Delete the Karma Infection

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Delete the karma infection
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Do you throw around the word “karma” in your comments about people or life? Do you really know what karma means? Does karma have any place in a Christian’s life, or is it an infection? This is post #9 in our Healthy Living series from Colossians. In this article, we will see how to recognize and delete the Karma infection to stay spiritually healthy in an unhealthy world.

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Karma is a word that is thrown around casually in conversation these days. And it finds its way into Facebook Theology—those “cute” sayings posted by people on Facebook. At first, they seem “true enough” to sound okay but are really not true. They are not okay and can lead to some really bad conclusions.

I recently saw two colorful, eye-catching graphics telling me to pursue positive karma. One said, “Tips for improving good karma.” The other said, “Create positive karma now!” Christians were the ones sharing these pictures.

Do they really know what karma means? Do I? Does karma have any place in a Christian’s life? Or is it an infection?

In the  Healthy Living Bible Study of Colossians, we use a process to examine such teachings in light of Scripture to discern truth from error and then think of a gracious response to someone I meet who thinks karma is an okay thing by which to live your life. I’ll use that process in this article.

Step #1: Define the terms and issues. Define “karma.”

Does karma have any place in a Christian’s life? The first thing I did was to research what “karma” actually meant. I discovered that “karma comes from the Buddhist and Hindu religions. It is the idea that how you live this life will determine the quality of life you will have after reincarnation. Reincarnation means after death your soul is reborn into a new body—whether it is human or animal is based upon what kind of life you lived. Basically, karma teaches you get what you deserve.

Step #2. Ask questions and support your answer with Scripture.

The next I did was to ask questions about karma and how it differs from what the Bible teaches. So I posed these questions and answered them biblically.

Is the idea of reincarnation biblical?

The answer is, “No.” The concept of reincarnation is opposite of what the Bible teaches.

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, (Hebrews 9:27)

Everyone dies once then comes the judgment. For believers, we receive salvation and then get a new body but remain the same person. No reincarnation. Everyone gets one shot at life and living it according to God’s plan. That is it.

Although karma is an eastern religious concept, the idea of karma has seeped into our western Judeo-Christian society like it is something cool. The western understanding of karma is the idea of cause and effect where whatever you do is returned to you. Karma teaches that you get what you deserve. So Westerners hold onto this when it comes to wanting revenge on someone who has wronged us. When embraced by Christians, even casually, karma is an infection in our thinking about our life in Christ.

So let’s look at this idea of getting what you deserve. What does the Bible say about that?

Does the Bible teach that you always get what you deserve? Why or why not?

In Galatians chapter 6, there is a general principle about sowing and reaping.

Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever 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. (Galatians 6:8-9)

The context is your moral and spiritual life. In general, when you choose to live apart from Christ, your life will get messed up. It is not hard to figure that out.

However, there is not a one-to-one correlation between doing something good or bad and getting the exact good or bad reward for it. You can be as nice as possible to all your family members and yet have everyone still dislike you or be mean to you. None of us can judge what happens to us by whether we deserve it or not. In God’s eyes, we all are sinners from our first breath to the last and deserve judgment and nothing good from God. Thankfully, God chooses to give us His mercy. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Instead of judgment and punishment, God offers us His grace instead.

What is the difference between karma and grace?

The Bible teaches grace, not karma. The New Testament clearly teaches that you cannot earn your salvation through any good works or lose it through bad works once you are saved. There are no scales. God took them away. Our lives are based on God’s grace toward us and whether or not we accept it.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Grace is undeserved favor. It is a gift from God that you do not deserve. You can never deserve it. God extends His mercy to you because of His great love for you. That’s the grace. The gift. He desires you to have it. As you can see, it is the opposite of karma.

We deserve judgment—every one of us. But we get the very life of God instead by our faith in Christ. And zillions of wonderful blessings come to us by that one act alone! We just might have to wait to receive some of them until later.

Does karma have any place in a Christian’s life? Or is it an infection?

Looking at Colossians chapter 3, we see many reasons why karma is an infection.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.(Colossians 3:1-4)

You have been raised with Christ. In God’s eyes, you are seated with Christ at God’s right hand. You have already died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Nothing is better than that. It is a guarantee. Christ is your life. Not luck. Not karma. Not what others do to you. Not even your own behavior can change that.

and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:10)

You have a new self that is being renewed to look just like Jesus. God’s doing that in you—not karma. Karma dethrones Christ and our life in Him. Anything that takes Christ off the throne as Lord of your life is an infection!!!

How does wanting people to “get what they deserve” (referring to the wicked) fit in with the gospel?

I said earlier that the western understanding of karma is the idea of cause and effect where you get what you deserve. Westerners especially hold onto this when it comes to wanting revenge on someone who has wronged us. Revenge and justice get confused here.

Revenge has no place in the gospel or in a Christian’s life. God will take care of justly punishing those who have rejected Him.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21)

Do not take revenge, but leave room for God to repay evil. And He will do it. Justice will be done, whether in this life through the legal system or after death.

But for now…

Jesus calls us to respond counter-intuitively. Instead of meeting evil with equal or greater force, he urges us to meet evil with a completely different force: with good. Instead of paying back in kind, we are called to pay back with kindness. (Sweet Revenge. Bible.org)

What is the kindest thing you can do for someone who has wronged you? Pray for their salvation, right? Pray for them to experience God’s amazing grace, right? Kindness is not looking to “karma” to make things right. Grace leads to justice, not the revenge of karma.

What is the one act upon which you can guarantee your destiny?

There is one and only one act in this life that guarantees anyone’s destiny after death. Either placing your faith in Jesus Christ or rejecting Him. It is all about Christ. That’s plainly stated in the gospel of John…

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)

Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24)

There is no doubt about it. Done deal. And even this is pure grace!

Step #3. Come up with a graceful response.

Recognize that a belief in karma can certainly cause fear in someone’s life or lead to a hard heart towards others. So when you know someone is caught up in the belief in karma, you need to have a graceful response ready to point her to the truth. You can simply say,

“I am so glad that God doesn’t give me what I deserve. I deserve severe judgment for my sin and nothing good at all in light of His goodness. I am so grateful for His grace to me that expresses His kindness to me because of His love for me. It’s a much better way to live than to live in fear that I am not good enough or to live in bitterness against those who have mistreated me.”

That is recognizing Jesus Christ as Lord.

Grace = YES! Karma = NO!

Does karma have anything to do with a Christian’s life? Absolutely not! Grace and karma are like oil and water. They do not mix. By spreading the karma infection, you actually draw people away from Jesus and His amazing grace and toward something that poorly substitutes for Him. Remember, grace = Yes! Karma = No!

Dear reader, I recommend that you delete that word “karma” from your vocabulary. Please choose to never again use it regarding yourself or regarding anyone else. When you do, you are putting karma above Christ.

As Paul wrote in Colossians,

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

A spiritual infection takes you captive to something other than Christ. The Karma infection is bad. Knowing the truth of God’s grace that you have in Jesus Christ gives you an immune system that deletes this spiritual infection. Let Jesus satisfy your heart needs with His truth and His love so you can get well and stay well.

Learn more about staying spiritually healthy in an unhealthy world through our Healthy Living Bible Study of Colossians and Philemon (11 lessons). 

Read other articles in this Healthy Living series. The next one is Wipe Out the Narcissism Infection.

Image credits: sourced at faithgateway.com (jesus-is-scandalous-grace-400×400-400×360.jpg) and open source (improve-good-karma-tips.jpg)

AI was not used to generate this post.

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