The concept of reincarnation is reflected in a lot of the culture and even entertainment we are exposed to these days. Reincarnation is the idea that our souls pass through different physical lives over the course of history.

This idea would suggest that our souls have existed before in different bodies. It would say that our souls are engaged in a cycle of rebirth. According to this view, we may have lived hundreds of past lives. 

Sometimes people claim to have cognitive flashes of insight into their former lives. Someone might recall that she was a royal princess in a former life. Or maybe someone envisions himself as having served in some ancient military campaign.These insights may come in the context of dreams, strong feelings, or that eerie sense of de ja vu that humans sometimes experience.

Reincarnation is an idea that comes to us through several eastern religions. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism each teach some form of reincarnation. Often it is associated with a strong belief in karma. The idea is that your position or level of comfort in this life is related to how well you lived your last life. The goal is to live a good life this time around so that you can gain a better position in the next life. 

However, the final goal is not heaven as a traditional Christian would understand it. Rather it is to end the cycle of rebirth through right living or enlightenment. Hindus, for example, call this final goal Moksha. Buddhists call it Nirvana.

So, is belief in reincarnation consistent with a Christian worldview? This question came up in a conversation not too long ago. The answer is no. Though the idea may be intriguing to consider, it is completely contradictory to biblical teaching.

This is one of many areas where different religious views are diametrically opposed in their teaching. A popular idea is that all religions are basically the same. Yet, when you scrutinize the different religions, they cannot possibly all be true.

As Christians, our ultimate authority is found in the word of God, the Bible. I have found the Bible to be a faithful guide. It does not always give me the answer my sinful, itching ears want to hear. It has caused me to change my mind about things I once thought were true. But, when I have successfully ordered my life around it, the Bible has given me help and wisdom that far surpasses even my own assumptions.

Let’s consider a few Bible passages and weigh them against the concept of reincarnation.
Hebrews 9:27 mentions, in passing, that “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” This statement runs counter to the idea of reincarnation. The picture is people living one life, dying one death, and then facing a judgment.

Rather than a series of lives caught in a cycle of rebirth, there is one life, one opportunity to come to God. Then there is a time when we face that God based on what has happened in this one life.

The apostle Paul shows that when the soul of a believer is separated from his or her body, it goes into the presence of God. “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord — for we walk by faith, not by sight— we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Much could be said about this passage. Suffice it to say that it runs counter to the idea of reincarnation. Instead, a person’s soul is separated from its present body at the time of death and enters the presence of God. Unbelievers are similarly separated from their bodies, but they don’t go into God’s presence. The point of emphasis is that neither believers nor unbelievers are reincarnated.

However, there is a concept of resurrection in the Bible, not to be confused with reincarnation. The ancient prophet Daniel touches on resurrection. “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2).

Those who “sleep in the dust of the ground” are people who have died, whose bodies have been laid to rest. They will rise. Importantly, it is they, themselves, who will rise. The implication is that our bodies are not divorced from our identity.

Though our souls are separated from our bodies at death, they are reunited to our same bodies at the resurrection. Our souls do not jump from body to body and lifetime to lifetime.

Jesus believed and taught the concept of resurrection. “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29).

Jesus’ words here are very much in line with Daniel’s (Daniel 12:2). “All who are in the tombs” refers to the dead bodies that have been laid to rest. At the time of resurrection these bodies will be fitted for eternity but, importantly, they will be brought back to life as essentially the same people they were in their mortal lives. This means the same human souls that were joined to these bodies in life will be reunited to them in resurrection. 

This is much different than reincarnation in at least two ways. First, humans are a body/soul unity, not merely a soul. The body we possess in our mortal life is part of our identity, not merely a vessel to be inhabited by a soul. The body and soul together constitute who we are.

Second, our ultimate destiny is determined based on what we do with God and His revelation in this one life that we have been given. Our current circumstances are not based on our conduct in some imagined previous life.

So, the concept of reincarnation is clearly not consistent with the Bible. In fact, reincarnation, on closer analysis, is an extremely works-based religious concept. A person may spend a whole lifetime struggling to live a virtuous life in the hope of obtaining a better situation in the next life. Although we do recognize the value of living a virtuous and pious life, in Christianity we are not working for our salvation. And we are certainly not working to achieve a better life the next time around. 

Instead, we seek to live for God, recognizing that Jesus has paid the price for us to enter heaven. We simply trust in Jesus, with our hearts. We trust that His death on the cross was a sacrifice for our sins. Having trusted in Him, we are forgiven totally, born again to eternal life, and welcomed by God as members of His forever family. We don’t strive for our salvation.

Our striving is simply a giant “Thank You” to a God who has showered the grace of His forgiveness upon us. Check out Ephesians 2:8-10.

The world today is largely a free-for-all when it comes to religious concepts. It sort of reminds me of a battle royal in professional wrestling. You have 30 people in the ring, and it is every man for himself. There are so many voices it is difficult to know who to trust. Many of these voices have sought to blend religious concepts according to their own taste. 

Several decades ago, the intriguing concepts of eastern religion began to penetrate the largely Christian west. An example is yoga. I know… I know… it is largely used as a form of stretching which probably has some real health benefits. Yet many are probably unaware that yoga is based upon concepts found in the Hindu religion of India. 

I think many Americans have been drawn to eastern religious concepts because they seem different and novel. It’s a break from the same old thing taught in standard western Christianity. However, it must be understood that being different or exciting does not make something true. 

It is also worth noting that many of the people who claim to remember past lives, claim to have been someone special in those lives. They were royalty or high ranking people. But if reincarnation were true, it would also be true that most of us were just ordinary people, not even a footnote in history. Could it be that some imagine to have existed in a past life simply because they wish they were more prominent in this life?

We come back to the Bible again. Christians should strive for a biblical faith. It is the only way for us. And it is a good way… the best way… the only way to live our lives.

Christian teachers that attempt to blend things like reincarnation with biblical teaching are doing their listeners a grave disservice. As a Christian, if you find yourself believing something that contradicts the Bible, you should change your mind. God allows this. He allows U-turns. He welcomes repentance. 

Now, perhaps some might object. “I’ve had dreams of former lives… I’ve had visionary experiences… I visited a place and just knew I’d been there before, in a former life.” First, the Bible does not teach that we lived former lives. Second, the Bible does teach that we are living in a sinful, fallen world. We tend to think that our own perceptions are not corrupted by this. Oh, but they are. Our perceptions and feelings can play tricks on us.

We must be strong, with the help of the Holy Spirit. If we are having a perception of something that is contradictory to God’s word, we should insist on letting the Bible win the argument. In fact, it’s possible that supposed memories of past lives could be a demonic deception. Perhaps it is a distraction strategy of Satan.The person is so caught up in trying to understand a past life that he or she misses the forgiveness and freedom available right now through faith in Christ. Experiences, like de ja vu, are subjective in nature. We must scrutinize such experiences against the objective word of God, the Bible. 

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

Okay, so what’s the bottom line here? My pastoral advice would be this. If you are a Christian and have believed in reincarnation, I urge you to reject that belief immediately. Most religions of the world share some common ground. But, contrary to popular belief, they also make claims that are impossible to blend together in any kind of coherent way. Reincarnation and the concept of life, death, and resurrection found in the Bible are simply incompatible. 

And this brings up one final, very important question. Are you a Christian? Jesus died for your sins and rose from the grave. You can be saved today by placing your faith in Him. Only those who have done this are actually Christians. Becoming a Christian is not about finding a blend of beliefs that make you feel good. It is about recognizing your own sinfulness and Jesus as the way that you can be forgiven. 

Maybe you are a Christian, but you’ve dabbled with false ideas, like reincarnation. I urge you to repent today. These ideas will just slow you down in your faith-walk. 

Or maybe you have just been confused by the cocktail of spiritual ideas floating around in the air these days. Maybe you’ve never made a conscious decision to place your trust in Jesus. Trust in Him. He’s all you need. As you begin to experience a true relationship with Him, you will find that all these alternative ideas pale in comparison to the simplicity and power of knowing Him.

Pastor George