The Emotions 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 preformed in us is not without effect. In the experience of grace, those who were spiritually dead toward God before, are now alive.

    Where and when life exists there is feeling or emotion. We are not saved by feelings, 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 not composed of man. And they bring and maintain that which we need and enjoy as believers. Believing (faith) is the first and foundation of all 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 or 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 (Rom 15:13), and Mary said, my soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour (Lk 1:46). I am full of joy and peace—but I should not and do not feel it?

    The presence of feelings is not always a denial of faith.