Good
and
Bad Karma!
Good or Bad?
May
18, 2010
Dr.
Allen Barber
First
Posted September 19, 2007
Webster's
defines
"Karma" as that
force generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and
Buddhism to
perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to
determine
one's destiny in one's next existence. For example, the bad
karma generated by an evil life meant one would be reborn into a
lower
caste or lower life form, including animal life. The good karma
which flowed from a life of virtue meant elevation in status
in the next incarnation. Karma, either good or bad, was determined
by a
person's religious works.
The
mass flow of immigration into the United States from third world
countries, particularly the East, is bringing with it Eastern
religions
steeped in Hinduism and Buddhism with its emphasis on
transcendental
meditation, yoga, contemplative prayer, diverse forms of
mysticism,
etc. Zen Buddhism is now unashamedly practiced by many
professing Christians who claim it enhances their prayer life.
I have spoken with and counseled Christians who spoke freely
about their "Karma."
The
Apostle Paul warned in his letter to the Galatians that if anyone
attempts to add anything to Christianity such as religious works,
they
have fallen away from the grace in Christ Jesus. Adapting
Eastern religious forms as a "mood enhancer" to develop
one's
prayer life or improving one's state of mind via his or her karma
is
"anathema" - a cursed thing and should be avoided by all genuine
Christians:
6 I
am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you
in
the grace of Christ and are turning to a different
gospel----
7
not that there is another one, but there are some who
trouble
you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
8
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a
gospel
contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As
we have said before, so now I say again: if anyone is preaching to
you
a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accured.
10
For am I seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to
please man? If I were still trying please man, I would not
be
a servant of Christ ?
Galatians
1:
6-10 ESV
That
Paul found it unbelievable the Galatians so soon
after receiving the gospel message about Christ, could abandon Him
to
return to Judaism, is obvious from the word translated
"astonished" in
Verse 6. Those who were troubling the Galatians were the
Kabbalistic
Pharisees - the inventors of Judaism (God did not invent Judaism).
These evil men followed Paul everywhere he went in order to incite
opposition to his teachings. It is kind of like the liberal media
following the Tea Party Movement and reporting false information
against it in the evening news. Truth haters principal
weapons are lies and deceit, which is plethora in today's
society.
The
pure simple gospel is that Jesus, very God and very man, suffered,
bled
and died for the sins of humanity; then rose bodily on the third
day as
He predicted on many occasions while alive. Fifty days from his
resurrection, he ascended into Heaven at the right hand of the
Father's
throne waiting for the day of restitution and the revelation of
the
sons of God. His present ministry is the "High Priesthood" whereby
He
makes intercession for believers. Unfortunately many denominations
and
clerics have added many religious works to the simple gospel
whereby it
has become more a ritual of man rather than the power of God to
save
sinners from the devil and hell - the kingdom of darkness.
Paul was so confident in the gospel of Jesus Christ that he
included
angels in his castigation of the Judaizers (with a curse). Twice
he
says, "let him who preaches a gospel contrary to Christ, be
accursed."
The Greek word for accursed is anathema
-
a very strong idiomatic expression, which the Galatians would have
no
doubt of Paul's contempt for the Torah teachers that were trying
to
destroy the gospel of Jesus such as they do even to this day.
Like Paul, I am amazed that Christians think they need to
join a so-called Christian Jewish congregation that focuses on
Torah
worship to compliment their faith in Christ. It is nothing more
than a
form of old Judaism with a Christian flavor. Gentile believers
should
be preaching the free gospel of grace to the Jews without the
bondage
of the law (This does not mean the Law has no place in the
Christian
faith for it does, but we are not to look to the Law for our
salvation
or the power to live the Christian life. The source of our faith
is
Jesus and the power to live it is the Holy Spirit and the
revelation of
the Word of God.
The great apostle concludes by saying that if he were trying to
please
men, then he would be one of the Judaizers and not persecuted for
the
gospel of Christ. One of the primary reasons Christianity
has
so little power is that it seeks the approval of men rather than
of
God. Do you know whom God favors?
2...But
this is the one to whom I will look;
he
who is humble an contrite in spirit
and
who trembles at My Word.
Isaiah
66:2b
In Galatians 5:1 Paul says, For
freedom
Christ has
set us free, "Stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a
yoke
of slavery." Christian
liberty does not mean we can do anything we please, but that we
are
free to serve the Lord in His will (source - the Word of God)
without
the bondage of religious rituals, which is an attempt
at external righteousness. Jesus called it empty sepulchers
and dead men's bones.
Recently, I saw several videos of Billy Graham when he first began
to
preach the gospel. He was a young fiery bold preacher who was not
afraid to expose sin - national or personal; however, his main
message
was the gospel of Jesus Christ which he delivered in simplicity
and
power. Thousands, even millions came to faith in Christ by the
gospel
that Billy Graham preached. He made it very clear there was only
one
way to heaven - through Jesus Christ. Sadly in his old age, he
began to
compromise the gospel and fraternized with many liberal clerics
and
politicians, even praising Islam as a great religion. The
day
after 9-11 when the religious leaders had a memorial service in
Peter's
Cathedral in New York City,
Billy Graham apologized to the Muslim Imams for speaking about
Christ.
Graham is like Solomon who was sold out to God in his youth, but
compromised the truth in his old age - Solomon actually became an
apostate and I am not saying Billy Graham is an apostate - only
that he
has become liberal in his senior years.
We must never compromise the gospel of the Lord Jesus to please
any man
or any ideology!
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