Emotion’s Place Origin, Moral Value, and Proper Use

What are Emotions?  Latin, exmovēre, meaning to move  Emotions are strong feelings, prompted by physical and mental stimulus, frequently resulting in mental, ultimately physical action. “And when he thought about it, he wept.” - MAR 14:72b “Peter remembered … went out and wept bitterly.” - LUK 22:61-62  Information -> [Faith ->] Emotion -> Action

Are Emotions Bad?  God has exhibited emotions Joy – DEU 28:63; PRO 8:22-30 Anger – EXO 4:14 Love – John 3:16; ROM 5:8  Jesus exhibited emotions Anger – MAR 3:5; JOH 2:13-17 Sorrow – John 11:32-44; LUK 19:41-44  Emotions can be misused Wrath – NUM 20:1-13; JAM 1:19-20

Misuse of Emotion  Emotionalism – Emphasis on emotion  Evil Influences unto Emotionalism: Calvinism – Subjective work of Holy Spirit World Religions – Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. New Age Movement Post-Modernism Relativism Humanism  Result: Spiritual blindness, sin, and destruction

Happiness, Joy, Fulfillment, and Peace  Dilemma of happiness – Cannot find it by seeking it  Mistake in seeking emotion rather than that which generates emotion  Emotion fades. Place hope in eternal things.  “Seek first the kingdom of God” – MAT 6:25-34 Pray – PHI 4:4-7 Think on good things – PHI 4:8 Trust and Obey – PHI 4:9 Take comfort in knowledgeable faith – I THE 4:18; II PET 1:2

Peace which surpasses understanding “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - - meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” (PHI 4:6-9) “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” (I THE 4:16-18) “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (II PET 1:2-3)

Decision Making  Emotional thinking – Rationalization to satisfy emotional craving, rather than objective truth. Eventually sensual.  Compare “How do you feel about this passage?” with “What does the Scripture say?” (MAT 4:1-11; 22:29-31; LUK 10:26)  33% Believe in absolute morals – 25% for ages  Inner Voice of God? Revelation of God – I COR 14:37; HEB 2:1-4; JOH 9:26-33 Or, Reasoning of Man – MAT 26:41; ROM 7:13-25; JER 10:23; EZE 13:1-6  Persuasive Speech? – I COR 2:1-5; EZE 33:30-33; II TIM 4:2-4  Blindness and depravity – ROM 1:21-28; MAT 23:16-39; EPH 4:17-24

Worship of God  Mistakenly seek emotional response instead of true worship which generates spiritual emotions – JAS 1:26-27; JOH 4:24  True worship does not cast off inhibition – I COR 14:26-32  Although emotions are good, they are not the end.  How emotions generated by true worship: Guilt -> Sorrow -> Repentance – II COR 7:10-11 Joy -> Thankfulness -> Praise – ISA 51:3; JAM 5:13 Faith -> Obedience -> Fulfillment – JAM 2:20-24; ECC 12:13

Fellowship  Mistakenly seek emotional response, pleasurable events opposed to spiritual encouragement.  Cannot socialize someone into heaven – ROM 1:16  Our social work/recreation balance should reflect that of our individual lives and for the same reasons.  How much time are we spending doing recreation together versus serving the Lord together, whether in study, prayer, praise, or service?  What are we sharing? – I JOH 1:3-7

Who is driving? My emotions or my faith? Where is it taking me?