AUDIO PODCAST

WHAT IS KARMA—AND WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS CARE?

The word karma comes from the Sanskrit root kṛ (कृ), meaning to do, act, or make. It literally means action, and by implication, cause and effect. Karma is the idea that every action creates a ripple of consequence—an inescapable spiritual boomerang.

But what if I told you that hidden within the ancient Hebrew language, we find a much older word astonishingly similar? It is so similar linguistically that I suggest the idea of karma originally derives from it.

In Hebrew, the word גָּרַם (garam) means to cause, and גֶּרֶם (gerem i.e. same spelling) refers to the structure or framework—literally, bones, or the skeleton that holds everything in place. When you “cause” something (garam), you shape its “scaffolding” (gerem). In a poetic and theological sense, every action builds a spiritual structure—just like karma.

And here’s where it gets even more interesting.

The English word ‘germ‘—as in bacteria or a germinating seed—shares the same conceptual roots. Germs are invisible agents that cause sickness, while seeds germinate silently and “invisibly” underground, later becoming towering trees. Everything begins with an unseen cause, and it eventually manifests tangibly.

In spiritual terms, you are always dealing with karma—whether you know it or not. This gives new meaning to Galatians 6:7,

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.”

KARMA, GEREM, AND THE STRUCTURE OF SPIRITUAL CONSEQUENCES

Karma—or as we might render it through a Hebrew lens, gerem (גֶּרֶם)—we saw, is the hidden architecture of cause and effect in the spiritual realm. It is not just “what happens to us” but what we have caused to be structured in the unseen through our disobedience, neglect, or rebellion. Together, these words paint a spiritual picture: every sin, every act of disobedience, every idle word, is a cause that begins to form a structure in the spirit—a scaffold of consequence, either for blessing or for bondage.

What the East calls karma, the Scriptures describe as judgment, blessing, and curse. These are not arbitrary divine mood swings—they are the direct and indirect results of aligning with or opposing God’s law.

Deuteronomy 28 lays this out in forensic detail. Obedience releases blessing (empowerment to prosper); disobedience releases curse (hindrance to prosper). These spiritual outcomes are administered—not abstractly, but by beings. Angels and demons. Spiritual messengers. Energetic forces. You don’t see them, but their activity is behind the open doors, the inexplicable delays, the sudden breakthroughs, and the chronic blockages.

In biblical language, curses are pictured as birds—flying, circling, seeking a branch to land on. But they cannot land unless there is a cause—a garam. A spiritual legal right. This is the terrifying simplicity of divine justice: what you cause will cause something in return. It’s not superstition. It’s law.

BLESSINGS, CURSES, AND THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT

Karma is nothing more than the consequences of sin enforced by divine justice. In Deuteronomy 28 we get to see what that could look like.

In that chapter, God lays out a comprehensive list of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. The structure is straightforward: obey and thrive, disobey and suffer. And while this specifically to Israel and the covenant relationship they agreed to with God, it also shows us what sin, meaning misalignment with God, looks like.

BLESSINGS (Deut 28:1–14)	CURSES (Deut 28:15–68)
Prosperity in the city and field	Poverty, barrenness, misfortune
Enemies fleeing from you	Enemies conquering you
Abundant crops and children	Failed harvests and infertility
Elevated social position	Oppression and obscurity
Divine protection	Divine withdrawal
Life	Death

The Hebrew word for blessing (b’rakhah, בְּרָכָה) literally means empowered to prosper. A curse (q’lalah, קְלָלָה) means empowered to fail—a divine or spiritual hindrance.

So what are these forces that empower and hinder? They’re not abstract feelings. They are spiritual agents—angels and demons: spiritual forces that help or hinder.

SPIRITS: ENFORCERS OF BLESSING OR CURSE

In Scripture, angels are often referred to as “ministering spirits” (Hebrews 1:14), assigned to help those who inherit salvation. In contrast, demonic forces are described as accusers, tormentors, and devourers. They carry out the execution of judgment due to spiritual debt—karma—the breaking of God’s universal law.

“Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.”
(Proverbs 26:2)

Curses operate like spiritual birds—hovering, looking for a place to land. But unless there’s a legal cause (garam), they can’t.

Some people walk through life as if angels were clearing the path ahead. Others seem caught in a storm, a spiritual fog pulling them backward. That’s the silent force of blessing or curse—karma, garam, spiritual cause and effect.

WHAT IF YOU’VE ACCUMULATED NEGATIVE KARMA?

You’re not alone.

All religions recognise this dilemma:

• Hinduism teaches multiple reincarnations to pay off karmic debt.
• Buddhism recommends detachment and right action to escape karma.
• Islam offers repentance and good works weighed on the Day of Judgement.
• New Age circles preach energy cleansing, ancestral healing, or shadow work.

But these paths often tiptoe into witchcraft—the manipulation of spiritual forces without submitting to God.

Here’s the core problem with karma:

It’s a debt. And debts must be paid.

You either pay it yourself, through suffering or self-atonement, or someone else pays it on your behalf.

This is where the gospel becomes not only relevant—but revolutionary.

JESUS: THE ONE WHO PAID YOUR KARMA

The wages of sin—karma—is death (Romans 6:23). And Jesus, the Lamb of God, absorbed the “karmic” debt of all mankind.

“He was pierced for our transgressions… the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.” (Isaiah 53:5)

He didn’t just cancel the record—He traded places with us. That’s what spiritual practice is: energy exchange.

• You give Him your curse; He gives you His blessing.
• You give Him your sin; He gives you His righteousness.
• You give Him your garam; He gives you new scaffolding for blessing—gerem.

THE WAR YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU’RE IN

Here’s the hard truth:

Karma doesn’t just sit around. It moves. It’s transferred.

People are unknowingly engaging in spiritual transactions—through sex, touch, agreements, friendships, covenants. People drowning in debt are instinctively trying to pass it off. Those with clean energy often become unwitting hosts for others’ negative karma.

This is why spiritual vigilance matters.

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WHAT IS SPIRITUAL WARFARE REALLY?

It’s not shouting into the air. It’s not paranoia. It’s energy awareness and legal positioning.

Spiritual warfare is:

• Knowing who paid your debt and staying in that covenant
• Confessing sins so that no legal grounds remain
• Forgiving others, so no curses can legally land

“Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors… and deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:12–13)

When you forgive, you disconnect the legal hooks others might use to attach their karma to you. When you confess, you empty your bag of debt. When you worship, you draw heaven’s reinforcements.

But many Christians fail in two areas:

1. They don’t give Jesus their karmic debt through the spiritual practice of abiding—they carry it silently.
2. They don’t receive Jesus’ energy through the same practice—the positive fruit of intimacy.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

You have a duty to establish spiritual defences before walking into the world.

Don’t be a lamb led to slaughter. Put on the full armour of God:

• Truth around your waist (no delusions)
• Righteousness on your chest (legal protection)
• Faith as your shield (to block fiery accusations)
• The sword of the Spirit (Word of God)
• Prayer and alertness (energy awareness)

Spiritual warfare is not an event. It’s a lifestyle of staying connected to the one who neutralises karma and rebuilds you from the inside out.

DEVOTIONAL PRAYER

Father,

I confess that I have sown seeds I regret. I have walked in ways that gave the enemy a legal right to accuse me. I give You my karmic debt—my garam. Jesus, I accept Your payment. Cover me with Your righteousness. Send angels to protect and clear my path. Let no undeserved curse settle on my life. Teach me to forgive so I may be forgiven. Show me any specific sin I need to confess to you. I trade my weakness for Your strength and my broken scaffolding for Your eternal structure.

In Jesus’ Name, amen.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. What recurring patterns or struggles in your life could be evidence of spiritual debt (karma)?
2. Have you confessed your sins and truly given Jesus your garam (spiritual cause)?
3. Are you aware of any “energy exchanges”—relationships, agreements, or soul ties—that might be transferring curses?
4. Do you maintain spiritual practices that allow you to stay energised in God’s presence?
5. Is there anyone you still need to forgive so the curse cannot legally settle?

MEMORY VERSE

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

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