Obtaining Victory Over Sin - NetBibleStudy.com

Victory Over Sin 59The counselor explains that in the Bible God commands us to love oneanother. The husband is to love his wife “as Christ loved the church” (Ephesians5:25). The husband gasps –- he feels that could never do that.The counselor is persistent. He explains that the husband should considersome other Biblical truths. God’s Word also commands us to love our neighbor –and since his wife is his closest neighbor (Matthew 22:39), he certainly is to loveher. But even so, the husband objects that he couldn’t love his wife that way.Then the counselor explains that the man is still not off the hook, for God hascommanded us to love “even our enemies” (Matthew 5:44).This couple has made a common error; they are equating love with“feelings.” In the Bible, love is not a feeling. We can learn to love, even thoughwe begin with little or no emotional impulse, or incentive. In other words, wecan choose to love. And God gives us the grace to do so.Love is not an emotion; neither is forgiveness. The Bible commands us toput bitterness away; we are to forgive others whether they ask for ourforgiveness or not. Yet many Christians believe that they can’t forgive until theyfeel like it! They think that if they forgive when they don’t feel like it --- thatwould make them hypocritical.However, if forgiveness were an emotion, God would be commanding usto do the impossible. We know that we cannot switch our emotions on and offat will. We cannot develop the right feelings on our own. God is not mocking uswhen He tells us to forgive; we can choose to do so, whether we feel like it ornot. We must never attempt to skirt God’s commands under the pretense thatwe don’t feel like obeying Him.2. A SECOND DANGER OF LIVING BY FEELINGS IS THAT WE MAY TENDTO DERIVE OUR DOCTRINE FROM FEELINGSIf we believe God is with us only when, “We feel that He is close,” we willalso believe that there are days when He forsakes us, because, “He feels so faraway.” The assurance of God’s presence does not come by feelings, but by faith(Hebrews 13:5). Fortunately, we don’t always have to feel God’s presence to bein fellowship with Him and to make spiritual progress.The Apostle Paul, who by any standard lived a successful, victoriousChristian life, had his bad days. He wrote, “For we do not want you to be unaware,brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively,beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8).Even more surprising is the testimony of Christ. As He approached thecross, He was tempted to call a halt to the whole plan of redemption. He wasdeeply vexed in His spirit and cried out, “Now My soul has become troubled; andwhat shall I say, `Father, save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to thishour. Father glorify Thy name’” (John 12:27-28a).