I do not believe that emotions—not even the emotion of joy—is to be the object of our pursuit of God. The Bible is clear that the heart—the seat of our emotional being—is desperately wicked and “sick.” Our emotions are shaped by our experiences in life—our past experiences. How one person perceives and defines an emotion and has an emotional response is going to vary from what another person does, based on his past experiences. And you can’t rule out the very real physical/chemical component of emotion—that both triggers emotion and creates emotion within an individual.
Those who have experienced severe trauma will have a different set of emotional responses and emotional capabilities than someone who has not. Those suffering from chemical imbalances of their hormones or brain functions (i.e. mental health issues) will also have a different set of emotional responses and emotional capabilities than someone who has not. The Scriptures that John Piper names in his books to back his premise that we are commanded to seek joy in God and cannot please Him or be saved if we haven’t does not satisfy me as a valid foundation for his argument. Those same Scriptures could easily be re-interpreted to also mean that joy is a result of obedience and faith being our pursuit, not pursuing joy itself. There are those who literally cannot feel positive emotions because of trauma they have experienced in their lives. I was one of them.
Now I was blessed and found healing in Christ, and I can now experience much more joy and other positive emotions than I had previously been able to. However, not everyone will experience this same level of healing. I do not believe it is Scriptural to measure whether they are saved or their obedience to Christ on their level or pursuit of joy.
Consider the story Jesus told of the two sons: one who declared he would obey and didn’t, and the one who said he wouldn’t obey but did (Matt 21:28-32). Jesus asked which one was obedient. And what about the Scripture that says that without faith it is impossible to please God Who rewards those who seek Him (Heb 6:4). Or the Scripture that says God prefers mercy to sacrifice? (Matt 9:13) or in Hosea when He writes, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings”? (Hosea 6:6). Or in I Sam. 15:22-23 when it is written that “to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams”—nowhere in any of those verses is there any mention of joy being the express object to pursue in order to please or obey God.
As for salvation, we already know that Scripture clearly states, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph. 2:8-9). "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24). Just to name a few of dozens of verses. And none of them mention anything about joy or the pursuit of joy being a prerequisite for salvation.
While I do believe that emotions certainly do give evidence of a Christian walk, I believe they are the result or fruit of obedience to God and faith in Christ. That is why it is listed as a "Fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5:22-23. Those who are void of emotion do tend to look more “mechanical.” But don't judge them for this. Don’t judge a fellow brother or sister who isn’t raising their hands in worship, or going to the altar for prayer. I don’t believe it is an automatic sign that they are not true Believers. Each must give what he can according to what he has been given.
Pursuing joy is not wrong. But I believe it will come naturally as a result of obedience to and faith in Christ. The only fruit of the Spirit that Jesus asked us to pursue was Love. He said that we were to love Him with all our hearts, minds, and bodies, and that we were to love our neighbors as ourselves. He said that all of what God wants from us, all of the laws that are written in Scripture, are summed up and guided by those two simple laws. And I believe that pursuit of Love will most certainly result in the fruit of joy.
Those who have experienced severe trauma will have a different set of emotional responses and emotional capabilities than someone who has not. Those suffering from chemical imbalances of their hormones or brain functions (i.e. mental health issues) will also have a different set of emotional responses and emotional capabilities than someone who has not. The Scriptures that John Piper names in his books to back his premise that we are commanded to seek joy in God and cannot please Him or be saved if we haven’t does not satisfy me as a valid foundation for his argument. Those same Scriptures could easily be re-interpreted to also mean that joy is a result of obedience and faith being our pursuit, not pursuing joy itself. There are those who literally cannot feel positive emotions because of trauma they have experienced in their lives. I was one of them.
Now I was blessed and found healing in Christ, and I can now experience much more joy and other positive emotions than I had previously been able to. However, not everyone will experience this same level of healing. I do not believe it is Scriptural to measure whether they are saved or their obedience to Christ on their level or pursuit of joy.
Consider the story Jesus told of the two sons: one who declared he would obey and didn’t, and the one who said he wouldn’t obey but did (Matt 21:28-32). Jesus asked which one was obedient. And what about the Scripture that says that without faith it is impossible to please God Who rewards those who seek Him (Heb 6:4). Or the Scripture that says God prefers mercy to sacrifice? (Matt 9:13) or in Hosea when He writes, “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings”? (Hosea 6:6). Or in I Sam. 15:22-23 when it is written that “to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams”—nowhere in any of those verses is there any mention of joy being the express object to pursue in order to please or obey God.
As for salvation, we already know that Scripture clearly states, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph. 2:8-9). "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24). Just to name a few of dozens of verses. And none of them mention anything about joy or the pursuit of joy being a prerequisite for salvation.
While I do believe that emotions certainly do give evidence of a Christian walk, I believe they are the result or fruit of obedience to God and faith in Christ. That is why it is listed as a "Fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5:22-23. Those who are void of emotion do tend to look more “mechanical.” But don't judge them for this. Don’t judge a fellow brother or sister who isn’t raising their hands in worship, or going to the altar for prayer. I don’t believe it is an automatic sign that they are not true Believers. Each must give what he can according to what he has been given.
Pursuing joy is not wrong. But I believe it will come naturally as a result of obedience to and faith in Christ. The only fruit of the Spirit that Jesus asked us to pursue was Love. He said that we were to love Him with all our hearts, minds, and bodies, and that we were to love our neighbors as ourselves. He said that all of what God wants from us, all of the laws that are written in Scripture, are summed up and guided by those two simple laws. And I believe that pursuit of Love will most certainly result in the fruit of joy.
