must interrogate the postulates scientifically. That’s why all academic work is defended through public scrutiny.

Similarly, if a doctrine is spiritual, we must subject it to spiritual tests. This is because spiritual matters are either godly or satanic. There is no middle ground. If spiritual power is from the God of the Bible, it must point people to Jesus - the only Savior – and challenge people to live a holy life. There is no advancing the Holy Scriptures without the transformation of the individual to be like Jesus. If anyone teaches the Bible without the revelation that Jesus is the Word of God (Bible), they are cultic. 

2 Timothy 3:1,5 – But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days…having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

DR. K. N. JACOB.