Do I Have to Feel This Way?

Do I Have to Feel This Way?

Feelings come and feelings go, And feelings are deceiving;

My warrant is the Word of God –Naught else is worth believing.

Though all my heart should feel condemned For want of some sweet token,

There is One greater than my heart Whose Word cannot be broken.

I’ll trust in God’s unchanging Word ‘Til soul and body sever,

For, though all things shall pass away, His Word shall stand forever!

-Attributed to Martin Luther

-Emotions can be a blessing and a curse all in the same 60 seconds!

Topics we’ll plan to cover:

1. Anger – Is it justified or sinful?
2. Depression – God’s plan for despair in difficult times
3. Fear, Worry, & Anxiety – How does the Word of God help me to regain control?
4. Guilty Conscience – Bible-based hope for guilt and shame
5. Bitterness – Overcoming hurt and applying forgiveness

1^st Things 1^st How do I change and does the Bible really have the answer?

I. What is the Bible?

A. The Inspired Word of God (It is God-breathed.)

B. The Inerrant Word of God (There are no deviations from what God intended in everything, from science to history.)

C. The Infallible Word of God (The Bible is truthful in faith and practice.)

D. The Authoritative Word of God (It demands obedience.)

E. The Sufficient Word of God (It is able to save and equip for every good work.) *Sufficient = enough; adequate (Oxford)*

F. It is a Book given by God for a purpose! (2 Tim. 3:15-17)

II. God’s Word Claims It’s Own Sufficiency in Equipping and Changing the Life of a Believer (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

A. Our sufficiency is from God not human resources (2 Cor. 3:5).

B. Scripture alone is completely sufficient to SAVE us.

1. (2 Tim. 3:15) “…able to make thee wise unto salvation…”

2. (Jas. 1:18) “…begat he us with the word of truth…”

3. (1 Pe 1:23-25 ) “…Born again…by the Word of God…”

4. (Rom 10:17) “…faith cometh by hearing…by the word of God.”

C. Scripture alone is completely sufficient to SANCTIFY us (Jn. 17:17; 2 Pet. 1:3-4).

*These are the steps shown in 2 Tim. 3:16-17:

Step 1: TEACHING (clearly establishes the standard – the Truth about God, morality, self, sin, others, circumstances, roles, responsibilities, how to love, what is God’s will, etc.)

Step 2: REBUKING (tells us where we are wrong)

Step 3: CORRECTING (sets us straight)

Step 4: TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS (forms godly habits)

*Nothing else can truly save or change us because nothing else has been given by God the power or wisdom to save or change us.

III. A Belief in Biblical Sufficiency Will Determine Our Faith and Practice

A. Since the Scripture is sufficient, the Bible is intended to be our Guide for life.

1. It outlines the path toward solving every problem. (Ps. 119:96; Col. 3:16).

2. It deals with even the deep problems of the heart.

a. Heb. 4:12 – discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart

b. Prov. 2:4-5 – understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God

B. Since the Scripture is sufficient, no other writings are of equal value to the Bible (Col. 2:8).

C. Since the Scripture is sufficient, we should beware of adding ANYTHING to It.

*The Bible doesn’t need any help:

• adding voices of truth to the Bible (i.e. legalism)
• placing personal experience on the same level as the Bible (i.e. dreams)

D. Since the Scripture is sufficient, we should be content with God’s perfect Revelation (Deut. 29:29; 1 Tim. 4:15).

IV. Why Should We Trust the Sufficiency of Scripture in Emotional Management?

A. Christ is sufficient (Col. 2:2, 9-10).

If the solution to the problem isn’t “in” Christ, it is not a solution. Only the Word of God gives the wisdom to lead us to Him.

B. God is jealous for His own glory (Is. 48:11; 1 Pet. 4:11).

If His Word isn’t the main Tool of change, then He isn’t the agent of change. The more He is the agent of change, the more glory He receives.

C. God loves His people. (Ezek. 34:11-16).

Any counsel we seek in neglect of His Word encourages His sheep to find help outside Him. They will wander outside of His care and into danger.

Application Question: Why do believers often NOT look to the sufficiency of Scripture in emotional management?

V. Emotional Transformation Requires Understanding of Sanctification

A. Sanctification Explained

• Sanctification is a progressive work of God in man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives (W. Grudem)
• Sanctification is the cooperative work whereby a Christian progressively attains Christ-like change through the power of the Spirit coupled with meditation upon and obedience of God’s Word.

*Many believers fail to apply the process of sanctification to their need for emotional change because of a combination of ignorance and/or laziness. (i.e. compartmentalization of actual vs. spiritual)

B. Sanctification must not be confused with justification or glorification:

• Justification is when God’s grace credits you the righteousness of Christ. (2 Cor. 5:21)
• Glorification is when God’s grace completes your perfection in the righteousness of Christ. (1 Jn. 3:2)
• Sanctification is when God’s grace is transforming you into the righteousness of Christ. (Phil. 2:12-13)

*It is during the current process of sanctification that we must cooperate with God in His plan to transform our emotions (& anything else that does not align with Christlikeness).

C. Sanctification facilitates emotional transformation.

• God gives all hardships as opportunities to grow in Christ-like change. (Lam. 3:37-38)
• God supplies you the power, but you must make the choices. (Phil. 2:12)
• We must fix our eyes dependently on Jesus to walk in this newness of life. (Heb. 12:1-3)

-No matter your emotional struggle, God’s Word contains the prescription for change and He will perform that change as you cooperate with Him in sanctification.

*Taken from Tim Bryant and the Low Country Biblical Counseling Center