The Bible And Reincarnation

The concept of reincarnation is taught in Eastern religions such as Hinduism and has even gained popularity in the West.  It is not uncommon to hear people in the Western world talking about good and bad karma.  But what does the Bible teach about reincarnation? 

(Hebrews 9:27) "And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,"  (ESV) 

This verse clearly refutes the idea of reincarnation.  A person lives one life and after that comes judgment.  The idea of karma is also refuted by this verse.  Karma is a sort of law of cause and effect where a person reaps in this life what he has sown in a previous life.  In Hinduism the problem is ignorance of one's own divinity.  The solution is to break free from the cycle of karma and reincarnation and to merge into the great oneness (Brahman).  

The real problem we have is that we are all sinners who stand guilty before a holy God.  Because of our sin we are under God's wrath and on the road to hell.  But God sent his only, unique Son to save his people from their sins.  Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of his people and was resurrected victorious over sin and death.  Christ takes our sin on himself and his righteousness is credited to us.  Jesus is the only way to heaven.  We must respond with repentance and faith in Christ alone for salvation.  

Hebrews 9:27 and the entire Bible refute the idea of reincarnation.  So concepts such as reincarnation and karma must be rejected as false teaching from a false religion, Hinduism.  We must hold to the teaching of the Bible which is the Word of God.   

Books On Creation And Evolution

How old is the earth?  Are the creation days literal 24 hour days?  Were Adam and Eve literal, historical people?  Was the Flood global or local?  Should Genesis 1-11 be interpreted literally or allegorically?  These books will provide understanding and answers to these questions.  


The Battle For The Beginning by John MacArthur

Six Days by Ken Ham

Four Views On Creation, Evolution, And Intelligent Design edited by J.B. Stump 

Proverbs 16:33 (Short Commentary)

(Proverbs 16:33) "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD."  (ESV) 


Even the casting of the lot or the roll of the dice is determined by the Lord.  Things that appear to just happen actually operate under the sovereignty of God.  There is no such thing as luck or chance.  God is in absolute control of all things.  

American Secularism, LGBTQ, And Christianity

Secularism is the non-religion, religion.  Secularists believe either that God does not exist or that a god exists but is basically irrelevant.  Recent polls show that 25% of Americans now identify as "nones" having no religious affiliation.  While 65% of Americans still identify themselves as Christians.  It should be obvious that 65% of Americans are not really Christians.  Many of those who profess to be Christians think and live as though God does not exist.  Secularism is especially prevalent among Millennials and Generation Z. Secularists think they are advancing the cause of humanity but are actually leading to the destruction of the nation.

We can see the advance of secularism particularly in the area of marriage and sexuality.  Homosexuality, transgenderism, and living together are now seen as normal.  A Biblical view of marriage and sexuality is now seen as abnormal and out of touch.  Secularists think they are advancing sexual liberty but are really leading people into the bondage of sin.  

The LGBTQ agenda is promoted in areas such as government, business, and the entertainment industry.  Of course the government redefined marriage to include people of the same sex.  The Democrat Party fully embraces the LGBTQ agenda while many in the Republican Party also give their approval.  Many businesses now promote LGBTQ in the name of diversity and inclusion but ironically never promote Christian beliefs.  Of course the entertainment industry is thoroughly secular, leading the way in promoting the LGBTQ agenda and other sinful lifestyles.  

Of course Christianity stands in the way of the advance of secularism with it's claims of absolute truth and moral absolutes.  God is the ultimate authority so right and wrong are determined by him.  This is why secularists have sought to undermine the authority of the Bible, the church, and the family.  Secularism denies the existence of absolute truth.  Of course this is contradictory because when you say there is no absolute truth you make a statement of absolute truth. So secularism actually ends up refuting itself.  

The great virtue in secularism is tolerance and secularists are tolerant until you disagree with them.  One only needs to oppose the LGBTQ agenda to see great intolerance by secularists.  Many secularists are totalitarians who will gladly enforce their agenda on you.  

Christians need to look at America more as a mission field than a battlefield.  The ultimate issues are spiritual and not political.  The problems go much deeper than the political level.  They go to the level of the worldview held by a person.  The foundational beliefs a person holds determine the way he views everything else.  Christians need not fear because truth and reality are on their side.  Secularists cannot escape the fact that they are made in the image of God and must live in God's world.   

Jeremiah 17:9 (Short Commentary)

(Jeremiah 17:9) "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"  (ESV) 


Maybe just following your heart is not such a good idea after all.  The word "heart" refers to the will and emotions.  This verse speaks of what is known as total depravity.  This does not mean that we are as bad as we can possibly be.  It means that our entire being is corrupted by sin.  People are not basically good, they are sinful. 

Why Should I Care About Theology?

Many people including many professing Christians find theology boring.  Frankly the reason they find theology boring is because they are bored with God.  The liberals of old proclaimed Christianity is life not doctrine.  Unfortunately many modern evangelicals seem to echo those sentiments.  

Theology is basically the study of God.  Theology comes from two Greek words, "theos" meaning God and "logos" meaning word.  We might define theology as knowledge of God or knowing God.  Theology involves us learning to think God's thoughts after him.  

While the liberal slogan that Christianity is life not doctrine is untrue, the reverse is also not true.  Christianity is life based on doctrine.  True love for God involves a desire to know God and to know about him.  Theology is necessary to live a godly life.  We must know what God is like, what he desires, what he loves, what he hates, what he thinks.  Our ultimate purpose is to glorify God and this is impossible without knowledge of God.  

(Matthew 22:37, quoting Deuteronomy 6:5) "And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."  (ESV)

We are to love the Lord our God with all of our being including our mind.  Being anti-intellectual is not pleasing to God and mindless emotionalism does not honor him.  We must love God with our mind in order to glorify him.  

We can know God because he has revealed himself to us.  He is there and he is not silent.  There is general revelation (the world) and special revelation (the Bible).  General revelation involves creation, the conscience of man, and our sense of morality. We all have a sense of the divine.  God's eternal power and divine nature are plain to everyone.  But general revelation is limited in what it reveals to us about God.  

God is more fully revealed to us in special revelation.  We learn much more specifically about God from the Bible.  We know God in a more personal way through the Scripture.  There we find man's problem and God's solution (the gospel).  In the Bible we discover truth and reality.  Our minds are set straight and we see things as they really are.  As we learn to think God's thoughts after him we should also grow in holiness.  

True worship, devotion, godliness, and morality must be based on sound theology.  So anyone who loves God and desires to glorify him must care about theology.    

Genesis 1:1 (Short Commentary)

(Genesis 1:1) "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."  (ESV)


This is the foundation for everything else.  The phrase "the heavens and the earth" means everything.  So God created everything, he created out of nothing.  God is the Creator and everything else is the creation.  Everyone and everything is dependent upon God, he is not dependent upon anyone or anything.  There is one God who is sovereign, omnipotent (all powerful), and majestic.  God is God and we are not.  Ultimately if we do not get this right we will not get anything else right.