THE
EMONTIONS OF A DEAD MAN
“The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.”
Psalms 115:17
The great work of redemption accomplished by Christ Jesus our Lord is
His work alone. The sovereign work of God the Spirit in regeneration
is likewise. The persevering faith and Spiritual life of the child of
God is solely owing to the Triune God as well. The whole work of salvation
from election to glorification is preformed by Someone outside our self.
However, this great work is not without effect, being preformed in someone.
In the experience of grace those who were before Spiritually dead toward
God now are alive. Where and when life exists there is feeling or emotion.
We are not saved by feeling and neither is our feelings the object of
faith. However, life without feeling would be somewhat abstract. This
is not the case of those who are alive in Christ. The Spiritual virtues
of “Christ in you” insist upon lively benefits of His grace which in
themselves are composed of, that is to say, not of man. And they bring
and maintain that which we need and enjoy as believers. Believing being
the first and foundation of all else that God gives, from which flows
love, hope, confidence, assurance, consolation, comfort, peace, joy
and rejoicing in Christ Jesus our Lord. A dead man has no love nor praise
for Christ and His truth. He finds, experiences, and feels no need for
the things of God. The affections of those who remain dead are upon
things that are dead. The desires of the heart are revealed in the course
of our life. For those believers who struggle with emotions and shrink
back from feelings for fear of misplaced faith, may I suggest reading
these passages - “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy
Ghost” Romans 15:13 and, “Mary said, My soul doth magnify
the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour” Luke
1:46
(I am full of joy
and peace - but I should not and do not feel it?)
The presence of
feelings are not always a denial of faith.
Tommy
