Karma, is the "law of the deed" and is a century's old worldwide belief that if you do good things then good will come back to you, and if you do bad, then bad will come back to you. It is believed that suffering is the result of a person's wrongdoing in the past. It can be rectified through living as many lives in as many different forms as necessary to reach union with god and obtain god-consciousness. This belief is the complete opposite of Jesus' command to "do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matt 7:12 NIV).
The belief in karma resulted in a cruel caste system that relegates those who have not been successful in getting closer to reaching god-consciousness, to live in poverty and subservient to others. Wealth, good health, lighter skin color, and a higher class position are directly attributed to personal success at working to move closer to god-consciousness. Under the karma belief, if someone gets hurt or sick they are getting paid back and punished for something bad they did.
Karma goes hand in hand with reincarnation which is essentially a belief that a soul/spirit takes on a physical body, and when it dies it begins a cycle of rebirth in a life form that could be different than the one they left behind. The rebirth can occur hundreds or thousands of times if a person does not live a good enough life and fails at working out their salvation. The next life is determined on how they lived their previous life. Each lifetime is punished for past mistakes that the person may not even know they did. The ultimate goal is to reach a spiritual level where they escape from the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth.
Reincarnation may seem to be a comfort but it is quite the opposite as it is a hopeless cycle that perpetuates the problem of evil, offering no forgiveness and making it impossible to get off the wheel of rebirths. Karma fuels pride and leaves no room for grace or mercy and opens the door for judging others.
The Karma Principle
The karma principle has been around since the beginning of time. The three friends of Job operated under it. They tried to convince him to repent so God could start blessing him again (See Job 11:13-17).
The disciples of Jesus also operated under the karma principle.
"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." (John 9:1-3 NIV)
They were convinced that the blindness was the result of past sin. Jesus made it clear that it is wrong to draw a black and white conclusion when they see someone suffering. Jesus said there was no connection between sin and the man's blindness.
In another instance Jesus was approached by people who told Him about some Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus responded to them and said,
"Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish." Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish" (Luke 13:1-5 NIV).
The people who approached Jesus thought they were better than those who suffered horrific deaths. Jesus told them not to pass such erroneous judgment and let them know that how or when a person dies is not an indication of their status before God and that if they did not repent of their sins they would also perish.
Eternal Salvation
As with all other religions, karma is based on self-effort to obtain god-consciousness and or eternal life. Every human being on the planet is in need of God's kindness, mercy, love, and grace, and He provided the way to find it without having to earn it, through the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross. It is the free gift of God's merciful grace that sets Christianity apart.
"At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:3-7 NIV)
Grace and mercy are at the heart of the Gospel. According to the Bible, salvation is a gift from God – not something that can be obtained by works or any other way. It is only Christianity that presents salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. God's love comes free of charge with no strings attached. Only Christianity dares to proclaim God's love is unconditional.
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens,[a] the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift – not from works, so that no one can boast" (Eph 2:1-9 NIV)
Christianity is the only religion that teaches that God came to humanity and no one can earn their way to Heaven (John 3:16,14:6; Rom 5:8).
The Triune God does the work of salvation by seeking and drawing people to Jesus, and once they repent of their sin and receive Him as Lord and Savior, He converts them and begins working within to "do his will" for "his good pleasure" (Phil 2:13 ESV). Obtaining perfection is only found in Jesus Christ. Sanctification is by grace alone.
KARMA THEOLOGY
Throughout history, karma theology has penetrated church beliefs and enslaved people to serve God based on legalistic performance so they can earn His approval, receive rewards, blessings, healing, and obtain a victorious life.
The biblical doctrine of predestination has been taught that God has the moment-by-moment existence of every person completely planned out for them, so whatever happens, whether good or bad, it is ordered by Him. That view is known as fatalism and is not biblical.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.” (Psalm 37:23 NKJV
The Hebrew word translated as "ordered" means to be firmly established and fixed. It does not imply direct responsibility and blame for everything bad that happens. Human beings are not puppets in God's grand scheme of things. This is what is implied when a person says God' allowed' it and indirectly accuses Him of causing suffering by saying such things as; "It was God's will"- "God is testing me" - "Everything happens for a reason"- "It was meant to be"- "It was fate"- "It was their time," etc.
Those who place their trusting-faith in Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior are predestined to spend eternity with Him. Those who reject Him are predestined to spend eternity separated from Him. Plain and simple, life is what you make it. It is a self-fulfilled prophecy, determined by every choice made and the consequences of those choices.
Many correctly teach that God's grace sets people free from legalism (Rom 6:14, 5:17). However, there is a growing belief that God will give different rewards and varying degrees of happiness in Heaven based upon a 'merit' system of works done on earth and how a person works out their Christian life to achieve obedience to His commands. It is believed that the better a person behaves or does things for the Kingdom, the greater their rank and job responsibilities in the heavenly Kingdom - and they will also be rewarded a 'deeper' relationship with God. Although there are no Scriptures that explicitly declare these beliefs, there is the insistence that the Scriptures 'imply' them.
The traditional teaching of historical orthodox Christianity is that the only reward a person gets when they release all claims to their life and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior is eternal salvation. When the Born-Again Christian comes to the place of knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that their salvation is based upon what Jesus has done and not what they do, or don't do, for Him, they will never worry about not being faithful. The 'merit system' of heavenly hierarchies is antithetical to Christianity. Jesus' words that the "first shall be last and the last shall be first" turns this belief upside down as the top 'performers' actually become the bottom 'performers' and those at the bottom go to the top (See Luke 22:26-27).
"We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19 NIV)
Crowns of Reward
The Bible speaks of different 'crowns' of reward. However, in context, they are not diverse rewards for works done but simply metaphors for eternal life and word pictures that symbolize the different aspects of the Born-Again Christian's reign as a joint heir with Jesus - just as there are various aspects of God seen in Scripture (See Gen 26:24; Ex 34:23; 2 Ch 34:3; Ezra 6:10; Rom 15:13, 16:20; 1 Peter 1:7;4:13-14; 5:10).
The Crown of Incorruption signifies they will reign in immortality and receive a non-corruptible body and live forever (See 1 Cor 9:24-25). The Crown of Righteousness represents that they will reign in righteousness, having no-fault before God (See 2 Tim 4:8). The Crown of Life signifies their reign in Christ Jesus, who is the Tree of Life by the Waters of Life, in which they shall never see death (See James 1:12). The Crown of Rejoicing is to signify their reign is in joy and without sorrow or pain (See 1 Thess 2:19). The Crown of Glory signifies that they will reign in Glory with Jesus (See 1 Peter 5:4). The Crown of Gold signifies that they will reign holy, set apart, and be "precious" as gold and great value to God (See Rev 4:4).
The 24 Elders in the Book of Revelation are seen casting their crowns before Jesus, which signifies that their reign is subservient to His reign and rule (See Rev 4:4). They understand that it is Jesus alone who deserves honor because He is the King of these kings. They worship at His feet and give all glory to Him. This is the symbolism of the different aspects of the crowns in Scripture. No human work merits a crown because only God alone deserves the glory. The Born-Again Christian will be rewarded for what Jesus has already done for them.
The Free and Effortless Gift of Grace
God's grace offends the fallen nature of humanity because it is a free gift from Him that cannot be worked or bargained for. The evidence that the Holy Spirit has taken up residence and begun to work within a person is their growing faith and good works - which is in actuality the result of the faith and work of Jesus. Saving faith leads to visible transformations in lifestyle and growth in holiness over time (See Matt 7:15-27; Gal 5:6, 19-24; James 2:14-26; 1 John 3:4-10).
"You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit." (Matt 7:16-18 ESV)
If a person claims to be Born-Again and does not do the "will of God," their faith has no foundation. Trusting-Faith moves them to do good works because they are the evidence of saving faith. Faith without works is dead, and yet no one is saved by their work because it is the gift of God (See James 2:17-18). The working of faith is trust. Good works are evidence of genuine professed faith, not proof of it. The work of Jesus alone saves a person, not the other way around. It is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to finish the work within them (See Phil 1:6).
God's loving grace should be the only motivating factor for every Born-Again Christian to walk in holiness and obedience to His commands, not a desire for extra rewards or a position of authority in the Kingdom of Heaven. Love must be the ONLY motivation for pleasing God.
The Great Reward
Every Born-Again Christian merits a reward for the work of Jesus because He did the work and sent the Holy Spirit to ensure they would bring forth fruit by His faith, not for what they did (See Eph 2:8-10). They have already been judged for their works and justified by the shed blood of Jesus. He made them perfect in every good work, and they will have a full reward - which is their inheritance of everlasting life that Jesus alone secured for them.
"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." (Rom 12:3 RSV)
No matter how hard, or good, or long a Born-Again Christian works, every one of them receives the exact same reward for what they have done. Their reward for works performed on the earth is not based upon the merits or worth of their service but upon the purpose of God's work of grace (See Matt 20:1-16). God has blessed them with the full reward of "all spiritual blessings." Only by His grace are they fully accepted in Jesus (See Co 3:24; 2 Tim 1:9).
The "works" of the Born-Again Christian are finished, and they now "rest" in Jesus (See Matt 11:28). They are not working for anything because they have been given everything. They are "complete" in Jesus and "merit" a total reward because their works are not in themselves, nor are they judged of themselves, but in Christ (See Col 2:9-10).
The Born-Again Christian receives a righteous man's reward (See Matt 10:41). It is a full and complete reward because only those in Christ are righteous. The rewards don't vary because all in Christ are perfect and without fault before God. Because the guilt of sin is removed, the works are then perfect. The definition of grace is essentially 'unmerited favor of God.' A 'merited' favor would be the results of good works - not grace - because it would be a debt that God owes for work done (See Rom 11:6).
Everyone will be equal in Heaven. There is no spiritual hierarchy there, nor on earth. Born-Again Christians will not be distinguished one from another for all eternity based on their works. There can be no degrees of reward in Heaven or degrees of perfection because Jesus is the perfect one, and they are found in Him. The purpose of standing before God's throne is to declare them acquitted of all sin (See Rom 2:7; Rev 22:14; Matt 12:37).
The great reward of Heaven is that EVERY Born-Again Christian will be crowned with everlasting glory by the grace of God through the blood of the Lamb. Their inheritance is the same inheritance of EVERY Born-Again Christian.
"Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven." (Matt 5:12 NIV)
The Bible says that the wages of sin is death and NOT the loss of rewards or diverse payments (Rom 6:23). Jesus paid for all punishment for the Born-Again Christian on the Cross, where their full reward was secured by His shed blood.
"…knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward." (Col 3:24 ESV)
"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." (Rev 22:12 ESV)
The Born-Again Christian is the "hope, joy, or crown," "glory," and reward of Jesus (1 Thess 2:19-20; Rev 22:12 ESV). They will not come into judgment because all their sins - past, present, and future - were forgiven and paid for by the shed blood of Jesus. They took on the perfection of Jesus the moment they were Born-Again, becoming the new Holy of Holies, His dwelling place, and they are loved of the Father as Jesus is loved (John 3:18, 5:24, 6:37, 17:23; Rom 5:1,8:1; 1 Cor 1:30, 11:32; Eph 1:6; Col 2:10,13; Heb 10:14).
The Born-Again Christian will never be put to shame (1 Peter 2:4-6 ESV - see also Isa 28:16). There will be no shame, grief, or remorse for them because "God shall wipe away every tear from their eye"… "and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away" (Rev 7:17, 21:4 NIV). The word 'shame' is most often used regarding the lost, those who reject Jesus (See Rom 5:1-5, 9:33, 10:11). They will have no shame at the judgment "For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret [i.e., shame], whereas worldly grief produces death" (2 Cor 7:10-11 ESV).
The karma theology of 'rewards' suggests that Heaven will be a meritocracy that is based upon personal labor and the amount of diligent good works done by a person rather than by the 'grace' of God alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone (Eph 2:8-9).
"But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace." (Rom 11:6 ESV)
The Judgement Seat
Each time a Born-Again Christian misses the mark that includes positional and conditional confessed and unconfessed sins, they were forgiven on the Cross - past, present, and future. There is NO direct Scriptural evidence that God will evaluate the mistakes of a Born-Again Christian at the Judgement Seat (Rom 14:10; 2 Cor 5:10).
The forgiveness of God does not exclude accountability, which is defined as the state of being accountable or answerable; responsibility for the fulfillment of obligations; liability to account for conduct, meet or suffer consequences, etc.: as, to hold a trustee to his accountability. The Biblical truth is that every human being is accountable for receiving or rejecting Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
God makes a tremendous promise to anyone who receives Jesus; "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more" (Heb 10:17 ESV, also Jer 31:34). He cancels their record of debt at the moment of salvation and never remembers them again as He has removed their transgressions as far as the east is from the west (Col 2:13-14; Psalm 103:12). God has hidden their lives within Jesus (Col 3:3). They are perfected forever in His sight (Heb 10:10, 14).
CONCLUSION
When Jesus came to Earth, "the goodness and loving-kindness of God" appeared (Titus 3:4 ESV). Jesus "saves" those who receive Him as Lord and Savior"…. "not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly" (Titus 3:5-7 ESV).
The blood of Jesus qualifies every Born-Again Christian for the prize of eternal life, and they will be with Him forever as vessels of mercy (2 Tim 2:12; Rom 9:23-24; 1 Peter 2:10). They will hear Jesus' words of approval, "Well done, good servant" (Luke 19:17 NIV; also Rom 14:18; 16:10; 1 Cor 11:19; 2 Cor 10:8; 13:7; 2 Tim 2:15; James 1:12)
God is a Good and loving Father
God enters into every life circumstance of the Born-Again Christian to come alongside them and work things out for their best (Rom 8:28). That doesn't mean that God "causes" or "allows" bad things to happen so that He can test or try one's faith to make them a "better" or "stronger" person or to discipline or punish them. He knows that awful things can happen and has already planned to work it out for their best.
If a person gave their adult child the keys to their car, and the child gets drunk and kills someone, they did not directly allow it, nor would they be held responsible in a court of law for merely giving them the keys (i.e., free will).
The word "allow" implies authorizing, permitting, enabling, and giving permission for evil in this case, which is absolutely against the very character and nature of God. If you were accused of doing what people accuse God of doing, you would be arrested for child abuse – and they would throw away the key!
The Bible says that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father (James 1:17). He is NOT the author of sin and all its effects in this world. Nor is He culpable or responsible for it. He is holy, perfect, righteous, and, most importantly, love.
God created the FACT of free will but did not create the ACT of free will. That is up to every person on the planet. That doesn't mean God 'allows' bad things to happen - it means He knows they can happen and has already made a plan to work it out for our best. There is NO karma principle in Christianity.
God desires only the best for His people, who He calls His Bride because He is head over heels in love with her (Rev 21:9). He wants to pour out (not restrain) blessing upon blessing to those who trust Him with their entire being. Blessings are diametrically opposed to evil.
God is omniscient and knows the end from the beginning in every possible scenario that could ever be conceived, no matter what free will choice is made. He knows all possible outcomes and retains His divine providence without hindering the libertarian freedom of humanity (see Gen 50:20). He has infinite and perfect knowledge of the past, present, and future because He lives outside the time-space continuum. God has chosen to know all things. That makes Him sovereign and loving, not complicit or culpable when bad things happen.
The Bible reveals that salvation is a matter of divine intervention in the human condition that can be received only by faith and not by any work because it cannot change the state of the human heart and the condemnation of sinful nature. Good works (moral transformation) naturally follow saving faith but do not bring salvation God gives by grace, which He will not revoke (Rom 8:26-39; 11: 29).
Contrary to karma theology, the universe has not always existed, nor have souls always existed. There is a definite beginning. When God creates a human being, their soul/spirit is created at that moment and is not waiting for a body.
"Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man BECAME a living soul." (Gen 2:7 NIV emphasis mine)
Either God saves humans by grace, or they contribute through good works for forgiveness and restoration. Human nature is focused on earning the grace of God by living a moral life, which the Bible calls "works."
A person doesn't become Born-Again by merely raising their hand during an emotional altar call and repeating a 'sinners prayer' or having someone pray over them to receive salvation. Belief cannot be willed. A person cannot self-help their way to God either. If they could, then there would be no need for Him. Jesus said, "You must be born again" (John 3:3 NKJV). Faith is something done FOR fallen humanity rather than BY them. It is a gift, not a choice.
The Bible says many times that Jesus is God's "free gift" (Rom 5:15-19). A person is free to reject that gift just as they are free to reject the offer of friendship and love from another. That is their choice, just as it is their choice to sin because they are free to do so. However, they are not free to not sin because they are a 'sinner' by nature. It is God alone who deserves all acclaim for them not sinning. All glory has to be God's for faith because otherwise, it is not faith; it is the success of works and not grace.
No one can work their way to God or keep their salvation by doing good works (James 2:26). Continuous good works that result from genuine conversion prove that the Holy Spirit lives within a person whose faith is alive and not dead (James 2:26; 2 Cor 1:22, 5;5). Those who are Born-Again naturally stay (abide) in Jesus because He is a good God. They are His "Good Tree" that naturally and automatically produces good fruit that accompanies salvation (Luke 8:15; Rom 6:22; 1 John 2:29, 3:9, 5:18). They will never hear Jesus say, "I never knew you; depart from me" (Matt 7:23 ESV).
Every human being is "destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Heb 9:27 NIV). Those that repent of their sin and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior are destined to see Him as He is and spend eternity with Love Himself!
