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THE CHURCH AND ISRAEL
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!