The belief of Karma originated way back in antiquity in India, and, with variations, is held by the Eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Karma is also popularly believed in the Western world, and some even assert that Karma is a Biblical belief. What we need to know, then, is Karma true? The article on this website entitled, “Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?”, discusses many aspects and ideas of Karma in the light of what the Bible says, so we won’t repeat all that here, but please reference what the article sasy about it. We will, however, further discuss other aspects of Karma in the light of the scriptures in this article.

Is Karma The Same Thing As, “You Reap What You Sow” (Galatians 6:7,8)?

Many, even some Christians, say that Karma is the same thing as the Biblical, ‘Reaping what you sow.’ This is not true. “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23). “Sin” leads to “death” (Romans 5:12). “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Yes, God rewards those he considers righteous with eternal life, son in that sense, people reap what they sow. However, since each human, no matter how righteous, is still a sinner, if each human were to really get what he/she deserves, it would be eternal death for all. Karma has no way to deal with sin. There is no real means of escape from sin with Karma. But the true God does provide an escape route out of sin! “The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2 NAB). 

An Endless Cycle of Deaths and Rebirths?

Do human souls experience an endless cycle of deaths and rebirths, as Karma claims? No! Why not? 

“It is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment”—Hebrews 9:27 NAB

The teaching of Karma claims that if humans are really bad in their current life, or have been really bad in a former life, in their next life they will be reborn as a “lower class human,” or could even be reborn as an animal. Speaking of human beings, the Bible states the obvious fact that humans have only one life to live in this world, and they only die once. Karma contradicts Bible truth, and also flies in the face of common sense.

The only way out of death is by “resurrection of the dead” (Acts 23:6), that is, by being brought back to life from the dead. The teaching of Karma claims that all humans are reborn into another life after death. The Bible makes clear that when people “die”, they “return to dust,” and“they know nothing” (Genesis 2:15,17; Ecclesiastes 9:5 NIV). Karma contradicts both reality and Bible truth.

There Is No Savior With Karma!

Karma leaves humans stuck in an endless cycle of births and rebirths. What does the Almighty God of the Bible offer?

“The Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost”—Luke 19:10 NAB

What was “lost”? – “Perfection” (Hebrews 7:11). Why? “Through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned” (Romans 5:12 NAB). God reveals the reason for “death,” which is “sin.” In contrast to Karma, God offers us a way out of sin, and its ultimate result, death. Therefore, we read:

“God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him”—John 3:17 NAB. How?

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins”—Ephesians 1:7 NIV. Almighty God, through his Son, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, provides a way for humans to be forgiven of their sins, which is something that Karma can’t do. 

“If we walk in the light as he is in the light . . . the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin”—1 John 1:7 NAB. Jesus Christ’s sacrifice does something that Karma cannot do, that is, cleanse obedient humans “from all sin.”

Jesus gave “his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45), that is, for all humans who are faithful to God through Christ. Karma has no such provision, leaving people are stuck in the endless cycle of death and rebirth. 

The Goal of Karma

The goal of Karma is to do good, avoid bad, and eliminate all of one’s desires. This self-effort, it is believed, will result an end to the endless cycle of births, deaths, and rebirths, into a uniting, or merging, of one’s soul with the universal God, or spirit, so that the person no longer has any independent existence. On the surface, this may sound good, however, it is essentially from Satan the devil, “the father of lies,” who has “deceived the whole world” (John 8:44 NAB; Revelation12:9 NAB) . To be sure, there are bad desires, which the Bible says humans need to fight against (Colossians 3:5).

In contrast to Karma, though, the one true God, “Yahweh is generous to all,” and offers, and provides, a way to “satisfy the desires of every living creature” (Psalm 145:9,16 NJB). One goal of Christianity is “eternal life,”  through getting to “know . .  . the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [he, God] sent”  (John 17:3). Thus, no one who gains eternal life loses his/her independent existence, or identity. “At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:11 NAB). What a contrast! — To keep one’s individual existence and “know fully,” as opposed to completely losing one’s independent existence and personal identity.

Conclusion 

Karma is a ‘myth, a false doctrine,’ a “lie”  (1 Timothy 1:3,4; 2 Thessalonians 2:11), and should be rejected! Bible “truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NAB) from slavery to sin and falsehood.