FEELINGS … GOD, MAN AND THE GOSPEL
PROV 23:7, “AS A MAN THINKS WITHIN HIMSELF, SO HE IS…”
& VARIOUS SCRIPTURES
EMOTIONS ARE MORE THAN IMPULSES OR FEELINGS THEY ARE INDICATORS OF WHAT WE BELIEVE AND VALUE.
GOD,
“IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HONOR GOD AS WE OUGHT UNLESS WE KNOW HIM AS HE IS.” JAMES STEWART
THE GOD MAN,
LIKE FATHER LIKE SON, JOHN 14:8-9
THE SAME COMPASSIONATE NATURE, MARK 1:40-41
MAN,
PRE-FALL …
MINDS THAT ACCURATELY PERCEIVE TRUTH,
EMOTIONS THAT PROPERLY RESPOND TO TRUTH,
WILLS MOTIVATED TO WALK IN TRUTH,
POST-FALL …
“THE NATURAL MAN’S AFFECTIONS ARE WRETCHEDLY MISPLACED, HE IS A SPIRITUAL MONSTER, HIS HEART IS WHERE HIS FEET SHOULD BE, FIXED ON EARTH, HIS HEELS LIFTED UP AGAINST HEAVEN WHICH HIS HEART SHOULD BE SET ON, HIS FACE TOWARD HELL, HIS BACK TOWARD HEAVEN THEREFORE, GOD CALLED HIM TO TURN. HE LOVES WHAT HE SHOULD HATE AND HATES WHAT HE SHOULD REJOICE IN, GLORIES IN HIS SHAME AND IS ASHAMED OF HIS GLORY, ABHORS WHAT HE SHOULD DESIRE AND DESIRES WHAT HE SHOULD ABHOR.”
THOMAS BOSTON
THE MIND IS DARKENED,
THE EMOTIONS DO NOT PERCEIVE TRUTH AS IT IS,
THE WILL IS ENSLAVED TO SIN,
APPLY:
PHYSIOLOGICALLY,
PSALM 38:1-10
EMOTIONALLY,
“EMERGING ADULTS ARE DETERMINED TO BE FREE. BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WORTH DOING WITH THEIR FREEDOM. THEY WORK VERY HARD TO STAND ON THEIR OWN FEET. BUT THEY DO NOT REALLY KNOW WHERE THEY OUGHT TO GO AND WHY, ONCE THEY ARE STANDING. THEY LACK LARGER VISIONS OF WHAT IS TRUE AND REAL AND GOOD … MANY KNOW THAT THERE MUST BE SOMETHING MORE, AND THEY WANT IT. MANY ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THEIR INABILITY TO MAKE TRUTH STATEMENTS AND MORAL CLAIMS WITHOUT KILLING THEM WITH THE DEATH OF A THOUSAND QUALIFICATIONS. BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THAT, GIVEN THE CRISIS OF TRUTH AND VALUES THAT HAS DESTABILIZED THEIR CULTURE. AND SO THEY SIMPLY CARRY ON AS BEST THEY CAN, AS SOVEREIGN, AUTONOMOUS, EMPOWERED INDIVIDUALS WHO LACK A RELIABLE BASIS FOR ANY PARTICULAR CONVICTION OR DIRECTION BY WHICH TO GUIDE THEIR LIVES.”
CHRISTIAN SMITH, SOULS IN TRANSITION
THE GOSPEL:
THE MIND, 2 COR 4:3-6
THE WILL, I THES 1:9
THE EMOTIONS, PS 32:1-2
GAL 5:22, “BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE …”
FOR THE ESSENCE OF SIN IS MAN SUBSTITUTING HIMSELF FOR GOD, WHILE THE ESSENCE OF SALVATION IS GOD SUBSTITUTING HIMSELF FOR MAN. MAN ASSERTS HIMSELF WHERE ONLY GOD DESERVES TO BE; GOD SACRIFICES HIMSELF FOR MAN AND PUTS HIMSELF WHERE ONLY MAN DESERVES TO BE.
JOHN STOTT
3 VITAL WORDS OF THE FAITH!
JUSTIFICATION
ADOPTION
SANCTIFICATION
