Spiritual Karma?
By Anthony Casperson
9-7-24

“Will this mission get me in the good graces of Jabba? Because if not, I’m not doing it.”

It’s not a direct quote, but it is the general thought of a YouTuber I’ve been watching play Star Wars: Outlaws. The game has this system that tracks how well certain criminal organizations in Disney’s Star Wars universe like the player’s character. One of which is the Hutt Cartel, hence the player’s desire to have a high reputation with them.

This system of reputational karma—where the more good you do for an individual or organization, then the more good they will give back to you—isn’t new to this game. Factional alignment systems that give the player a chance to unlock certain quest lines have been a staple of RPGs for decades. And anyone who’s played an old school Bioware game or any game with similar roots—like Baldur’s Gate 3—understands the idea of reputation levels with specific characters.

Whether or not we agree with the worldview that gave name to the idea of karma, many in western culture understand the idea. The consequences one experiences tend to align with those actions. Do good, get good things in return. Do bad, get bad things in return.

Those who claim the name of Jesus tend to spiritualize this idea with the words from the end of Galatians 6:7, “for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (ESV).

The idea goes that we are responsible for the consequences of our actions, thus our perspective should be to do good things so that we get good things in return. I even heard this basic premise taught earlier this week.

While there are aspects of the teaching that hold some truth, I fear a couple of outcomes from taking the thought wholesale. One, it shifts the purpose for our doing good toward a selfish perspective of getting good in return—and anything that points a follower of Jesus toward further selfishness should always be viewed with suspicion. Two, this perspective of Galatians 6:7 removes a higher aspect of application that is meant in the context of the book.

And I think that we can speak truth into both of those fears by looking at the section of Galatians 6:1-10—with a backward look to Galatians 5.

So, background first. Paul speaks about freedom in the life of a follower of Jesus because he’s arguing against a false idea of having to adhere to the Law of Moses—specifically, circumcision—in order to fully receive the grace of God. A spiritual checklist counts for nothing in this faith we have in Jesus.

Rather, the Apostle says that the outflow of our faith is actionable love. Because God loved us and offered us a way out of our sin, we then in turn put our faith into action. The purpose of doing good is because God already gave us good. We don’t have to work to get those good things. We already have them.

And if we’re led by the Spirit, then we shouldn’t be beholden to the Law. Or the works of the flesh that the Law was meant to teach us are outside of God’s standard for humanity. Instead, when we walk in the Spirit—when we connect to the good already offered to us by God—then the fruit of the Spirit will naturally grow out of our lives. There’s a reason why the works of the flesh are shown as actions of a selfish sinner while the fruit of the Spirit are shown as godliness naturally growing out of us.

We work for one. And allow the work to be done in us with the other.

Then, when Paul moves on to chapter 6, he still has this in mind. And even points out the best thing that we as spiritual people should do when one of our brothers or sisters has fallen into a life that reflects the works of the flesh.

The spiritual—those who are walking by the Spirit—should seek to restore the erring brother/sister with a spirit of gentleness. With the godly fruit of spirit, humbly consider the grace offered to us by God and call our brother/sister to the same connection we have with the Spirit.

And the whole while, each person involved in the correction process must keep their own motives in check so that they don’t also fall into the works of the flesh at the same time. Don’t use the situation to lord your “spirituality” over another, or think more of yourself just because you weren’t the one living in a manner against God’s ways.

Here in Galatians 6:1, we see the beginning of the dual perspective of this section. Paul’s not only talking about an individual’s actions and consequences, but also the communal aspect of those same actions and consequences.

What I mean—and we’ll continue to see—is that while we might witness how an individual’s choice in either doing the works of the flesh or walking in the fruit of the Spirit has personal ramifications, there will also be broader consequences for the community of faith in which they serve.

Doing good not only affects us, but also our bothers and sisters around us. We’re not the only ones affected by the fruit we reap.

Continuing on this communal aspect, Paul calls us to bear one another’s burdens. Such burdens are things too heavy for one person to bear. Those items which require a spiritual “team lift” so that we don’t ruin ourselves trying to carry more than is safe for us individually.

In the context, it would seem that bearing a burden together would include helping someone return to walking in the Spirit. Whether that be in the role of corrector, or the role of accountability partner so that the erring brother/sister continues connecting to the life offered by God through the outworking of the Spirit.

And again, these actions shouldn’t be us thinking that if we do good, then God’s grace through the Spirit is added to us. No, it’s us aligning ourselves with the good that God has already been offering to us. Paul says as much in Gal. 6:2 when he writes that in this we fulfill the law of Christ. We fill again the good that Jesus offers us in him through the Spirit.

But this whole joining others in bearing their burdens is held in the tension of each individual bearing our own loads. The Greek word translated as “load” in verse 5 was used for describing a soldier’s pack. The items that each individual was responsible for themselves.

Thus, it’s the lighter, everyday weight that is unique to the individual. For that, we’re personally responsible. But it doesn’t keep us from watching our brothers and sisters to make sure that none are bearing a heavy burden by themselves.

In my mind, this dual perspective of personal load and communal burden is best shown in the words of Samwise to Frodo, “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you.”

These actions of bearing one another’s burdens while simultaneously carrying our own load bears something else as well: the fruit of consequence. Paul specifically speaks of this fruit in Gal. 6:6 by writing about a person who is taught and the one who teaches. Both will bear fruit—both will grow in godliness—in the process. But Paul is sure to remind the one who was taught to share all the good things they received with the one who taught them.

Just as how we followers of Jesus pour back the goodness of God’s grace because God first loved us, the one who is taught should share the fruit of the teaching with the one who blessed them first.

It’s not giving good because then we’re promised good in return, but rather sharing the good that has already been given to us. This perspective shift from karma to shared goodness is important for the follower of Jesus to understand the following verses.

And that is especially true now that we come to verse 7, where the idea of reaping what we sow comes into play.

Yes, what we individually connect to—whether that be the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit—will be proven by the consequences of our actions. But Paul’s emphasis isn’t just on the individual. It’s not even mostly about personal responsibility. He views the communal aspects of the consequence more than the personal.

We see this clearly in the end of verse 8 when he says, “but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (ESV). How can a person walking in the Spirit—and thus following Jesus properly—reap a reward of eternal life for themselves?

They don’t.

A spiritual life from God has already been given to them. But as they share the goodness of God with others, they can then bear the fruit of others receiving the never-ending life provided though the Spirit. Just like the teacher sharing in the goodness of the one who was taught in verse 6.

The reaping and sowing of verse 7 has both the individual and the communal in mind. But the communal one-another-ness is the greater aspect of the context. It’s not spiritual karma, but the outflow of a life that walks in the Spirit. Goodness performed because we have already received goodness from God. Not good deeds to get God’s grace.

A karmic perspective sounds much more like the people against whom Paul spoke in chapter 5. The people who were saying that in order to fully receive the grace of God then we must follow the Law of Moses to the letter—which is often shown in the act of circumcision.

“Do these good things, and then God will bless you.” It’s not the meaning of the context, nor the way of God.

As a matter of fact, Paul adds that sometimes the fruit of our good deeds might not even come right away. In verse 9, the Apostle tells us to not grow weary of doing good because there will one day come a time to reap. Thus, the purpose of our doing good isn’t for the good we receive in turn, otherwise this idea of delayed fruit would make no sense.

This then leads into verse 10 where he calls us to do good in every opportunity given to us. For everyone. But especially for those of the household of faith. For those with whom we share the goodness that God has already given us.

None of these good deeds are for the karmic concept of good returned because we did good. But rather fruit born from the goodness and grace that God already gave us. And meant not just for ourselves individually, but communal sharing with others so that we all might bear the good fruit of the Spirit in the eternal life that he gives.

We do reap what we sow. But that fruit isn’t because of our good deeds. And it should be shared with one another just as we share the burden together.

So let’s stop looking at all of the good things we do while demanding good be returned. Instead, let’s look to others, seeing if there’s a burden we can help carry. And then share the fruit of God that he provides through it.