MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT FEELING AFTER GOD,
BUT AFTER THE FLESH.
The tragedy is some Christians just do not know the difference,
they are so ignorant of the word of God.
THE WORD "FEEL" IS FOUND 7 TIMES IN THE BIBLE.
Out of the 7 only 2 are in a good context.
TWO TIMES WHEN JACOB DECEIVED HIS FATHER (BAD)
- (Gen 27:12) My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
- (Gen 27:21) And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
Note - When Isaac went by his feelings he was deceived and did wrong.
When Samson had lost his testimony and died a suicide (Bad).
- (Jud 16:26) And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them.
Dealing with a crooked person that steals from others (Bad).
- (Job 20:20) Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.
Dealing with the wicked under the wrath of God (Bad).
- (Psa 58:9) Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.
TWO TIMES IN A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD (GOOD).
- (Eccl 8:5) Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.
- (Acts 17:27) That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Note - that the first good feeling has to do with OBEDIENCE TO GOD; and the second on has to do with GETTING SAVED.
Both are pleasing to God and he does want people
to do the two good points above.
The words "obey" and "obedience" are found 81 times in the Bible.
IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Obedience always brought God's blessing to the people of Israel.
(Exod. 19:5)
God wants people to obey and be obedient to His word.
PLEASE NOTE -
The Lord Jesus Christ OBEYED
even though it did NOT FEEL GOOD.
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience
by the things which he suffered.
(Heb 5:8)
The reason many Christians will not take a stand and do right
is because they are afraid they will have to suffer for it.
Paul said, :if so be that we suffer with him,
that we may be also glorified together.
(Rom 8:17)
Suffering for righteousness DOES NOT FEEL GOOD,
but it yields the right kind of fruit in the Christians life.
In the book of Proverbs it says to keep
Gods commandments and do not forsake them.
(Prov. 3:1-3)
WHAT WAS PAUL'S ADMONITION?
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey,
his servants ye are to whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(Rom 6:16)
Paul stated that if a person does not obey God then he will
become the servant of sin and will reap the result.
When talking to the Roman Christians,
Paul was happy that they were obeying God and living for Him.
For your obedience is come abroad unto all men.
I am glad therefore on your behalf:
(Rom 16:19)
THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH WAS
VERY CARNAL
If there was anyone in the Bible that went after their feelings it was the Corinthian church. So what did Paul tell them to do?
He wanted them to get rid of their wrong thoughts; their wrong feelings and obey Christ.
Casting down imaginations,
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ.
(2 Cor 10:5)
Years ago when dealing with a Charismatic woman about tongues in the Bible. She realized that what she was doing was contrary to the word of God. I will never forget her comment. - she said "I don't care what the Bible says, I know how I feel." So the final authority in her life was NOT the Bible but her feelings.
The Orthodox Church makes big fancy buildings so that people will feel good when they go there. They state this in their own words. They make the building PLEASING to the eye so that a person will FEEL GOOD about being there. Wait a minute! What about teaching and preaching true Bible doctrine?
One married couple decided to go back into the Orthodox Church - They said, "But it makes me feel so good." (Praying to images) This is in direct disobedience to the word of God in worshipping images. "But it makes me FEEL SO GOOD." Sorry, your feeling is wrong!
One young man stated he was saved by baptism - How do you know that you are saved? "Because I got baptized and I feel it." Sorry, wrong answer! That young man has deceived himself and will end up in hell if he does not trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save him instead of water. It is the blood of Christ that cleanses from sin, not water.
A Christian woman went to a church that was not right doctrinally and did not teach all the word of God like it should. She stated, "But I just feel good there." Do they really preach the all the Bible? "Well, no but I feel good." Wrong answer!
Some people actually say that just because "they talked in tongues and felt so good that they must be saved." Not only that but others even go so far as to state that if someone does not talk in tongues then that person is not saved. This is Garbage, just plain garbage. Anyone that trusts in tongues to get them to heaven is definitely NOT going there.
Many cults will brainwash a person and then makes them feel good so they will stay in that cult.
A young woman who decided to marry a lost man stated, "But I know it is alright because I have PEACE about it and I FEEL RIGHT about it." (Anyone that knows anything about the Bible knows that this is totally against Scripture). But she FELT that it was alright.
DO YOUR FEELINGS LINE UP WITH THE BIBLE?
Jesus said, "IF YOU LOVE ME then KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS."
(John 14:15)
REAL LOVE FOR GOD IS OBEYING HIM;
NOT HOW YOU FEEL.
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love;
even as I have kept my Father's commandments,
and abide in his love.
(John 15:10)
Peter said, "We ought to obey God rather than men."
(Acts 5:29)
PAUL SAID
O foolish Galatians, WHO hath bewitched you,
that ye should not obey the truth, :Are ye so foolish?
having begun in the Spirit,
are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
(Gal 3:1,3)
Ye did run well;
WHO did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
(Gal 5:7)
The word "DELIGHT" in the dictionary means - "something you like; Something that "pleases you; Something that causes a high degree of pleasure and satisfaction.
For the most part David "delighted" in God and the things of God. However, there was one time when he backslid on God and delighted to do something that God did not want him to do.
David decided to number Israel and even Joab (who was by no means a spiritual giant) knew that it was wrong
And Joab said unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold,
and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it:
BUT WHY DOTH MY LORD THE KING DELIGHT IN THIS THING?
(2 Sam 24:3)
But David still had his way (pride); and because of this, thousands of people died. Yes, he later repented, but the damage was still done and could not be undone.
The Bible says that people can delight in wrong things.
Note the following -
Scorners delight in scorning - (Prov 1:22)
The wicked: delight in lies...(Psa 62:4)
Certain people delight in war. (killing people) (Psa 68:30)
How many times people have stated, "It makes me feel good."
Drugs - Getting drunk - Lusting - Pride -
Fornication - Gossip
Can make a person feel good - but it is wrong.
RESULTS OF FOLLOWING FEELINGS ONLY
- It will put you OUT OF THE WILL of God (disobedience & sin).
- It will cause CONFUSION in your life. God is not the Author of confusion.
- It will cause you to be UNSTABLE in your Christian life.
"A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
(James 1:8) - You cannot serve God and your flesh at the same time.
Jesus said, "He that is not with me is against me:"
(Mat 12:30)
Paul said, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,
and the Spirit against the flesh:
and these are contrary the one to the other:"
(Gal 5:17)
God delights in people obeying His word
no matter what their feelings dictate.
How about you?
Are you obeying Gods Word?
Or going by your feelings?