But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
— Romans 5:8 NIV
It’s amazing to me how many Christians believe in karma. What’s even more amazing is how much this belief can damage your soul.
I have to give a disclaimer here, the definition that most of us believe about karma is incorrect. The common (incorrect) understanding of karma is cause and effect — you do bad, and bad things happen. You do good, and good things happen. You don’t have to live in this world for very long to know that every day millions of good people suffer, and millions of wicked people prosper.
Here are a few reasons this is dangerous for a Christian:
- The lack of justice in this world will anger you.
- The incorrect belief that if you suffer, it is because God is punishing you.
- The incorrect belief that if you prosper, it is because God is rewarding you.
- The most detrimental is that it takes the focus off God’s actions and puts the focus back on you.
The psalmist says in Psalm 73:2 that seeing the wicked prosper almost made him slip up. This is a sentiment we can all relate to. We often get mad when we see people getting things we believe they don’t deserve. Or worse yet, we get mad when we are not getting the things we think we deserve.
These are the hard truths of living in a fallen world. If a lack of justice angers you, can you imagine how much it angers God?
Here is what I need you to know: God demands justice. We incorrectly believe that God is willing to overlook our sins because he loves us. WRONG. God is not overlooking your sin. God demands justice.
This is why Jesus is so important. God sacrificed his son, in the most brutal way, for your sake, because he demanded justice. God did not forget that there was a penalty for sin because he loves you. He paid the penalty of sin because he loves you.
As I am writing this, I’m praying that with the help of God we will fully understand what it means that, “while we were still sinners Christ died for us”. We don’t believe in karma. Instead, we live in the reality of grace.