In answering this week’s question, we will start by highlighting the origin and definition of Karma. Karma is a concept that originated in Hinduism and Buddhism and is often associated with the belief that a person’s actions in this life will have consequences in future lives. Essentially, this concept propagates that everything good or evil that happens in your life is a direct result of a previous good or evil that you have done in the past. With karma, you get exactly what it is that you deserve.
This understanding of karma is inconsistent with bible teaching and also inconsistent with the gospel of Christ. The Bible does not teach us a system where we are justified by our actions. In fact, this is the complete opposite of what the Gospel of Christ propagates. Jesus Christ came to save us, not to punish us for the sins that we have committed (John 3:17). The gospel of Christ is rooted in love, freedom and grace. Karma, on the other hand, is rooted in fear, self and condemnation which is the opposite of the gospel. The Bible in Psalms 130: 3-4 says ‘if you Lord kept a record of sins, Lord who could stand, but with you there is forgiveness’. This scripture and the good news of the gospel tell us that in the sight of God, we, as believers, are without any record of sin. The opposite of this is found in Karma which keeps a record of your evil deeds to punish you for them.
In the Gospel of Christ, we are also taught and experience the free gift of salvation. Ephesians 2: 8-9 tells us that ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – this is not from yourselves, it is the free gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast’. How amazing is this scripture? Through the word, we come to understand that the gospel of Christ is rooted in this free gift of salvation which was born out of the Love of the Father for us. It is not something that can be earned through good works or personal remit – like the concept of Karma suggests – rather it is a free gift from God that is available to everyone that believes in Jesus Christ.
You might then ask, does this mean that there will be no consequences in life for my actions? The answer is no. One thing that we must come to understand about our God is that while He is a merciful God, He is also a just God. The gift of salvation is not an excuse for us to live a life outside of the guidance of the Kingdom of God and the laws of the earth. As Paul put it in Romans 6:1, ‘shall we sin so that grace may abound?’ Surely not! So you can be rest assured that God is not saving you from going to prison if you intentionally kill another man. However, His grace is made available for you even in that situation, to strengthen and lead you through it.
While the concept of Karma does not apply in the gospel because we know that we have been freely given a gift that we could never earn or deserve, we still live here on earth subject to the natural consequences of our choices and behaviours. These consequences are natural and logical. For if you dance around the edge of a cliff without caution, you will surely fall off. In the same vain, if you place your hand inside a fiery place, you will be burned. These consequences cannot be avoided.
In summary, the concept of karma does not apply in the Gospel. As Christians, we believe in the concept of grace and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, and we are taught that there are consequences for our actions whilst we are here on earth. The good news here is that we get to journey through these consequences with the guidance of God the Holy Spirit who sees us as blameless.
Till next time,
Remember that you are not saved by your works