More Than a Feeling: A Thought and a Belief

I'm hooked on a feeling,
I'm high on believing,
That you're in love with me.

"Hooked on  a Feeling" by Blue Swede

For many believers, they have become hooked on the "feeling" that God loves them.

Yet the Bible is to be our standard of truth, not our thoughts or feelings.

I used to struggle with this problem. In a very dark and difficult time in my life, I felt that God was a million miles away. When I explained to a friend of mine how I felt, he explained to me:

"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13: 5)

But I still "felt" bad, and because those feelings still lingered as long as they did, I became very despondent and irrational, making poor choices informed by erratic feelings, instead of the stable and eternal word of God.

Paul chastised the Corinthians for living in their feelings instead of the truth:

"I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

"For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? " (1 Corinthians 3: 2-3)

To be carnal, or course is to live by the flesh, including your mind and feelings. Strife, divisions, envying, are all works of the flesh (Galatians 5: 19)

The writer of Hebrews provides a clearer diagnosis of what plagues a believer who is still drinking milk instead of real meat:

"For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

"For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe." (Hebrews 5: 12-13)

If we want to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord, we must increase in our understanding of our righteousness in Christ. In fact, we are fully identified with Christ through His righteousness:

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

This righteousness is a gift which we are called to receive daily:

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

"Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." (Romans 5: 17-18)

We do not gain or lose our right standing in Christ based on anything we do, think, or feeling. Rather than trying to line up our lives with our thoughts and feelings, we must needs line them up with the Word of God:

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12: 2)