Answers

Q:

Do you have to go through a deep emotional experience in order to become a real Christian? If so, I guess I've missed the boat. I really believe in Jesus, but I'm not a very emotional person. Does this mean I must not be a Christian after all?


A:

No, it doesn’t mean this at all. God has given our emotions to us, and we should be grateful for them, but they aren’t the test or standard of our faith. Our faith is in Christ, not in our emotions.

It’s true that some people experience deep emotional feelings when they come to Christ. They know their sins are forgiven, and they know, too, that God’s love now surrounds them, and this gives them great joy. But not everyone reacts this way. The night I came to Christ as a teenager, I didn’t feel any particularly strong emotions, but I knew something had happened to me, and from that moment on I knew I belonged to Christ.

Is your faith and trust in Christ for your salvation? Do you know that He died for you, and have you given your life to Him? Don’t let your emotions (or your lack of them) falsely accuse you. Instead, be sure your faith and hope are in Christ and what He did for you through His death and resurrection.

Learn to trust God’s promises, not your emotions. Emotions can fade, and Satan will try to convince us that we must not belong to Christ after all. But take your stand on the truth of God’s Word, the Bible, for God cannot lie. The Bible says, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life” (1 John 5:11-12).