What's the difference between the enemy and karma?

[posthuman]

The drug dealer gets jailed n the honest man may still not be wealthy but has the respect of people. Simple examples n not unbiblical. Im not asking u to share my view. Im just saying what i feel is a good way for me to think

this is true, because God does show His justice on earth, but it's also true that some wicked people die with great wealth and without ever being held to account for the wrong they've done in this life, and that honest people who do right sometimes have no respect from others, and die poor and friendless.

in this life, God blesses people who do good and people who don't -

There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth:
the righteous who get what the wicked deserve,
and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve.
This too, I say, is meaningless.
(Ecclesiastes 8:14)​

but in heaven, God will reward the ones who thank Him, and do what is right, and punish the ones who forget Him, and don't do right. even those who do 'right' but forget God, do not have the reward of those who fall, but remember Him.

these are 'holes' in karma - because blessings and rewards are not limited to this world or material things, and God 'will have mercy on who He will have mercy'
karma takes Him out of the picture, and works for rewards on earth, instead of in heaven.

 

[Ariel82]

Oh I think its an extension of what the new testament teaches... be a decent person. The rest I guess is my own logic of what I think. If your a nasty person sooner or later bad things r going to come your way... mayb in your marriage, mayb ur kids will hate you, mayb u will get arrested.... or maybe ur anger will make u walk in front of a truck

On the other hand being a nice person brings the reverse rewards. Now if u are asking me to support this from the bible ... then I don't know it well enough to do that - im just saying what I think n what I try n live to

Have to go to church but I see what you are saying. God does teach us to do good and for the most part your interactions will be positive.there is many verses about God justice in the bible. What many people forget is this life is not the whole picture.

Evil people may appear to prosper in this life but end up in hell for eternity

And beggars suffer in this life but end up in heaven like Lazarus who begged at the gate and saw the rich man in hell.

 

[Ariel82]

God corrects His children out of love so they don't end up in Hell.

 

[dcontroversal]

Solomon said time and chance happen unto all.........

 

[dcontroversal]

God corrects His children out of love so they don't end up in Hell.

God's children are eternally secure in Christ and have no fear of hell...it is a false teaching to imply that one can lose salvation...God whips his children so they will yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness.....!

 

[pottersclay]

Karma and good works of the flesh are something that you should beware of. It's a good thing to present yourself a friendly likeable helpful person no doubt about that but, it's the intent of why you do it.
If you do it so you would get favor from people and praise from those that that respond to your good and thoughts then you have fallen into th he trap which satan has set in this matter. We tend to get puffed up with hearing good reports about ourselves. It's in our nature. If we do good works to glorify God then we have succeeded to walk biblical. Here's a little in site on Satan's deception, look at the story of Moses going against the magicians in pharaohs court how they could duplicate what Moses God was doing and explained if away, then the Lord was moved to do something they couldn't do. Death of the first born etc.
Satan is an imposter and very good at it, Satan also knows are nature and tries to appeal to it.
Satan's sin is pride and as I said above we tend to get puffed up at people's positive responses toward us.
Will we sacrifice a kind word for truth or just shrug it off. Imo it is a very dangerous area and we should take heed. Many people believe that Satan war against God is to over throw him which is true but how he plans on doing it imo is evident through out scripture he wants to prove God a liar. His words have not changed since the garden of Eden "Did God say"? Paul said to live with every man as peaceful as you can but I can assure you that with all the good deeds your flesh has done when you have to stand for God's truth you can be a enemy of the state in a flash and all the karma work and freshly works become null and void.

A man went hunting for a bear to add a bear skin coat to his collection. When he spotted the bear he took aim but the bear yelled stop let's talk this over. The bear said I'm looking for food and you need a coats let's compromise. After a while the bear killed the man and ate him, and went about his way.
Ya see the man got his bear skin coat and the bear was full.

 

[Ariel82]

Not to derail but hell/ the abyss is a place people and demons are let out of.

Jonah said he was in the belly of hell, the beast rose out of the abyss. Satan was locked in the abyss but will be let out.

Sorry I would not imply God's children can stop being His.

 

[NoRedemptionBeyondRepair]

Thank you for all of the help and understanding. I have heard more about karma growing up then I did about God. And like some of you have said, lots of people think you can get into heaven based on just good works or being a good person. that's what I always assumed and heard. It makes me feel stupid that all I do know or been taught growing up is mostly all wrong. Not going to lie it's really hard to believe some of yalls post because it feels like I'm trying to reprogram everything I thought I knew and automatically take what you all are saying in agreement as truth. I guess that's good and bad...lol it gets my mind hardcore thinking and then I find myself reading and searching harder for what the truth really is.

 

[Ariel82]

God corrects His children out of love so they don't end up in Hell.

Just paraphrasing proverbs 23 v 14

 

[NoRedemptionBeyondRepair]

Not to derail but hell/ the abyss is a place people and demons are let out of.

Jonah said he was in the belly of hell, the beast rose out of the abyss. Satan was locked in the abyss but will be let out.

Sorry I would not imply God's children can stop being His.

"hell/ the abyss is a place people and demons are let out of"

Could you explain what you mean? People can be let out of hell? I thought hell was a forever place and there was no escaping. I can understand demons roaming out but what kind of people do you mean?

 

[Ahwatukee]

"hell/ the abyss is a place people and demons are let out of"

Could you explain what you mean? People can be let out of hell? I thought hell was a forever place and there was no escaping. I can understand demons roaming out but what kind of people do you mean?

Morning NoRedemptionBeyondRepair,

Forgive me for jumping here and remaining off topic, but to answer your question, according to Scripture the Abyss seems to be specifically a location for demon's (fallen angels), but not all of them are in there. For example, Luke 8:26-37 records that a demon possessed man met Jesus as he came ashore who was possessed with thousands of demon's collectively called Legion who begged Jesus not to send them into the Abyss. At the sounding of the fifth trumpet judgment, a star/angel has the key to the Abyss and opens it letting out demonic beings (Rev.9). The Abyss is also the same location where the beast comes from and is currently located. And lastly, when the Lord returns to the earth to end the age and establish his millennial kingdom, an angel will come down out of heaven and seize Satan and throw him into the Abyss and lock him in during Christ's thousand year reign. That being said, I have never read any Scripture that described the souls/spirits of the departed dead residing in the Abyss.

There are three words in the NT translated as Hell: Hades, Tartarus, and Geenna.

Hades: According to Scripture, Hades is synonymous with Sheol of the OT, which is defined as the realm of the unrighteous dead. This is the same place where the rich man went of the "Rich man and Lazarus" event that Jesus spoke of in Luke 16:19-31. Both Lazarus and the rich man die and Lazarus goes to a location of paradise across from Hades where the righteous OT saints went. Across from that location and separated by a great wide trench, was/is Hades which is where the spirits/souls of the unrighteous go after the death of the body where they will remain until the great white throne judgment takes place (Rev.20:11-14).

Tartarus/Tartaroo: This is a word that is used once in 2 Peter 2:4 that describes where the angels where sent who sinned and I believe that the angels that he is referring to are those angels, the watchers of heaven, who took wives from the progeny of men and defiled themselves and had offspring who were giants and because of this were put into Tartarus in chains of darkness until judgment.

Geenna: Phonetically pronounced (gheh'-en-nah) is referring to the final place of punishment for both fallen angels and mankind, also referred to as the lake of fire and the second death in the book of Revelation. This is where Satan and his angels will be cast into and where anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life will go. It is a place of eternal punishment.
Hope this clears things up.

 

[Angela53510]

I'm not solely focusing on evil..."Obviously" I just didn't know. Post like yours Angela make me not want to ask questions. Your post only sounded condescending and unhelpful to me and "obviously" like I should have already known...


"Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour? It is not just about praying a prayer and going on with your life. It is about repenting, turning from your own sin and evil, and following after Jesus the rest of your life.

That means seeking God in prayer, reading the Bible, and fellowshipping with other Christians. PM me if you want to know more."

Stop assuming sh*t about me just because I asked some questions! How am I gonna stand up if I don't even know my enemy? I read my bible...daily! Even well into the night! I pray, and I seek Jesus. So before you arrogantly jump the gun and patronize me or others for that matter with asking if I even know Jesus and what Christians "obviously" should know or don't know with the do's/donts, maybe you should take a step back and not be so judgmental on my "saved" state.

I'm sorry if I offended you! That was not my intent. We get so many people on here asking questions who really do not know Christ as Lord and Saviour. I would rather be safe than sorry.

I truly believe that that we should be focusing on Jesus, not on the devil and evil. Jesus is the one we are following. This is an excellent book on spiritual warfare, if you are interested. It is called "Spiritual Warfare: Biblical Truth for Victory" by John Franklin and Chuck Lawless. You can get it on Amazon.com

Praying you find answers to your questions!

PS I had to reprogram my mind after I got saved, too! The Holy Spirit really helped me, and rooted out all those wrong thoughts and philosophies from the things I learned in The New Age movement, especially.

 

[GuessWho]

I also believe in karma. Not the Buddhist one, but how zoii explained it.

I think sin is a concrete reality and the healing for it does not happen over night, magically. I believe in forgiveness from God, but I think the consequences of sin (sufferance) to be part of the healing, learning and growing.

I believe that my words and actions really affect others and myself, too (for the best or for the worse), if they didn't, then God would not have asked us to be careful what we say or do. Also, I think that whenever we feel pushed to do something good for the other one, it is the Holy Spirit that is behind it. The Holy Spirit wants us to participate with Him. And when we do evil things, we participate with the enemy for our own destruction.

 

[pottersclay]

N.r.b.r. it seems to me you have a blessing that you probably don't know that you have " you are humble and down to earth a quality that will serve the Lord well.

 

[Is]

What's the difference between the works of the enemy and karma or Mother Nature?
Is everything bad from the enemy? How do we know if the enemy is working?
Is the enemy considered to be "satan" or "demons" or both at times?
Is cancer and sickness from the enemy?
I read these verses and made me wonder about how the enemy worked.

1 Peter 5:8 Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

John 10:10 The thiefs purpose is to kill steal and destroy. He hates you and wants you cut off completely from God forever.

Hey NRBR! Welcome to Bible Discussion forum, this is the first time I've seen your username.

What's the difference between the works of the enemy and karma or Mother Nature?

The works of the enemy would be satan and his demons, he is our enemy. Karma as every one has said is eastern philosphy and requires one to come back after their life on earth has ended (reincarnation) in another form, not a Christian concept. Mother Nature as far as I'm concerned is a myth since God is in control of nature.

Is cancer and sickness from the enemy?

Cancer and sickness came into this earth when Adam and Eve rebelled against God. All kinds of things were unleashed because of them. There is an interesting thing called "Genetic Entrophy" that might interest you:

Genetic Entropy Points to a Young Creation | The Institute for Creation Research

I read these verses and made me wonder about how the enemy worked.

The enemy works through our carnal senses. Paul constantly battled with our two natures,"carnal" and "spiritual". I think the enemy works by appealing to our carnal nature and that can cause us to make poor choices that will impact our life.

A book came out quite a few years back entitled "Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People". I didn't get the book but I've always thought of:

"Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respector of persons:"
Acts 10:34

"For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion" Romans 9:15

Don't be decieved into thinking just because a person says all the right things that they are good people, only God knows a persons heart. Glad to hear you're reading your Bible because it is Truth.

 

[shotgunner]

What's the difference between the works of the enemy and karma or Mother Nature?
Is everything bad from the enemy? How do we know if the enemy is working?
Is the enemy considered to be "satan" or "demons" or both at times?
Is cancer and sickness from the enemy?
I read these verses and made me wonder about how the enemy worked.

1 Peter 5:8 Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

John 10:10 The thiefs purpose is to kill steal and destroy. He hates you and wants you cut off completely from God forever.

For me John 10:10 is the dividing line. Anything that is out to steal, kill or destroy in my life is from the enemy and not from God. God can certainly put us into situations that seem bad or uncomfortable but the end is good. Think of Joseph and how his situation wound up delivering all the land from starvation.

All sickness and disease entered the earth because of sin. These things don't have to be caused by a personal attack by the enemy but are a result of the curse on the earth. Sin in someone's life can however open a door for the enemy to attack. It just depends on the individual situation. The good news is that Jesus is our healer in either situation.

I do not believe that God causes sickness. Some think this because they see the judgment of the law from the OT. They forget that Jesus has paid the price for the breaking of the law. Sometimes they use verses like "God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose", to say that God made someone sick to work something good.

Sometimes good things do come about, like family coming to God because of a loved one's sickness but it's only because God is constantly working for our good. God will use any opportunity where hearts become soft and receptive. That does not mean God caused that situation for that purpose. If my young daughter burns her hand on the stove, I will use that bad thing to teach her a lesson about the proper handling of hot things, but I didn't make her get burned to teach her.


The enemy has no power over a believer other than temptation and deception. Satan and his demons are the enemy, but often we are our own worst enemy. Many times Satan gets us to proclaim bad things into our lives and tempts us into things that bring destruction. One of his best tricks is pretending to be God. If we get to know God through his word and through the character and actions of Jesus as he walked this earth, we are not so easily deceived.

 

[crossnote]

Why do you think God allows it sometimes? For punishment?

not always. God has his reasons usually unknown to us. Remember Job, he was upright yet calamity came upon him. He didn't have a clue what was going on at the time, but when we read the Book of Job we see the transaction that went on between God and satan. Much of our calamity is the same wsy and we are left bare to trust God regardless on not walk by sight.

 

[Blain]

Karma luck mother nature accidents coincidences I don't believe in any of these I believe everything happens for a reason.
I believe that our own actions can cause something bad or good to happen to us or someone else this is not karma this is cause and effect. Our actions are like ripples they start out small and expand every action somehow effects us and other and influences our lives and others to each action there is a consequence good or bad this is why free will has such an effect on our destiny in Christ and this world.

sometimes we make dumb mistakes and God might allow it so we learn from our mistakes sometimes satan will attempt to break you or fill you with doubt others God will allow satan to test us like job. But personally things like sickness and such while some of it may be from the enemy I think it's mainly because we live in an imperfect world combined with the fact of all the chemicals in the air and food and water we take in everyday from man made things

 

[shotgunner]

not always. God has his reasons usually unknown to us. Remember Job, he was upright yet calamity came upon him. He didn't have a clue what was going on at the time, but when we read the Book of Job we see the transaction that went on between God and satan. Much of our calamity is the same wsy and we are left bare to trust God regardless on not walk by sight.

I've always saw Job as opening the door to Satan by his fear. We have to remember what it means for God to call us upright and perfect. All Christians are upright and perfect before God, but not because they never do anything wrong or never have Satan attack us. We are upright because of our faith in our covenant. I see Job as having been in the same situation. He was upright before God because he upheld whatever covenant he had with God. When Satan discussed Job with God, all God said was behold , he is in your hand. All behold means is look and see.

 

[crossnote]

not always. God has his reasons usually unknown to us. Remember Job, he was upright yet calamity came upon him. He didn't have a clue what was going on at the time, but when we read the Book of Job we see the transaction that went on between God and satan. Much of our calamity is the same way and we are left bare to trust God regardless . We walk by faith not by sight.

corrections made