Hey freelight,
I think there's a question, above, in there somewhere but I am missing it.
I went home last night and though about "sowing and reaping."
One of the contemporary Pastor-teachers I listen to summarized the principle this way, "We reap what we sow, more than we sow and later then we sow it."
I understand "karma" such that if a person runs around doing bad things to other people, bad things are going to happen to that person and vice versa.
In a classic sowing/reaping passage Paul says (in Gal. 6:2-10) ~ 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5 For each one will bear his own load. 6 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
Anything anyone does outside the faith is sowing to the flesh. It doesn't matter if one thinks they are doing good or doing not so good, it is still "to the flesh." There is nothing they can do that is of eternal consequence but damn themselves. ALL of us start out in life this way. We are dead in our trespasses and sins. Dead is dead.
If one belongs to God then we have work we are supposed to do here; kingdom work. This is sowing to the Spirit. Those who sow to the Spirit will reap life, more abundantly here (John 10:10b) and eternally after our physical deaths.
Essentially karma sounds like one will do what one will do and whatever happens, happens.
In an endeavor to understand for myself, several years ago I decided to “try” sowing and reaping to the Spirit. I took an OT command to give of my first-fruits to the Lord and decided I would prove the scripture above. Understand that in my heart of hearts I am a cheap-o: I will fix something before I will buy a new one. I HATE spending money if I don’t absolutely have to. SO, being a cheap-o, I would throw a couple of dollars into the offering plate at church and pat myself on the back for doing my duty.
When I decided to give a biblical tithe I didn’t think I could live off the rest of my paycheck. But I gave anyway. I did fine…and even had a little money left over. A year later I decided to increase that tithe KNOWING I couldn’t afford the hit. Two years later I did the same thing. Currently I have more than enough to live on (as a cheap-o) of course, but something else has changed. I have MORE. More money, more money to give. I don’t know how that works when God is doing the Math but it does. I have more time to give. I have more love to give. I have more comfort to give. It occurs to me that I am enjoying the blessings of obedience and have proven to myself (God knows) that sowing and reaping is a fundamental law of God’s universe. It is, in a temporal way, cause and effect. In a spiritual way it’s obedience and the rewards are great.
I guess I throw karma into the same pot as “good luck” or “coincidence.” I don’t believe in those things, either, because the King of the universe governs my life.
Karma is a false hope for the hopeless (in Kingdom economy).
There are many roads that people believe lead to God. The road that matters eternally is the one where belief in Jesus as the Son of God and obedience to His commands are pre-eminent.
And, I pray for you. I pray you will rise above your “theosophy” and give your life and you “free choice” to the God Who really does love you and longs to give you His very best.
Your friend,
Teryl