God's Facts and Our Feelings

When, in His Word, God states a plain fact, we are wise if we bow to and believe it. Even though our understanding may not be quite able to grasp it, He will, in His own time, make it plain. But should He never, in this world, explain it, it is for us to believe His Word.

In John 3:35-36, God has given us four solid facts. We are called to believe them.

1. The Father loves the Son.
2. And has given all things into His hand.
3. He that believeth on the Son has everlasting life.
4. He that believes not the Son . . . the wrath of God abides on him.

These are four facts … they are not human opinions. These are truths, not based upon any experience in us. They are unalterable realities. When we believe them, they might well affect our feelings, but the facts are there whether we feel them or not.

There was once a young man who was due to inherit a considerable fortune when he turned 21. On the morning of his 21st birthday the family lawyer called him saying “Congratulations you have turned of age today”

“Excuse me” the young man replied, “but I think you are mistaken.”

“How so?” inquires the astonished lawyer.

“Well I’ve three reasons. In the first place, I don't feel that I am twenty-one. Secondly, I was only this very morning looking in the mirror, and I'm sure I didn't look like twenty-one. Lastly, I don’t act like I’m 21. My friends will confirm that. How can I, therefore, be 21? My friends don’t think I am, and as for myself, I neither feel like it, nor look like it."

So, what did the lawyer do?
He emailed him a copy of his birth certificate.

Who would be so absurd as to talk like that 21-year-old? Who indeed? But the truth is, there are multitudes of professed believers in Christ to-day, who pursue precisely the same lines of argument. They don’t feel like what they think a Christian should feel like. They live in insecurity because they fail to trust the Word of God.

Let us look briefly at the four facts in John 3:35-36.

Fact 1 “The Father loves the Son." Now, do you feel that fact to be true? You don’t have to. God's Word says He does. It is not a question of what we think or feel. It is a wonderful fact; and we can be certain that all we, in Christ, are equally loved by the Father.

Fact 2. “And has given all things into His hand." “Well,” you say, “I would like to believe that, but I don’t see everything put into His hand” … I understand, but have you forgotten that we walk by faith and not by sight?

Fact 3. “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life.” You say, “If I could only believe I was saved, I would be saved.” But wait a minute, God does not say, “If you can only have enough faith to believe that you have eternal life, you shall have it.” That’s not what the Word says. That would make a saviour of faith and would exclude Christ. But, if we believe (rest) on Jesus, He states a simple fact about us … we HAVE everlasting life.

Fact 4. “He that believes not the Son . . . the wrath of God abides on him.” Do you believe that the wrath of God abides upon the unbeliever? “Well” you say, “I’m not saved, and I don’t feel any wrath.” That doesn’t matter. Your feelings cannot make the scriptures true or false. Regardless of feelings, the wrath of God is upon the unbeliever.

“The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40: 8).

And that’s the Gospel Truth!