Cheryl

Jennifer,

I guess I am a little different than most. Perhaps it comes from the 16 years of leading Jehovah’s Witnesses to faith in Christ and watching their doctrine slowly change from the cult mentality to a biblical worldview. Every one of these ex-JW’s originally felt that they were “in the truth” in the Watchtower Society and most also felt very guilty and bad when they walked into a church and saw a cross hanging on the wall. I have learned that while feelings are a good guide normally, they cannot be used as the ultimate test for truth. I may feel wrong about having to live life as a door mat, but if scripture in context shows that this is God’s will for me, then I have to trust his Word rather than my feelings. In the same way, I may feel that it is wrong to teach the bible to men because I had been raised to believe this tradition, but if the Bible in context contradicts this, then I need to believe that the Bible allows me to use my gifts for the benefit of men in the body of Christ and not to worry about my feelings.

So in the end people will never convince me either way by appealing to emotions or feelings. I want everything tested by God’s word in context and that is what I trust. I have been deceived by emotions in the past and so I don’t put my final trust there. Are emotions and feelings a good thing? Sure! But I have had men tell me that sex with their girlfriends cannot be wrong because it feels so good. I choose to believe the Bible and I can assure them that feelings is not a safe method for judging sin.