Does God have feelings?

public hermit

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The fact that we have emotions, is a proof that God has emotions, because He made us in His image.

This is a good point. We don't want to anthropomorphize, and yet God can't somehow be less than human.

God’s emotions are as completely dependable and immutable as He.

This is an interesting way to try and tie together God's emotion and God's immutability. I take it you want to say that we have emotion in a way analogous to God, yet ours is corrupted by sin?
 
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So, yes, I would say that He has the only real Emotion, which we have received when He Breathed into us.

This is an interesting approach and intriguing word study. So, our emotion is somehow analogous to Divine emotion, yet His is uncorrupted? Just curious, what prompted you to go to the opening words of Genesis to make this connection? The Divine breath/ruach in us?


But yeah, I think, as children we would always choose happiness and contentment, though we know this twisted world changes things...causes us to find comfort with the familiar...even if the familiar is negative.

I didn't think about that, but you're right. We sometimes would rather embrace negative emotions, and I suppose we sometimes could let them go, but hold on to them.

He doesn't have emotions as we do, He has Emotion as we were intended to have...a Wind that can stir up the deepest darkness and Speak Light...and change everything.

You have a nice way with words, my friend.
 
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I don't think it follows that God is not in control of His emotions because we are not in control of ours.

That's a good point.

Imagine if there were a set of laws for feelings? Yikes!

Oh man, I would be hating it. I'm grateful there aren't. But, what about when Jesus says we should not hate or we are liable to judgment? Is he referring to an emotion, or something else. Matthew 5:21-22

I realize I didn't fully answer your questions. There are a few reasons. God exists outside of time, so how things seem to happen from our perspective doesn't really apply.

No, I appreciate your response. These are good thoughts and questions you have shared.
 
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I see that ones of us, above, have brought out different things about this.

Another thing > I would say an emotion has a motive. It is what moves us according to what we want, or is a reaction to not getting what we want.

So, it can be very simple > often a humans wants what is selfish and so one's emotions are connected with selfish motives.

But God is love; so His emotions have to do with His loving and caring desires and interests.

But according to John 8:44 > Jesus says > worldly people want what Satan wants. And what do so many worldly people desire and seek? Pleasure. And we see how their emotions can be so about getting pleasure, or reacting very negatively and nastily about not getting their own way. And I see how worldly people can be about control, and this can be enforced by their emotions and ways of reacting, so they can maintain their culture of pleasure. This is how things work, in Satan's kingdom > consider James 4.

So, are you saying both God and humans have emotions, but they differ in intention and motivation? God's are always good, but not always with humans?
 
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Halbhh

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What do you think? Does God have emotion?

Consider your own emotions. You can't always control them. If you could, you would choose to always feel happy, or maybe, content. So, emotions are something outside of our control. If God has emotions as we do, then God is subject to something outside God's control. That doesn't sound right, does it?

Consider how your emotions are intimately related to your body. God is Spirit. What would it mean for a spiritual being to feel?

I know, there are so many passages that speak of God having emotions. Are those anthropomorphic? Or, is God truly subject to the ebb and flow of emotion?

What do you think? Does God feel anger, joy, compassion, etc.? Does God suffer? What of the Incarnation and the cross? Did the Father and Holy Spirit feel emotion as the Son died? Were they overjoyed upon seeing the resurrection?

I think we are told a little about that:

5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

But it's good to keep in mind the perspective, not only is He vastly older than you and me, but also:

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

(Genesis ch 6 and Isaiah ch 55)
 
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Halbhh

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I appreciate the thoughtful responses. A few of you mentioned that God loves. And I wonder, is love an emotion or is it something we do? Or both? How do we know that God loves us? Pace John 3:16, is it because we have insight into how God feels about us or because of what God did for us? Just a thought. At any rate, I appreciate the thoughtful responses.
:)

Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

That's Someone that cares.
 
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public hermit

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I think we are told a little about that:

5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

But it's good to keep in mind the perspective, not only is He vastly older than you and me, but also:

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

(Genesis ch 6 and Isaiah ch 55)

I am truly unsure about all of this. I used to hold a very strong position on God's impassibility, but it has been tempered over time. On the one hand, I don't think it is appropriate to anthropomorphize too much. The poetic phrases in the OT have their purpose. As Calvin put it, God speaks to us like we speak to little children, i.e. in ways we can understand. But, I have come to the conclusion that God certainly can't be less than us. Haha, I know, that's some conclusion. Well, it takes me a bit.

But, what I mean is, we don't want to anthropomorphize, but we also must include that we are created in the Divine image. If we have emotion, then it must come from somewhere in God. I think my settled position is that whatever it means for God to have emotion, ours is analogous to that but not the same by any means. I don't reject Divine immutability and impassibility, I just don't presume to know exactly what it includes. :)
 
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God is angry with the wicked every day.

Is God angry because they are wicked? If they decide to do what is good and succeed, does God's emotion change to joy? Is God subject to the changing activity of humans?
 
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What do you think? Does God have emotion?

Consider your own emotions. You can't always control them. If you could, you would choose to always feel happy, or maybe, content. So, emotions are something outside of our control. If God has emotions as we do, then God is subject to something outside God's control. That doesn't sound right, does it?

Consider how your emotions are intimately related to your body. God is Spirit. What would it mean for a spiritual being to feel?

I know, there are so many passages that speak of God having emotions. Are those anthropomorphic? Or, is God truly subject to the ebb and flow of emotion?

What do you think? Does God feel anger, joy, compassion, etc.? Does God suffer? What of the Incarnation and the cross? Did the Father and Holy Spirit feel emotion as the Son died? Were they overjoyed upon seeing the resurrection?
God is Love... His whole being is personification of the greatest emotion.
God made us in His own image.. that includes emotions.
God gave His only begotten son.... why? Because he cared for and loved us.
 
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LaSorcia

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As someone already mentioned, we are made in God's image, and that includes emotions. Ours are broken through, now that sin is in the world.

In Luke, we read that there is more joy in heaven over one sinning rejoicing than 99 who don't need to. I think joy is the ideal of happiness; what we would feel if there weren't sin.

Also, the Bible continually speaks of God's loving-kindness towards us, which is compassion.

In my own life, I have had occasion to experience God's sense of humour and his delight.

Yes, love is both a feeling and an action. Without action, it is useless.

So yes, I do think God has emotions. Some people think emotions are inherently bad or untrustworthy, viewing reason as superiour, but I disagree, as God saw all that he created and it was good. But like everything else, our emotions have become tainted by the fall. Our reasoning abilities are also tainted due to the fall.
 
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How do you reconcile this with the understanding that God is impassible?
I am not sure what that phrase means.

(I'm guessing that it isn't the Chicago version of "impossible..." ;))
 
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Also, AFAICT, God's anger & sadness are indirect consequences of The Fall. They weren't evident before that time, nor will they be in Heaven (unless they are required to maintain the Lake of Fire).
 
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What do you think? Does God have emotion?

Consider your own emotions. You can't always control them. If you could, you would choose to always feel happy, or maybe, content. So, emotions are something outside of our control. If God has emotions as we do, then God is subject to something outside God's control. That doesn't sound right, does it?

Consider how your emotions are intimately related to your body. God is Spirit. What would it mean for a spiritual being to feel?

I know, there are so many passages that speak of God having emotions. Are those anthropomorphic? Or, is God truly subject to the ebb and flow of emotion?

What do you think? Does God feel anger, joy, compassion, etc.? Does God suffer? What of the Incarnation and the cross? Did the Father and Holy Spirit feel emotion as the Son died? Were they overjoyed upon seeing the resurrection?

It's probably the Father you think about? Obviously the Son feels, but also the Father and the Holy Spirit. You know it says, the Holy Spirit can be grieved.
 
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RaymondG

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What do you think? Does God have emotion?

Consider your own emotions. You can't always control them. If you could, you would choose to always feel happy, or maybe, content. So, emotions are something outside of our control. If God has emotions as we do, then God is subject to something outside God's control. That doesn't sound right, does it?

Consider how your emotions are intimately related to your body. God is Spirit. What would it mean for a spiritual being to feel?

I know, there are so many passages that speak of God having emotions. Are those anthropomorphic? Or, is God truly subject to the ebb and flow of emotion?

What do you think? Does God feel anger, joy, compassion, etc.? Does God suffer? What of the Incarnation and the cross? Did the Father and Holy Spirit feel emotion as the Son died? Were they overjoyed upon seeing the resurrection?
No, I dont think God has emotions......yet he feels them through us...(For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities)...and uses them, in part, to give us what we desire.... E.g. If you desire to be mistreated.....Mistreat others and "feel" good about it. Therefore, when mistreatment comes our way, it is not God punishing us......It is our good Father knowing what we desire and giving it to us.

And he loves us the same, no matter what we desire or how good or bad we seems to others.

God is only Love when we stand outside of love and look at it......Once we are in Love..... God just.....IS.
 
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Ronald

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What do you think? Does God have emotion?

Consider your own emotions. You can't always control them. If you could, you would choose to always feel happy, or maybe, content. So, emotions are something outside of our control. If God has emotions as we do, then God is subject to something outside God's control. That doesn't sound right, does it?

Consider how your emotions are intimately related to your body. God is Spirit. What would it mean for a spiritual being to feel?

I know, there are so many passages that speak of God having emotions. Are those anthropomorphic? Or, is God truly subject to the ebb and flow of emotion?

What do you think? Does God feel anger, joy, compassion, etc.? Does God suffer? What of the Incarnation and the cross? Did the Father and Holy Spirit feel emotion as the Son died? Were they overjoyed upon seeing the resurrection?
I'm not trying to insult you, but if you have to ask a question like that, you don't know much about God.
He made us in His image. What does that mean? You may think physical image? No, God is Spirit, invisible, yet He did empty Himself and became flesh.
We were made with a soul and spirit - that is the image the Bible is referring to.
The soul is your mind, will and emotions. Your individual personality is really a range of habits.
The spirit is a special compartment of our soul which is dead at birth, empty, void - because of the original sin. At some point in life, Hid calls His chosen sheep by orchestrating a divine appointment with Him. This entails a series of events and people who come into your life with the message of the gospel, encouraging you to view if heat the Word, go to church, seek Jesus. As the Father flaws you, (knocks on the door of your heart), you follow is calling, open the door and He lifts the veil of blindness. So this is repenting (turning to God) and becoming aware if your sin. You experience godly sorrow and finally ask to receive forgiveness and His Spirit to forever direct your life. Now can see spiritually. That empty void within your soul becomes a TEMPLE WHERE GOD DWELLS.
So back to emotions. Jesus is God. He acted emotionally did He not? Anger, grief, joy and He wept as well. These are all attributes of God. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self control, faith. It would be hard to experience those attributes of God without emotions.
Btw, emotions are not outside of our control. As God, we are to be slow to anger. Have you read of God's wrath? Well, hopefully you don't experience it, but many will - soon. Self control takes years. Patience takes years - God is still working on my patience. Some do not have joy, well that will grow once you receive the Holy Spirit. Worldy joy and peace are much different than what Jesus gives us. Worldly things are temporal and can disappear suddenly because of circumstances. Bad things happen and your joy is gone. But what hope, faith, love, joy, patience, etc., that God gives does not collapse, fail, when bad things happen.
 
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public hermit

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It's probably the Father you think about? Obviously the Son feels, but also the Father and the Holy Spirit. You know it says, the Holy Spirit can be grieved.

Well, there is the whole Patripassianism thing, which was associated with Sabellianism. Did the Father suffer on the cross, or suffer with the Son? But yeah, I understand what you are saying.
 
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In Luke, we read that there is more joy in heaven over one sinning rejoicing than 99 who don't need to. I think joy is the ideal of happiness; what we would feel if there weren't sin.

This is a good point. It would be odd if heaven were full of joy, and yet there is God all stoic and unaffected.
 
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