The Wednesday Word ~ 13 March, 2024 A.D.

The Danger of Resting on Feelings

by D.G. Miles McKee

 

Because repentance and faith go hand in hand, there are those who think themselves unqualified to ask for mercy. They are concerned that they do not feel repentant enough to ask for salvation. They know that they need the Saviour, but think they lack sufficient repentant feelings to qualify for grace. If this is true of you, let´s do a quick Q & A.Q- Does your lack of being miserable about your sin alter the gospel?A- No!Q-Does your lack of feelings it in any way change the good news?A-No!Q-Does your lack of feelings mean that the gospel is no longer for the undeserving and unlovable?A-No!Q-Does your lack of feelings change the graciousness of the Lord Jesus?A-NoIf you are concerned that you do not feel repentant enough to ask for salvation you are trying to receive grace by works. You think you will deserve grace if you show God how bad you feel about your sin. However, this course of action is impossible because grace is reserved exclusively for the undeserving who do not work for it (Romans 4:5).Here’s some good news. The gospel suits us … it fits us like a glove! It meets us and announces the Christ who saves undeserving sinners. “But” you say, “I don’t think I am sufficiently sorry enough to qualify for the gospel.” Listen to me, although God gives a godly sorrow that leads to repentance (II Corinthians 7:9; Romans 2:4), being tearfully miserable about your sins will not persuade God to be more kindly disposed to you than He is in Christ. Yet, despite this, some people insist that true repentance comes only with tears. If this is so, we must ask, “What’s the going rate for tears nowadays? Just how many tears does God require? Does he want a bucket full? A half a bucket full? And while we are at it, what size is the bucket anyway?Listen to me, you are not disqualified from the gospel because of the lack of feelings. Faith does not spring out of feelings; feelings grow out of faith. The less we feel the more we have an opportunity to trust.Nevertheless, here’s the thing, we cannot feel properly until we have believed. This is also so with repentance. All true repentance has its root in faith. Although no one is saved without repentance, repentance is not a condition or cause of grace: it is always the result of grace. Repentance can never earn God’s grace and forgiveness. All grace and forgiveness have already been earned for us by the Lord Jesus. The legalist, however, wants us to get all emotional and weep over our sins, but this is not required to move God towards us. God has already moved towards us in the person of Christ Jesus.Often, as believers, we want to feel saved rather than to simply rest on Christ alone. Again, here’s some good news … we don’t have to feel the fact that Christ is made unto us righteousness (I Corinthians 1:30).  Likewise, we don’t have to feel the fact that, ´´He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life´´ (John 3:36). 

Nor do we have to feel the fact that, He that hears My word, and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life (John 5:24) 

Or even feel the fact that He that believes on Me (Jesus) has everlasting life (John 6:47).These facts stand firm whether we feel them or not! We are saved apart from feelings for it is written, "He that comes to God must believe (not feel) that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).Faith, not feelings, takes a hold of the Finished Work. Without faith no one can even call on the Lord for we can not call on Him in whom we have not believed? (see Romans 10:14).If we insist that we must feel something before believing. then we have promoted feelings to an essential part of salvation. This is a grave error for if we try to work up feelings in order to be accepted by God, then we are seeking grace based on works. Do feelings have to drop miraculously into our heart to enable us to be saved? No!Does the Lord anywhere command that our level of feelings must be correct before He will save us?No!We are saved by grace alone.And that’s the Gospel Truth!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JESUS - Rock of Ages

Jesus remains the same in all ages. He is the One who is constant when everything and everyone else fails. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is our R ock [I SAMUEL 2:2 ] . In the Old Testament, in Exodus 33, Jesus is pictured as the Cleft Rock. In that chapter, verse 18 and following, Moses desired to see the glory of the Lord, but was told, "You cannot see My face; for there shall no man see My face and live.” And the Lord said, “There is a place by Me, and you shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by." Notice that as Moses stood upon the rock, the Lord hid him in the cleft. This wonderfully applies to us today! Believers are both standing on and hidden in Christ [COLOSSIANS 3:3 ] . We are both in and on the Rock. As life with its many bitter events presses upon us, ...
Read more

CHRIST OUR ONLY AND PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS

" The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." —Galatians 5:17 [KJV] Christian experience fully proves this apostolic truth. Hence the children of God cannot do the things that they would: nor have we any authority from God's word to conclude this lusting ever ceased in any of the saints till they got to glory; none are delivered from it while in the flesh. For, as the renewed soul or spirit loves to enjoy spiritual and heavenly objects, so the flesh, or unrenewed part, lusts after those objects it is naturally conversant with, and from which it derives its happiness.  Here is thy conflict, O Christian. Hence the necessity of thy Lord's command, "Watch always." This is the use of the doctrine. What woeful effects have fulfilling the lusts or desires of the flesh produced in eminent saints! Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. The conceptions of lust are the productions of sin.— see James 1:15 . The commission of sin contracts fresh s...
Read more

GLORY ALONE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

" Lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me." -Judges 7:2 [KJV] Thus the Lord reasoned with Gideon. He knows what is in man. He sees the pride of the human heart: how prone we all are to boast in an arm of flesh. The Lord is jealous of His own glory. Gideon’s army of two and thirty thousand, is brought down to three hundred. By this handful of men, and no more, did Gideon gain the victory of the Midianites. The Lord’s wisdom in this was, “Lest Israel should vaunt themselves, and say, Mine own hand hath saved me.”   But I have not transcribed the text right. There are two little words of great import, which I have omitted. Mind then, O Christian— against Me. Now remember, whenever thou dost boast of thy power, thy free-will, thy human goodness, thy works, ditties, conditions, and performances in order to be saved, thou art then, as it were, two and thirty thousand strong. Thou vauntest thyself against the Lord . Thou art gloryi...
Read more