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What does the Bible say about karma
Got Questions Ministries
the concept of reincarnation and karma is
incompatible with what the Bible teaches about life, death, and the sowing and
reaping of eternal life and reaping of eternal life
“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face
judgment…” - Hebrews 9:27
Karma is a theological concept found in the Buddhist and Hindu religions.
It is the idea that how you live your life will determine the
quality of life you will have after reincarnation.
If you are unselfish, kind, and holy during this lifetime,
you will be rewarded by being reincarnated (reborn into a new earthly body)
into a pleasant life.
However, if you live a life of selfishness and evil, you will
be reincarnated into a less-than-pleasant lifestyle.
In other words, you reap in the next life what you sow in
this one. Karma is based on the theological belief in reincarnation.
The Bible rejects the idea of reincarnation;
therefore, it does not support the idea of karma.
Hebrews 9:27 states, “Just as man is destined to die once, and
after that to face judgment…”
This Bible verse makes clear two important points which, for
Christians, negate the possibility of reincarnation and karma.
First, it states that we are “destined to die once,”
meaning that humans are only born once and only die once.
There is no endless cycle of life and death and rebirth, an
idea inherent in the reincarnation theory.
Second, it states that after death we face judgment, meaning
that there is no second chance, like there is in reincarnation and karma, to
live a better life.
You get one shot at life and living it according to God’s
plan, and that is it.
The Bible talks a lot about reaping and sowing.
Job 4:8 says, “As I have observed,
those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.”
Psalm 126:5 says, “Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.”
Luke 12:24 says, “Consider the ravens:
They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.
And how much more valuable you are than birds!”
In each of these instances, as well as all the other
references to reaping and sowing, the act of receiving the rewards of your
actions takes place in this life, not in some future life.
It is a present-day activity, and the references make it
clear that the fruit you reap will be commensurate with the actions you have
performed.
In addition, the sowing you perform in this life will affect
your reward or punishment in the afterlife.
This afterlife is not a rebirth or a reincarnation into
another body here on earth. It is either eternal suffering in hell (Matthew 25:46) or
eternal life in heaven with Jesus, who died so that we might live eternally
with Him.
This should be the focus of our life on earth.
The apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 6:8-9, “The one who sows to please his
sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to
please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become
weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not
give up.”
Finally, we must always remember that it was
Jesus whose death on the cross resulted in the reaping of eternal life for us,
and that it is faith in Jesus that gives us this eternal life.
Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, “For it is by grace
you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the
gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Therefore, we see that the concept of
reincarnation and karma is incompatible with what the Bible teaches about life,
death, and the sowing and reaping of eternal life.
Got
Questions Ministries
seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by providing biblical, applicable, and
timely answers to spiritually related questions through an internet
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GotQuestions.org is a ministry of dedicated and trained servants who have a desire to assist others in their understanding of God, Scripture, salvation, and other spiritual topics. We are Christian, Protestant, evangelical, theologically conservative, and non-denominational. We view ourselves as a para-church ministry, coming alongside the church to help people find answers to their spiritually related questions.
GotQuestions.org is a ministry of dedicated and trained servants who have a desire to assist others in their understanding of God, Scripture, salvation, and other spiritual topics. We are Christian, Protestant, evangelical, theologically conservative, and non-denominational. We view ourselves as a para-church ministry, coming alongside the church to help people find answers to their spiritually related questions.
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