“All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.” -Ecclesiastes 7:15.
The idea of Karma has been greatly promoted on the internet, and various media sources, and it’s usually applied to someone being repaid for an evil deed they’ve done, getting what they deserve; and thus the catch phrase, “It’s Karma” has become synonymous with a type of naturally occurring vengeance; yet it can also refer to a repayment for good things.
But the concept of KARMA itself traditionally stems from the notion of reincarnation in Eastern religions; where Good Karma or Bad Karma works will lead individuals to either a favorable or an unfavorable outcome both here on earth, as well as in their next reincarnated life. Yet the Word of God tells us there’s only one appointed time to die (Hebrews 9:27), and salvation comes by God’s grace, and not our good works.
“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” -Romans 9:15,16.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” -Ephesians 2:8,9.
And while we’re told in Galatians that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7,8), God only guarantees this at the final judgement, with Jesus saying,
“Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” -Revelation 22:12.
Jesus gives an example of this last judgement through the separating of sheep & goats in Matthew 25:31-46, and it’s clear these people weren’t aware of any Karma being applied their final standing. Jesus gave us guidelines for behavior which simply state that,
“...all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”;
any rewards we receive for doing so will only come later in Heaven, and for now the Lord says that,
“...when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: We have done that which was our duty to do.” -Luke 17:10.
God’s Word actually contradicts the laws of Karma many times, like in these verses from Matthew 5:11&12 where Jesus says,
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
In this passage, Karma would call this persecution a punishment; yet Jesus says it will mean there’s a heavenly reward; Karma sees an immediate temporal judgement for sins, while the Christian believer’s eyes look to eternal forgiveness. Karma’s doctrine greatly contradicts our own, and we must avoid being yoked together with this form of unbelief (2 Corinthians 6:14-17).
“Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.” -Proverbs 24:17,18.
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” -2 Corinthians 4:17,18.
I also have a short YouTube video on this topic at https://youtube.com/shorts/MUqMUhGg_pI?feature=share.
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