It is becoming more frequent in conversation with Christians that I hear statements like, “I don’t feel that way about it.”
God made us emotional beings, and those feelings are, for the most part, good. Fear, for example, at times can warn us of impending danger; however, it can also cause us to fear things we need not be afraid of; such as clowns.
The problem with the “I don’t feel that way about it” comments I am hearing is that the comments are not about being afraid of clowns; the comments are about the reliability of the Scripture.
Many people claiming to be Christians are inserting their feelings into the Word of God. In other words, if the Bible says something we disagree with, instead of examining our heart and eventually accepting what the Bible says as truth, we rely on our feelings to determine truth and relevancy.
Humans are complex creatures; actions vary and emotions change, even within the same individual. An honest person will still tell the occasional lie. Calm people do have things that will, from time to time, make them mad. Feelings also differ from person to person. One event that makes someone happy could make the next fellow upset. If we rely on emotions there is no absolute truth; truth becomes relative to the person and circumstance.
Awhile back I had a conversation with a woman. The chat was mainly about salvation, and the subject of hell came up. She told me, “I don’t feel that God would send anyone to hell. If your God would send anyone to hell, I do not want anything to do with Him.”
She was creating a god from her feelings. She believed or felt that whatever went against her feelings could not be right. Unknowingly, she was creating a god with her thoughts and emotions.
This trend is growing within Christianity – The Word of God is not considered the final authority; feelings are.
“I don’t feel that God wouldn’t send anyone the hell.”
“I believe God does not disapprove of sex outside of marriage as long as the two people love each other.”
“I think, ‘The husband of one wife’ means a person can be married as many times as they wish, as long as they are only married to one person at a time.”
“I feel as long as a person sincerely believes in something, God will let them into heaven. There are many ways to God, not just Jesus Christ.”
All four of those quotes have been told to me by people professing to be Christians. Again, the problem is that beliefs are being chosen by how someone feels instead of what the Word of God says.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible describes itself as Holy and perfect (Psalm 19:7; Romans 7:12). The Scripture was also written to show us being able to know we have eternal life (1 John 5:13).
The Bible is our final authority because it is God – John 1:1;14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
The cause of the feelings over truth philosophy is a lack of scripture knowledge in combination with an unwillingness to follow the scripture. A heart not turned over to God will develop its own path.
Who are you trusting in to lead you through this life and on into eternity – an everlasting all knowing, all powerful God, or your ever-changing emotions and feelings?
