Is Karma Real? — What The Bible Says

Taylor Swift says karma’s like a cat purring in her lap. Just another example of how karmic beliefs permeate today’s culture. But is karma real? And what does the Bible say?

 

WHAT IS KARMA? — THE ORIGINS

Wikipedia defines karma as:

a principle of cause and effect … wherein an individual’s intent and actions (cause) influence their future (effect): Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and worse rebirths.

The principle of karma finds its origin in the Indian (and Asian) religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. An AI karma search echo’s Wiki’s definition:

“positive actions lead to happiness and negative actions to suffering, often across lifetimes through reincarnation.”

 

IS KARMA REAL? – A MODERN TWIST

The Western world was founded on biblical principles, but Eastern mysticism has been gaining ground since the 1960’s, if not earlier. In fact, it’s the origin of New Age philosophy — the pseudo-religious garb that’s dressing Hollywood and mass media these days.

Everywhere God and prayer aren’t welcome, you’ll find karma. An easy example is the evolution of Hallmark’s feel good Christmas movies.

I love these charming, predictable tales, especially with a mug of hot cocoa. Everything’s so pretty, with bows and lights in all the right places. Alas, the Universe gets a frequent nod where God once got the praise. So, is karma real in Hallmark-land? Ah yes, it is.

Beyond the entertainment industry, this worldview influences everything from healthy beverages to handbags. Karma branding is on the uptick.

So what’s the deal?

This sometimes-true philosophy that “what goes around comes around” boils down to:

Do good and good will come your way (kind of a selfish motivation, really). Do bad and bad will follow (with social media there to capture your calamity). In this version of reality, the Universe is a vague and impersonal force — unknowable (a stark contrast to the God revealed in Scripture). Karma makes the world turn, so they say, and we’re all on a cosmic learning curve with multiple lives ahead.

Is karma real? Let’s see what the Bible says.

 

IS KARMA REAL? – THE BIBLE SAYS NO (PER JESUS)

First, let’s get some biblical context. The human reality described in God’s Word contrasts sharply with karmic views.

It’s fascinating to note however, that Jesus’ disciples were just as confused as many modern New Agers!

The Gospel of John 9:1-7 shares this incident:

“As Jesus 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 works of God might be displayed in him. … While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ 

After saying this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. … So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”

Even Jesus’ disciples where wondering: “Is karma real?” Sure, they didn’t have a name for this principle, but they held a similar bias. Their questions contained the assumption that suffering is always a consequence of sinful behavior. Jesus, on the other hand, was quick to correct. The blind man’s disability was not a punishment for his past sins, nor those of his parents.

 

THE SCRIPTURES JESUS READ — DETAILS OF A FALLEN WORLD

The Twelve had a background in Old Testament teaching, and would have understood our world’s broken condition as a direct consequence of the Fall.

The Fall occurred when Adam and Eve rebelled against God and were therefore forced to leave perfect Eden. Dire consequences rocked the natural world. Brokenness and death ravaged Creation. Disease, such as this man’s blindness, became a part of fallen reality.

Then Jesus came, sharing truth and light. In this discussion with the Twelve, He clarifies the man’s condition as unrelated to personal sin. This blindness was not a karmic consequence. He doesn’t speak about its cause. Rather, Jesus identifies the man’s infirmity as an opportunity to show compassion and Divine healing.

Doubtless, there are many layers to suffering in this world — complexities far above my pay grade.

But there’s joy too! This world has God’s fingerprints all over it. There’s beauty, and miracles abound!

It seems earthly happenstance — pleasant or otherwise — falls loosely into these categories:

1. Happy coincidences.
2. Angelic rescues and interventions.
3. Demonic interference. (Such as the murder of a beloved husband).
4. Devastating accidents. (Such as a random bullet).

There’s so much more going on that our physical eyes can’t see — behind the veil. Life is a battlefield, and spiritual warfare is real.

 

IS REINCARNATION REAL? – THE BIBLE SAYS NO (PER JOHN)

While karma does not weave its magic on your circumstances, neither does reincarnation offer second chances.

A key component of karmic philosophy is the belief in reincarnation. According to AI Overview:

Reincarnation is the belief that the soul or non-material essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical body after death … It is also called rebirth or transmigration, suggesting the soul’s continuation in human, animal, or spiritual forms, aiming for enlightenment.”

There are hundreds of verses in the Bible which argue against this principle. The most striking may be Hebrews 9:27 (quoted here in the old King James Version) –

It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment …”.

One day, perhaps not too long from now, your soul will stand before the Living and Holy God. The question is: Are you ready?

He is Holy. But — oh, such relief! He is also a God of pure Love! The Bible’s quotation from 1 John 4:8 says, simply:

 … God is love.”

 

 

Jesus, God in the flesh, came and lived a perfect sinless life — a life that you and I couldn’t live. He died on a cross and paid the penalty for our sins, to reconcile us to God.

Will you repent of your sin — will you place your trust and faith in Jesus? Visit Moment By Moment’s first post to read my personal salvation story.

 

KARMA – A SYSTEM FUELED BY PRIDE AND DESPAIR

The karmic worldview is more than mere error, it’s a narrative that imprisons people — and entire cultures — in chains of pride, despair and oppression. These are strong words. I’m not trying to be heavy-handed, but this example speaks for itself. India’s caste system is rooted in karma’s dehumanizing beliefs. It’s boiled down to these bare bones:

 

1. The Snare of Pride

Everything’s going your way? Karma says, “Why be grateful? You’ve earned it. That cat purring in your lap? It’s karma. That fat bank account, flourishing career and glittering reputation? All thanks to you. So give yourself a pat on the back. Congratulations. You’ve been born into Hinduism’s highest caste – the Brahmins.”

Pride, in case you’re not aware, is the worst sin of all. Hate is rooted in pride. And the greatest tragedy of all – rejecting God’s grace – is due entirely to pride. No wonder Scripture rails on this vice so fiercely (James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5):

God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Beware if you call yourself  “a self-made man” or you sing to the chorus of  “I did it my way”. Kneeling before God is the only appropriate position, and His ways are far above yours. For more on the beauty of humility, click here.

 

The Weight of Despair

On the other end of the caste spectrum fall the Dalits. If this is your lot in life, it’s truly a trench of despair. According to much research (take a look at this article from Carnegie Endowment on human rights), in the karma-coerced Hindu hierarchy one cow is worth the lives of five Dalit humans. Let that sink in. A person of the Dalit caste is valued as one-fifth of a cow.

Karma says, “Are you diseased and living in squalor? You must have been a really bad person last time around. No sense wasting compassion on you. Because, just like the Brahmin, you are getting what you deserve.”

Dear reader, is karma real, or is this not the most hideous belief system imaginable? Such is the havoc wrecked by the principle of karma – the backbone of Hinduism and Buddhism.

 

 

THE PRINCIPLE OF KARMA VS. THE LAW OF MORAL CONSEQUENCES

It is true in life – often you reap what you sow. But there’s a difference between the principle of karma and the law of moral consequences.

The Bible’s book of Proverbs is full of examples of cause and effect — general rules of decision-making and morality. It’s wisdom in a nutshell. For example,

• If you save your money you’ll have funds for food and shelter.
• If you are kind to people there’s a good chance they’ll be kind back. Not always.
• If you guard sexual relations within marriage you’ll avoid much heartache.
• If you live a life of violence you’ll probably die of the same.

This is common sense inlaid with moral gold. The good way, the golden way is how God wants things to work. God’s Ten Commandments weren’t handed down to stop us from having fun – they’re instructions for a healthy life and an ordered society. Furthermore, this law of moral consequences has nothing to do with karma.

So, is karma real? Not at all. And the biggest blow to these false beliefs was dealt by Jesus Himself. He’s our trailblazer.

Jesus never sinned. He set the bar for living a good life. Wise. Compassionate. Selfless. And yet, in direct affront to karma’s views — He died falsely accused, accursed and abandoned. Jesus exposed how upside down our world really is —

 

THE TRUE NATURE OF LIFE – AN UPSIDE DOWN WORLD

The truth is, bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. Often.

In superlatives: the WOST thing happened to the BEST person.

Jesus = 100% human + 100% God.

Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. The life I couldn’t live. The life you couldn’t live. He loved with supernatural love – such a love that the Greek language came up with a new word for it – agape.

Jesus died the death of a tortured criminal — bearing not His sins, but everyone else’s. He endured the punishment of hell that we deserve. So that — if you and I repent and put our trust in Him, our sins are washed away! We can stand before God, clothed in Jesus’ righteousness.

Is karma real? Not on your life. People who suffer from cancer or catastrophe are not paying for past sins! Take a look at this major architectural disaster in Jesus’ day:

 

A COLLAPSED TOWER TRAGEDY

“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered,

‘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 of 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)

 

SO, IS THERE ANY REWARD FOR BEING GOOD THEN?

ABSOLUTELY! But it’s not salvation.

You don’t get to go to Heaven by being good, because you can’t be good enough, friend. That’s just the truth of it. We’re all selfish and we all sin against God and against each other.

1. Salvation Comes Because Jesus Paid for Your Sins

Jesus paid the penalty for sin, a penalty which you deserved. He rose from the grave three days later and defeated the grip of spiritual death forever.

Jesus accomplished reconciliation between fallen humanity and holy God. This is on Him. Therefore you, human, must respond. No response is a response. This is on you. Open His gift of salvation. Open your heart. Surrender ownership of your life to Him. He’s got something way better.

2. Doing Good is the Fruit of Salvation

Good deeds, or “works” as the Bible calls them, don’t save you. Instead, these righteous acts are the fruit of a soul saved by Jesus.

You aren’t saved by good deeds. Rather, good deeds is the proof  that you’re saved.

James 2:26 puts it this way:

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

 

To learn more about abiding in Jesus, enjoy this short meditation from the Gospel of John. It’s truly one of my favorites.

3. Your Reward for Good Works is Stored Up for You in Heaven!

This is it, friends! God blesses you here on earth too, but your guaranteed rewards are in heaven.

Meanwhile, don’t give up! Take comfort while you trudge through the sludge of suffering in a world that rejects Christ. The Bible’s 1 Peter 4:13-14 offers this encouragement:

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which has come to test you, as though some strange thing were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.

Jesus puts it the best:

Don’t store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

If you’ve surrendered your life to Jesus, trust Him to provide your needs here on earth too. And know for certain that your full reward is in Heaven — waiting for you. God is 100% just and fair. Your good works will be rewarded, if they’re done with the right heart.

 

IS KARMA REAL? NOPE. THE TRUTH IS WAY BETTER.

The Living God is real. Karma is a mere fantasy (a dim and dastardly one at that).

God loves you so much. And, here’s the most comforting truth of all —

Even in this unfair world, where good people suffer and bad people seem to prosper, God still gives His children amazing blessings!

I keep coming back to this verse from Romans, Chapter 8, verse 28. I encourage you, dear reader — memorize this. Break it down. Hear what God is saying to you in this comforting, hope-filled eternal truth —

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

 

In all things, friend. All circumstances. This promise is for God’s children — those adopted into His kingdom through the blood of Jesus. If you love Him, then He has called you, according to His good purposes. For His glory. For your good.

Someday we’ll see it all. For now — in this moment and the next — I encourage you to walk by faith.

Skip karma.

Push back against the culture.

Serve God with a heart of love, and the rest will flow.

 

IS KARMA REAL? — SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

The Question “Is Karma Real?” has been soundly silenced by Scripture. I’d love to hear your opinion or worldview regarding suffering and consequences. Share your comments and enjoy this discussion in a friendly environment.

God bless you and keep you. – Ali 🙂