From: Brett
To: The Path of Truth
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 7:29 PM
Subject: emotions and feelings
Hello.
I’ve gathered from your website that a conversion experience accompanied with speaking in tongues, strong emotions, feelings, laughter, etc. is a false conversion (I don’t recall your exact words exactly). Can you please clarify for me?
I’m thinking, in particular, about the verse, “the kingdom of God is . . . righteousness, peace and joy in the holy ghost” (peace and joy are emotions, no?) I’ve had the experience described above, and it was quite powerful. Was this not from God?
Thanks.
From: Victor Hafichuk and Paul Cohen
To: Brett
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2014 2:56 PM
Subject: Re: emotions and feelings
Hi Brett,
Your words tell us you haven’t received the Spirit of the Lord but have had a counterfeit or superficial experience, or you’d be testifying to us of the Lord Jesus Christ.
No, peace and joy are not emotions. Consider that Jesus was the Prince of Peace and a “man of sorrows acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53) at the same time. Peace and joy, not as the world gives or can take away (John 14:27), are fruit of the Spirit, an abiding gift of God, deeper, very different and far more substantial than emotions or feelings.
Consider that Paul mentions peace, joy and righteousness. Is righteousness an emotion or feeling? These three are all the same in nature and substance.
Consider that many in the world also have peace and joy of a certain kind, but never righteousness, which can only come by Jesus Christ.
This doesn’t mean you necessarily have something to be concerned about. If you’re after the Lord and His Kingdom and righteousness, you need to keep going until you find Him. He answers all those who earnestly call on Him with all their hearts, unrelenting. Consider that He has brought you here to ThePathofTruth.com to bring the truth to you and that He might give you His Kingdom.
Read the following papers and get back to us if you have further questions:
Repentance
Confession of Sin
Forgiveness
How One Is Saved
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Victor and Paul