I have just returned from a pilgrimage visit to Puttaparthi, the abode of the most famous saint in India – Satya Sai Baba. Satya Sai is known all over the world as a spiritual icon who has followers from every corner of the Earth. I had the joy and privilege of mingling with Russians, Argentines, Brazilians, Czechs, Austrians and many more. All of them were gathered everyday in the main compound where ‘Baba’ made his appearance in the evening. You only had to look at their faces to guess what was going on in their minds and why they were all there. They simply believed that here was a man who had the power to change their destinies! And quite rightly so. The stories I heard from people as to how they were miraculously healed of disease, how their most intricate family problems were resolved, how Baba talked about their secrets with them during those personal interviews after they had surrendered to Him, can only be found in the book of old legends. Satya Sai is real – they call Him God in human form.
As a born again Christian I am not here to rebut and refute the faith of these wonderful people in India. That is not the reason for today’s post. But what struck me was the word ‘Karma’ being freely used by everyone here. ‘Karma’ for Hindus here is ‘deeds’ performed both good and bad by every individual while on this Earth. You are born with certain luck based on the good deeds you performed in the life gone before. All of those who came here to see Baba believed that they were reincarnated in the present birth after they had died in the previous one. They truly believed in Reincarnation. The idea of reincarnation is catching up in a big way in the United States and many other countries. People are searching for spiritual answers to all their pending issues even though they knew what the Word of God in the Bible had to say about them. They had believed in Bible for generations and still had not seen or experienced the promises given all over the Bible. Many of them have even come to believe that they were suffering now because of the sins they had committed in their previous birth. They were reincarnated now to pay for all the wrong they had done in the lives gone before this one. I thought I will add a few thoughts of my own about Reincarnation. Mind you, I am not here to deny the very belief of so many good people from all over the world as those gathered at the holy place of Satya Sai Baba. I just want to refresh my readers as to what the Bible had to say about Reincarnation. Maybe someday, many of you will be asked by our Lord God of Israel to help someone who is in doubt over the idea of Reincarnation.
So what does the Bible have to say about Reincarnation? Is there a scripture we can stand on? Sure there is one…take a look at Hebrews 9: 27 “And as it is appointed for men TO DIE ONCE, but after this the judgement…” It clearly says ‘to die once.’ What does this mean? It can only mean that you have only one life, one chance to get right with God! Because when we die there is judgement before the throne of God. There are no more lives to be lived to suffer and repent. It follows that there is no second or third life to be lived because according to the scripture, you die only once. And you can die once only if you have lived just once. There is only one physical death. There is no rebirth into another physical body after we had died the first time.
This single verse from Hebrews 9:27 should settle the issue of Reincarnation. After all we are believers of the Word in the Bible. I heard people say that this great saint Satya Sai Baba was asking his devotees to see Christ or Allah or any God of their choice in Him. I wonder what Baba will have to say about Hebrews 9:27. Mind you, this saint is doing great work of charity and education to one and all. People from any caste or faith and any nationality are most welcome with him. Strange he does not look at what the Bible had to say about Reincarnation. I have resolved to find out his views the next time I visit Puttaparthi.
Bible commentator: Sunder Venkataram (Thane, Maharashtra)
