Feelings, Nothing More Than Feelings

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In my last post, “Why Don’t I Feel Any Different?” (Yes, it’s been entirely too long since I’ve posted anything here! That’s changing today), I talked about the very common problem that new believers often have. Namely, that they often don’t feel like anything has changed since they made the decision to accept Jesus.

Since then, I received a comment from a person who was concerned that I was having doubts of some kind about my salvation. This tells me that I need to clarify what I said. I will start by saying that I have zero doubts about the state of my salvation. I invited Jesus into my life when I was nine years old and while I spent a good many years running away from God (You can read my testimony for more details if you like), I have no doubt that His sacrifice on the cross has paid the way for my entry into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of times when new believers confuse feelings with reality when it comes to spiritual issues. Thinking the way the unsaved world does, it’s a natural enough to expect that when you do something, you’re supposed to feel some reaction.

The problem is that in matters of the spirit, how the physical and emotional part of you react and feel doesn’t matter at all. Salvation is not a matter of feelings, it’s a decision. Once you make that decision, you have to ignore and refuse any feelings and doubts because that is the enemy trying to incite you to doubt your decision and walk away from God.

Feelings, thoughts, doubts, temptations are all things that attack each of us every day. However we need to keep in mind the truth of the matter. A new believer needs to tell themselves something like “I don’t care how I feel, I *know* that Jesus is my lord and I am saved”.

Those doubts, feelings and temptations to sin are all attacks. The Bible tells exactly how to deal with them. Don’t give in.

James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

So whether you’re a new believer or have been following Jesus for years, there will occasionally be times when you are subjected to temptations to sin. Don’t give in to them. There will be times when you don’t feel like God loves you or that you’re saved. Don’t permit those thoughts to stay in your mind. Instead, refresh yourself in the word and refuse those thoughts planted by the enemy.

Romans 12:2, “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.”

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