Faith or Feelings
We all remember the Faith or Feelings lesson!
It was the 3rd lesson of the Lamb-course, which eventually had a total of 20 lessons, but for quite some time there were only three.
1. What just happened to you?
2. The next few days
2. The next few days
3. Faith or Feelings
And in the scheme of things; who doesn't remember this question;
"Are you walking by Faith or Feelings?"
Something seems really right about it and of course we should not have a life based on our feelings. Instead we ought to live a life of Faith, living and walking by our Faith in God - yes living by Faith that is where it's at!
But now I will tell you and try to show you that this lesson contains a fatal flaw, as small as it may initially appear to be, but it will explain why this Faith or Feelings stuff never really "worked" for us there, and why it could not. Was this by design or an innocent mistake? I will leave that for others to debate....
(I apologize in advance to all those who still think that the Faith or Feelings lesson is the best thing since white bread, sorry to disappoint)
(I apologize in advance to all those who still think that the Faith or Feelings lesson is the best thing since white bread, sorry to disappoint)
"Faith AND Feelings" that should have been the title of this lamb course lesson instead of "Faith OR Feelings". The fatal "mistake" here is to pit Faith AGAINST Feelings. This is what this title does and that is also what the famous question "Are you walking by Faith OR Feelings does. Do you now realize, or if you haven't check for yourself - the Bible never puts faith against feelings, I don't even think it mentions them side by side. For we walk by Faith, not by Sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) That is what the scriptures tell us. And the whole of Hebrews 11 gives us a better picture of that.
Now, no Believer in God will tell you to live by your feelings, but the issue is this; we have all kinds of feelings and not all of them are wrong. It can actually be said that some feelings are valuable and for sure ought not to be discarded just like that. What "Faith OR Feelings" did was to force you to chose between your faith and your feelings, that you could only have one at a time and made us "feel bad" for having feelings or even worse we got "condemned" for having feelings. That they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, Acts 17:27 ESV Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. Ephesians 4:19 KJV For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Heb. 4:15 KJV These are the only verses I find with feel/feeling in the New Testament. I think it is inherently wrong to pit Faith against Feelings. The real difference between a Christian and anyone else is that a Christian has God's Holy Spirit dwelling in them and a Christian has Faith. As Christians we learn to put our Faith and Trust in God, we believe what God says over anything else. If we don't feel anything, than I would say we are either "dead" or Robots or inhuman. We can certainly consider empathy and sympathy as feelings that have value. So do the feelings of having pain or joy or sorrow. You could describe anger as a feeling and we know that the bible says; be angry, but do not let your anger cause you to sin. Also being attracted to a man/woman is a feeling/desire. Looking back, Faith or feelings is really a catchy thing to get young people because obviously young people are especially full of conflicting and new feelings. But to pit Faith against feelings in my opinion is just plain wrong. We as Christians learn to walk by Faith, learn to be led by his Spirit and grow in the Grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.