"What's Karma Got to do With It?"

"Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life" (Galatians 6:7-8, The Message Bible).

In the Hindu religion, Karma "is an Indian word that literally means "deed" or "act" and more broadly names the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction that governs all life" (http://www.blogger.com/www.wikipedia.org). At first glance, the idea of karma really seems to be supported by the word of God. But if we look a little deeper, while the idea of cause and effect seems universal, it cannot apply to those who are in the spiritual family of God’s Kingdom. Many people have used the above passage to justify the power and reality of Karma, however if the Biblical passage is used in context, its reference and application is uniquely Christian in nature. We as followers of Christ are not bound by the "law" of Karma, because:

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  For Karma to be in effect, the GRACE of God (which is His unmerited favor, mercy and good will) cannot exist. But the Bible says, "MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU" (1 Corinthians 12:9): "…My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness..."
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  If I live under the law of cause and effect, there must be continual condemnation of mistakes and habitual errors; there is no recovery or restitution for past or current mistakes. The Bible says, "THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION IN CHRIST JESUS" (Romans 8:1): "With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ's being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death."
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  The law of cause and effect does not have spiritual implications; it is a law bound by nature and steeped in fear. For those who have a spiritual inheritance, we are not limited to, we transcend through. (Romans 8:15-17): "This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next,Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!"

This is the joy I have--God is always at work around me. Joy that enlightens and infuses me with courage to do what is impossible for the mere mortal. Jesus said it this way, "...I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father" (John 15:11).

Enough said? R U FREE 2 WORSHIP?

Sean.