Feelings

The text

Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

2 Timothy 1:6 KJV

At a glance

Summary of the sermon

Few things produce more spiritual misery than a wrong handling of feelings, and Lloyd-Jones begins by setting out what feelings are. They are meant to be engaged, for the gospel moves the whole person; but they cannot be manufactured to order, and they are the most variable part of us, swayed by temperament, health and weather in a way that conversion does not abolish. The trouble comes when feelings are made central — when a Christian judges his standing by the mood of the morning, or despairs because he has never had the experience that someone else describes.

The remedy proceeds in steps. First rule out unconfessed sin, which does darken the soul; confess it and be done with it. Then stop concentrating on the feelings themselves. The biblical order is that truth grasped by the mind produces feeling, not the reverse: taste and see, not see and then taste. Distinguish, too, between rejoicing — which is commanded and is 'in the Lord' — and happiness, which is a feeling that comes and goes.

Positively, the Christian must stir himself up, as Timothy was told to stir up the gift within him. Speak to your own soul as the psalmist does; put belief first and let feelings follow. And above all do not seek happiness — seek righteousness, and seek Christ Himself. Happiness sought directly is never found; it comes unbidden to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Key points

• Feelings are real and are meant to be engaged, but they cannot be produced at will.
• They vary with temperament and physical state, even after conversion.
• It is dangerous to doubt one's salvation for lack of a particular feeling.
• Truth precedes and produces feeling; never reverse the order.
• Rejoicing in the Lord is commanded; happiness is a by-product of seeking Christ and righteousness.

Illustrations the preacher uses

• King Saul as a man governed by his moods.
• The Puritan Thomas Shepard, who made himself wretched by endlessly analysing his own feelings.
• J. C. Philpot's sermon on the child of light walking in darkness — a true insight that can be overstated.

Related Scripture

• 1 John 1:9
• Psalm 34:8
• Philippians 4:4
• Matthew 5:6
• 2 Corinthians 4:8–9
• Psalm 42:5

For reflection and discussion

1. When have you mistaken the absence of a happy feeling for evidence that you are not really a Christian?
2. What difference does it make to put belief before feeling on a morning when you wake up low?
3. What does 'stirring yourself up' look like in practice, and how is it different from working up an emotion?