karma

I'll go ahead and state that I'm not a big fan of karma.

Yet, it is a very prevalent part of our nation and people's outlook around the world. There are even quite a few Christians who believe in karma principles. Since so many people adhere to karma like philosophies, we need to understand if we believe it or not, for it motivates a great number of people's actions in life.

It's important to examine karma because I think it does have half-truths rooted in the truth of the Bible, but it's very dangerous because it abuses or uses the truth of God to propel a false philosophy.

In considering if it is true or not, what does the Bible have to say, either directly or indirectly about the topic. Is karma a principle close to the heart of God?

Karma is basically the belief that your good or bad deeds will come around back to you in the future via good fortune or bad misfortune.

1. karma equates to self-salvation
Belief in karma predicates the thought that a person can alter his or her actions to be good enough to find salvation or comfort in life. "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." John 1:17

I think this is an arrogant and ignorant view of the human heart. I think most people, secular or Christian, can identify with Paul in Romans 7 when he talks about struggling with sin. He wants to do what is good -- all of us do most of the time -- yet there is something, some junk that prevents us from living that out.

2. karma has no need of Christ - grace is gone
Related to #1, belief in karma calls for throwing Christ out of the picture. For CHRISTians who believe in karma, this is a clear contradiction of beliefs -- it's sort of one or the other. Believing in karma reduces Christ from Great Savior to enlightened teacher at best, some guy in history at worst. "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace that you have been saved." Ephesians 2:5

Believing in karma means grace is gone.

3. With no first love, how does karma work?
Throwing out Jesus by believing in karma throws out that God has incredible love, unfathomable love, for His created order. The understanding of God's love is just that, unexplainable. Through the ages, the best we can come up with is labeling our understanding of God's great love as "grace," and it's true, we're not even close to getting how much He loves us.

By not understanding God's great love for us, we attempt to be like Jesus and love others, and then it is when that we get acts of service in line with His Kingdom. We only breathe each breath, wake up each day, eat each meal by the grace of God and His love and mercy for us.

"We love because He first loved us." - 1 John 4:19

So without having a first, greater act of love from God, then how would karma proponents know how to do acts of "love"..."good deeds"? Do karma proponents believe in evolved moral standards? There seems to be a contradiction here.

When we get back around to it, I find it hard to believe that in the karma philosophy, there is something genuine that is the fuel, the underlying impetus, to motivate the good deeds. Here in lies a half-truth. Karma masks itself as being a genuine good act in the service of others, but based on the wrong motives.

Karma is meant to further the self. Jesus wanted us to further His kingdom, serve others, at the expense of self. Give our lives self-LESS-ly for the love of Christ and His people.

In that vein, karma can't exist.