The idea of chi, the supposed vital energy or life force flowing through living things, is fundamentally incompatible with Christian teaching. Here’s a 9000 word look at why:
The concept of chi comes from ancient Chinese philosophy and traditional medicine. It refers to a mysterious energy or life force believed to flow through the body along meridian pathways. This energy is said to be essential for health and vitality. Practices like acupuncture, feng shui, tai chi, and qigong are meant to cultivate, balance, and harness chi.
But the Bible does not teach that there is any such impersonal energy that flows through creation. God alone is the author and sustainer of life. He created human beings in His image and breathed into Adam “the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7). The life we have comes directly from God, not from an impersonal cosmic energy.
The Bible affirms that the material world was created by God, not that it emanates from Him as pantheists would claim (Genesis 1:1). God transcends His physical creation. There is a clear distinction between the Creator and the creation (Romans 1:25). God did not create the universe out of preexisting divine substance. So the idea that there is a divine, impersonal energy flowing through all things has no biblical basis.
The Bible also teaches that God is actively involved in sustaining His creation (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3). He upholds the universe “by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). God continuously imparts existence and life to His creatures. It’s not that He created the world to run on its own according to impersonal forces like chi. The personal God of the Bible is intimately concerned with the lives of His creatures.
Furthermore, the Bible affirms that God is Spirit (John 4:24), not an energy force. While God is omnipresent (Jeremiah 23:24), He is distinct from His creation. His transcendence means He is not one with nature or fused with the universe as pantheism would assert. God reveals Himself to be a personal being, not an impersonal cosmic force.
The biblical view is that the material world was created good by God but is now fallen due to human sin (Genesis 1:31; 3:6-19). So the world is not divinely energized but is longing for future redemption from its bondage to corruption (Romans 8:18-22). The hope for healing comes not from tapping into chi but from the work of Jesus Christ (Revelation 21:1-5).
Turning to chi as a vital life force indicates a pagan worldview at odds with biblical Christianity. Believers should draw their life, healing, and strength from God Himself as revealed in Scripture, not an impersonal energy. Any alleged powers of chi are likely explainable in terms of psychological placebo effects, demonic activity, or as yet unknown scientific principles. But they do not reflect a valid reality affirmed in the Bible.
Now let’s take a deeper look at some key biblical reasons the idea of chi as a vital energy force is incompatible with Christian teaching:
1. The Bible teaches that God alone is the source of life
As the Creator, God is the ultimate author and sustainer of all life (Acts 17:25). He “gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). Life exists because God wills it and upholds His creation by His power (Hebrews 1:3). The life-giving breath in mankind comes directly from God (Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4). Nowhere does Scripture indicate that the universe is infused with an impersonal divine energy that gives life. Rather, the personal God alone imparts life according to His sovereign purposes.
2. The Bible rejects pantheism and panentheism
Pantheism claims that “God is everything and everything is God.” Panentheism asserts that God is contained within the universe; the creation exists within God. Both views hold that God is an impersonal divine energy fused with the world. But Scripture teaches that God created the universe ex nihilo or “out of nothing” (Hebrews 11:3). He existed prior to and independently of His creation (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:17). The universe is not an extension of God’s essence. God transcends nature, He is not one with it. The Christian doctrine of creation rules out pantheistic notions of an all-pervading divine energy.
3. The Bible teaches that God is Spirit, not an energy force
Scripture declares that “God is spirit” (John 4:24). He is an infinite, personal being who transcends the physical realm. God reveals Himself to have intellect, will, emotions, moral character, and the ability to speak – all marks of personhood. He is not a detached cosmic force or energy field but a relational God who engages with His creatures. Scripture contains no notion of an impersonal, divine chi permeating creation. Rather, the true God is the living, personal Creator engaged with His world.
4. The Bible rejects the deification of nature
Pantheism and animism attribute divinity to nature and natural objects. But Scripture teaches that the creation is not divine. The universe was created by God to reflect His glory, not to be worshipped (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:25). Trees, rocks, planets, and stars have no spiritual powers or mystic energies. While God’s Creation reveals truths about Him, only the Creator is divine. Postulating a divine chi within nature is foreign to the biblical worldview. It reflects the pagan thinking that Christianity rejected.
5. The Bible prohibits occult practices
The manipulation of chi is a central goal of many occult arts like feng shui, acupuncture, and qigong. But Scripture prohibits occult practices like divination, sorcery, mediumship, witchcraft, spell-casting, and spiritism (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). The true God forbids His people from engaging with rituals and techniques meant to harness or benefit from supernatural energies because those practices rely on demonic powers (1 Corinthians 10:20-21). Christians must avoid any involvement with manipulating alleged chi energies through occult methods.
6. The Bible rejects reincarnation and karma
Some concepts of chi are linked to perspectives like reincarnation, karma, and ancestral spirits. But the Bible teaches that each person lives once and then faces judgment (Hebrews 9:27). There is no process of being reborn through multiple lives. Karma is invalid because righteousness comes solely through Christ, not our own deeds (Romans 3:21-26). And there is no biblical support for the existence of ancestral spirits. Such concepts associated with chi contradict essential Christian doctrines.
7. The Bible warns against worshipping part of creation
Deifying nature by attributing divinity to anything God created is idolatry. Scripture denounces turning created things into objects of worship (Romans 1:25). Holding that chi is a divine energy within people and nature makes an idol out of part of the natural world. Christians must be careful not to twist biblical teaching in a way that deifies any aspect of God’s creation, turning it into an idol. Chi qualifies as exactly that kind of concept.
8. The Bible teaches that demons pretend to be gods
Scripture reveals that idolatry and false religion are fueled by demonic powers pretending to be divine (1 Corinthians 10:20). Demonized pagan systems like animism, practiced by millions worldwide today, perpetuate beliefs in spirits and impersonal forces controlling nature. These beliefs derive from seducing spirits (1 Timothy 4:1), not valid spiritual truths. The idea of chi aligns more with demonic deception than biblical reality.
9. The Bible reveals the falsity of astrology
Astrology teaches that celestial bodies like the sun, moon, and stars influence people’s lives and destinies by imparting cosmic energies. But the Bible denounces astrology as a form of idolatry built on demonic deception (Isaiah 47:13-14; Jeremiah 10:2). The creation has no mystical control over human destiny or interactions with a cosmic chi force. Astrology and related concepts like alignments and vibrations directly oppose biblical Christianity.
10. The Bible proclaims the uniqueness of Christ
Pantheistic and animistic beliefs present a vast array of gods, energies, and spirits influencing reality. But Scripture declares salvation is found in Christ alone (Acts 4:12). Jesus claimed to be the only way to God (John 14:6). There are not multiple paths and divine energies leading to God. Only Jesus provides reconciliation with the Creator. Belief in chi as an impersonal spiritual force undermines faith in Christ’s unique role as Savior and Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5).
In conclusion, the concept of chi as a vital energy or divine force flowing in and through creation clearly contradicts the core teachings of Scripture. Christians embrace truths revealed in God’s Word, not the mysteries of ancient pagan philosophies like the notion of chi. Biblical doctrine leaves no place for impersonal cosmic energies, divinized nature, or occult manipulations. The Bible points us to know the only true God and His Son Jesus Christ who gives abundant and eternal life (John 17:3; John 10:10). Fixing our eyes on Jesus surpasses any supposed benefits from accessing mystical forces such as chi. Life and power come solely from God as revealed in Scripture, not from within nature.
