Dangerous Emotions
When someone converts to Jesus, that person becomes a newborn. And the newborn is a minor in knowledge and faith, so the newborn needs education and proper nutrition.
1Corinthians 3:1-2
„But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,”
Many people do not want to take note of this because they are trying to teach others as a newborn even though they are unaware of the basics. They preach the gospel without understanding, they copy the speeches of Bible teachers who enjoy popularity. They have no faith because what they do or say is not said or done because they are convinced by Scripture, but because they have seen it from others. It is commendable that they have the effort, but unfortunately they lack a sense of responsibility. Just trying doesn’t help because someone can try to kill or save. Even a well-intentioned effort will not help because you can cause other deaths with your good intentions if you do not have the proper knowledge. If you give a peanut cream sandwich to a hungry person, you may not have done good. Because if the hungry one has a peanut allergy, he will die from the sandwich.
Hosea 4:6
„My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”
Elsewhere we read:
Isaiah 5:11-13
„Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the evening as wine inflames them! They have lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine at their feasts, but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands. Therefore my people go into exile for lack of knowledge; their honored men go hungry, and their multitude is parched with thirst.”
When we read the stories of the New Testament, we see people who taught others immediately after their conversion. For example, Paul, who recognized the Messiah in Jesus because of what happened on the road to Damascus. Seems contradictory, right? But Paul spoke of this being different when a Jew converts, and different when a Gentile:
Romans 3:30
„since God is one--who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.”
A Jew who knows Scripture, God’s love, grace, reverence, laws, but did not recognize the Messiah in Jesus, has a huge advantage over a Gentile who doesn't even believe in God’s existence. That is why God justifies the Jew by faith, that is, He leads him to the right knowledge (since the Jews already believe), while He justifies the Gentiles through faith, that is, He leads them to faith.
Romans 10:1-2
„Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”
Thus, a Jew who believes in God and recognizes the Messiah in Jesus will not be a newborn at his conversion, but because he is proficient in the Word of God, able to teach and guide others. If one converts as a Gentile, that person is not proficient in the word of God, cannot teach and lead others until reaches spiritual age. Yet many ignore this period and begin to teach others. This is how distorted images of God are formed because they do not have enough Knowledge of the Word, so they judge things by emotions.
They can say that emotions are also given by God, but emotions need to be handled properly. Emotions are received from God, but they can be misused.
As we read the Scriptures, we can observe that marriages, were held together not by emotion but by commitment. If this were still the case today, there would not be much divorce. We can also see in the word of God how serious the consequences were when decisions were made by emotions.
Eve felt the forbidden fruit delight to the eyes and desirable for wisdom, and she ate from it. David felt that the woman he had seen while bathing was desirable, so he slept with her. Jephthah felt he needed to add something to the Lord's work and speech, so he took an oath. Amnon felt that despite the law, he could make his sister Tamar his own. Korah and his companions felt they were rightly demanding the priesthood. But what did they reap? Eve also gave the fruit to Adam, and death entered their lives, affecting everyone. David lost his child, who was conceived in adultery, and his wives were infected by his own son (Absalom). Jephthah sacrificed his only daughter, and Amnon, who slept with his own sister, killed by Absalom. And Korah, and they that were with him, came down to Seol alive.
Decisions should not be made by emotion, but with common sense of what is right, not what we want or what is good for us. The best example of this is from the story of Jesus when He knew the hour had come for Him:
Luke 22:42-44
„saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done." And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Jesus did not want to experience all this, yet he undertook it because He was not seeking His own will, but the will of the Father. What would have happened if Jesus had made an emotional decision? Then we would be in big trouble Brothers and Sisters!
The key to our relationship with God is obedience. This is how we can get closer to Him, not through our emotions. Yet many choose the emotional path, so there is more praise in the place of obedience, and more prayer in the place of deeds. There is confusion in Christianity because they try to understand God through emotions. Through their own hearts, they decide what God can be like, what He wants to give us, how He relates to us, and a distorted image of Him is born that is incompatible with Scripture.
Therefore, there is a tendency that God wants to heal everyone physically, or a tendency to make us rich, or there is no more law but grace. They think fleshly, no wonder their idea of God is unreal.
We need to follow Jesus, not our emotions. Many claim to follow Jesus while being emotional Christians. They do not understand that Jesus is the Word of God. To follow Jesus means to follow the Word of God. Jesus set an example in this, it is the only way to the Father.
Antal Farkas
(December 26, 2020)
