Our Emotions are a part of our soul. They are also connected to our body; our "heart", and bring about the "feelings" which we all have. No two peoples' Emotions or "feelings" are identical. There may be some similarities from person-to-person, but no two peoples' Emotions can remain totally identical continually.
Anyone therefore that attempts to establish a coherent "system" based on "feelings" are sure to be very disappointed at some point in time.
"Feelings are an excellent servant, but a very poor master."
EMOTIONS IN THE UNBELIEVER
"Feelings" are a very high priority for most unbelievers. Everything can be said to revolve around how they "feel" about a person or issue. The reason is because "feelings" are about the highest expression most of them have for experiencing life, as they do not have the Holy Spirit Rooted within them.[1] Because they rely so heavily on "feelings", upsetting someones' "feelings" has become tantamount to a very grievous "sin", although the Scripture does not say anything of the sort is a sin. People today may use the term "offense" if their "feelings get hurt".
There is a general misunderstanding today about a Bible word: "offense". In todays' jargon, it means to "hurt someones' feelings" regardless of what the Word of G-d says about an issue. That was not the original meaning however. This is where "religious types" draw their reasoning to "not offend anothers' feelings". G-ds' Word says to "rebuke, exhort and teach" and to "judge righteous judgment" as well. These "religious types" say "judging" is an "offense" because "someones' feelings might be hurt".
The term "offense" does not apply to a "feeling"; but instead a specific sin (I John 3:4); never just a negative "change in someones' feelings" if they are in lawlessness for example, the Preaching of the True Gospel of Jesus Christ itself produces what unbelievers call "offense", the cross itself is called "an offense", and correct Application of Biblical Principles will also many times "offend" them as if it were a "sin" against their "feelings". Their "feelings get hurt" if they are told they must Repent, or obey G-ds' Commandments for instance.
There are types of offense that we are supposed to avoid for our Blessing, we are not speaking of that type of offense here.
"Feelings" are not to be exalted over the rest of our being when it comes to G-ds' Word. How do we know this? Because of this verse that tells what Scripture does:
For the Word of G-d is Alive and Powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, and the joints and the marrow, and is a critic of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
The "thoughts and intents of the heart" include how we "feel" about things compared to Scripture which is a "critic" of these thoughts and intents. Correct application of Scripture judges even our "feelings".
"The flesh" in both Believers and unbelievers is fallen, which includes the emotions. The unbeliever does not possess the Holy Spirit Rooted within, (he may have had close contact with Christians or even gone to Church and been impacted by what he "experienced") so he may try to "reproduce" those "feelings" in himself in various ways for various purposes. This is identified as the foundation for a "gospel of works" based entirely upon "feelings".
"THE FEELINGS GOSPEL", MEDICATION AND DRUG USE
The "Feelings Gospel" directly related to "The Love Gospel" which had a resurgence in the 1960's. The "hippies" established the "Drug Culture". We must remember that "feelings" are always heightened by drug use. Those that come out of the drug culture, having been drug users and experienced "altered states of consciousness" will oftentimes be led by "feelings" and "human love" which are not True Scriptural Principles by any stretch of the imagination.
Persons who have been or are on certain types of medication also may have experienced "altered states of consciousness" and thereby interpret things through the eyes of distorted "feelings".
The psychological community can oft-times be heard recommending "Emotional Healing", which focuses on "feeling good about yourself" for instance. If you "feel depressed" they may prescribe medication. If you are sad, "take a happy pill". Some medication can produce "altered states of consciousness" and distort "feelings" considerably. Even M.D.s are not immune to this, and there are cases in which doctors "overused" prescription medication on themselves.[2]
PREACHING "FEELINGS"
You might hear, "if you can make them feel" something or other they might be Saved. As if True Salvation or True Spirituality were contingent on how a person "feels" and not Election. Scripture Obedience, Covenant-Keeping and G-ds' Law are not among their teachings as a rule; instead you will find "The "Feelings Gospel" as their Humanistic "ultimate determiner"[3] as "all that is truly spiritual".
The Principle of Divine Love is either denied to them (in the case of unbelievers), unknown or wilfully rejected, and they are taught to simply substitute "human love" instead.
Persons who have come out of drug-usage or have been fed-full of "The Feelings Gospel" may come to openly accuse other Believers of "not having enough love" (to them these are the "feelings" of "human love"), or "not having any compassion", again linked to "human love", have usually been taught that "feelings" and "human love" are everything. They can even sometimes seek to tyrannically exert "human love" and "feelings" along with "The Feelings Gospel" over Scriptural Principles, upon entire Congregations.
EMOTIONS IN THE BELIEVER (THE ELECT)
The True Believer goes by a correct application of Scripture, not "feelings" or "The Feelings Gospel". Nowhere in Scripture does it say we are to place our "feelings" first over Scripture. Yet some do, and go around preaching "The Feelings Gospel", "fighting for other peoples' feelings" or their own. What are we supposed to do?
Simply, Scripture says that if we are actually Following G-d, our "feelings" will take care of themselves!
What does this mean if someone begins using "feelings" then or uses the "The Feelings Gospel" to "judge" some situation or person? It means he is not doing what G-d wants him to do at all, and has substituted Scripture Obedience and Covenant-Keeping for "feelings". This is clearly idolatry and will break down at some point. While they flaunt some sort of "superiority" because they "feel justified", they are actually the hypocrites spoken of in Matthew 7 who judge out from the source of their own selves (their own "feelings") and not Scripture.
They are so mixed-up they actually tell people it is fine to break a Covenant, such as Marriage if afterwards you "just don't feel right about it."! We see this because in law there is a charge of "Emotional incompatibility" considered a valid cause for divorce. These ones are long on "feelings" and short on Scripture. There is one and one only valid New Testament cause for divorce: Fornication, Adultery.
That their opposite number has been Faithful and True is of little matter or import as those that have been taught "The Feelings Gospel" have catered to "feelings" which they have used as a "way out" for their misdeeds.
This can soon lead to Spiritual Anarchy.
MORE FOLLOWING SOON!
PEOPLE OF G-D MINISTRIES
� Copyright 2002 People of G-d Ministries, Inc. No reproduction or redistribution without Prior Written Consent and Approval of People of G-d.
FOOTNOTES
[1
[2
Here is a page Especially for Women which asks them if they find "mood-altering drugs create an 'artificial paradise'?"
The indications/contraindications of current drugs and pharmaceticals is readily available in any Physician's Desk Reference.
[3
Films as well may have been written or use actors and actresses who are drug users. How can anyone be establishing True Principles of Divine Love based on such things? Anyone?
Music and films (based on "feelings" and "human love") can deceive many and young believers can be brought under false teaching very quickly. Believers (not to mention ex-drug users) should NEVER cause themselves to sit under the teaching of anyone who uses "The Feelings Gospel" as a criteria for Spirituality. Persons who have been drug users should avoid any type of "ministry" that teaches "The Feelings Gospel" like the plague.
They should instead seek out A Ministry which has either overcome and rejected drugs/medication and "The Feelings Gospel", or one that never became involved in drug/medication abuse in the first place.
They can be identified by their use of such terms as: "We just get high on Jesus", "We get high on God", "Jesus is cool", "Jesus is a good trip", "Jesus is a far-out dude", "Jesus Rocks", "Jesus was a hippie" or any other "hippie-trippy" vocabulary. "The Love Gospel" and "The Feelings Gospel" can be seen clearly in such movies as "Jesus Christ, Superstar".
For your reference, here is a brief list of those that have taught false Humanistic Principles and attempted to bring them into effect as "determiners of Salvation". Humanistic man searches and searches for one attribute in unregenerate man that will "assist" in his Salvation or in Spirituality. We have three such examples. In each example a different part of the soul is used.
1. Aquinas, who exalted the intellect of unregenerate man.
2. Erasmus and Arminius who exalted the will of unregenerate man.
3. The "hippies" or "Drug Culture" used and do use "The Love Gospel" and "The "Feelings Gospel" to exalt the Emotions; the "feelings" or "human love" of unregenerate man.
These men were highly intelligent. Thomas Aquinas was unquestionably a genius and so was Erasmus of Rotterdam. Jakobus Arminius had been a student of Theodore Beza. Dr. Timothy Leary held a Ph.D. in Psychology from Harvard University. But these are still all false gospels, because they did not recognize that man is totally fallen in his unregenerate state and totally incapable of "Saving himself" or using any part of his soul to "co-operate" with G-d and do so.
And what becomes of all their reasonings? Indeed they were very smart. Both they and all that follow them have certainly become, "wise in their own conceits". (Romans 12:16) But,
Go HERE for Studies on Humanism.