Is It Faith or Emotion or Intellect?

The Christian religion is founded on faith in Jesus Christ. Without faith we have no religion for we “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

But what is faith? In short, faith is the conviction of the truth of something. Ironically Jesus Christ is the truth so faith in Christ is the conviction of Christ.

Faith in Christ is being sure of Him. It surpasses intellect and emotion. It rests in the assuredness of the inner man. Our “sight” is the presence of eternal things within our being.

You can’t scare conviction and faith out of a man. You can’t reason it out either. For if you could, then that person’s faith was superficial. Their faith rested in their mind and in their reasoning. Or their faith rested in emotions; the excitable region of the unregenerate man.

Faith lies not in the intellect. This was a big stumbling block for the Greeks in the New Testament. The Greeks were great philosophers and thinkers. To them principle and precept including matters of religion and the spirit were either born in the mind of man or could be explained, rationalize by the cognitive self.

The Apostle Paul found this out when he went to Athens.

“Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.) (Acts 17:18-21).

Faith in Jesus Christ is not an emotion either although Jesus certainly can generate a lot of emotion inside of us. All too often those who get emotionally charged on Sunday morning operate without this same zeal the other 6 days of the week. The reason why is that they confuse emotional excitement with the up-welling of the Holy Spirit within.

Most Churches put people in the spiritual and excitable mood with music. Now days great bands or recordings of popular music are played during Church services. The songs and music can be played for extended periods to build the excitement. This is is not a new practice and has been highly frowned upon by the most learned and holy of men.

“The organ in the worship Is the insignia of Baal… The Roman Catholic borrowed it from the Jews” (Martin Luther)

“I have no objection to instruments of music in our worship, provided they are neither seen nor heard” (John Wesley).

“Musical instruments were not used. The pipe, tabret, and harp here associate so intimately with the sensual heathen cults, as well as with the wild revelries and shameless performances of the degenerate theater and circus, it is easy to understand the prejudices against their use in the worship” (Augustine).

“Those who know the Church of God best, and what constitutes its genuine spiritual state, know that these things have been introduced as a substitute for the life and power of religion; and that where they prevail most, there is least of the power of Christianity” (Adam Clarke).

“Praise the Lord with the harp. Israel was at school, and used childish things to help her to learn; but in these days when Jesus gives us spiritual food, one can make melody without strings and pipes. We do not need them. They would hinder rather than help our praise” (Charles Spurgeon).

It is quite clear that great preachers, teachers, and bible scholars all through time have been against employing musical instruments in Church services. It emotionally excites carnal man and fools him into thinking it is the Holy Ghost. Instrumental music was also feared to lead people back to customs, rites and rituals of the Jews.

Jesus Christ said, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life”, (John 6:63).

It is the spirit that brings us to life. The body and its ability to get excited, “profiteth nothing”. But it is the words that Jesus speaks, the Gospel message that are the Holy Spirit and the renewed, zealous life! It isn’t the Sunday morning music that should excite. That fades. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit that excites us and makes manifest in our emotions.

The Holy Spirit is the power that excites and the intelligence that teaches. Without the Holy Spirit we cannot know Jesus for, “no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Corinthians 12:3).

We have a couple of questions to ask ourselves about our relationship with Jesus. Is it founded on emotion? Intellect? Or is it is founded on the Holy Spirit? You will find that your relationship with Christ will not be like an emotional roller coaster with the many ups and downs if founded on His Spirit. And doubts will flee from your mind as well!

Accept Jesus Christ on faith. Move in him in faith and all things will become clear.

Post your comments below about faith, emotion and Jesus Christ.

Bill Hitchcock