Emotion

1. The Word of God is the criterion of the Christian life.

2. Emotion is to be enjoyed, understood and evaluated, but this is impossible without the absolute criterion for the Christian way of life: The Word of God, Bible doctrine.

3. Emotion is not the criterion in the Christian way of life. The use of emotionalism is a substitute for ignorance of the Word of God. Use objectivity (Scriptural principles) in ascertaining the filling of the Holy Spirit. Don’t get subjective (emotional).

4. Emotion has a place in your life, emotion is the appreciator of the soul. Song of Solomon 1:7; 2 Peter 2:8; Luke 12:19.

5. When you are born-again this information is communicated into your soul. You may or may not have an emotion. Your emotion has nothing to do with the spiritual reality of your salvation. Emotionalism is soulish, human activity — unless controlled by the Holy Spirit.

6. When the human spirit sends doctrine to the emotions, the believer appreciates God. No doctrine and there is no appreciation of God.

7. Emotion is a response to something in the thought pattern, a result of what you think. When you think Bible doctrine you appreciate things on the basis of Bible doctrine.

8. Emotion (when it is not in its proper place) has an effect on the physical body, like psychosomatic illness.

9. When you refuse doctrine you create a vacuum wherein comes religion, emotionalism; and these emotions become involved and you make emotion your criterion. You then become one miserable person.

10. Some make emotion a false criteria of spirituality.

11. Everyone has emotions. Emotions are to enjoy things in life, such as people, a beautiful scene, a concert, football game, etc. But emotion has no place as a criterion, norm or standard for the Christian life. The criterion for the Christian life is the Word of God. When you have Bible doctrine you can even appreciate the details of life because they become points of doctrine.