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"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17

A promise is only as good as the person making the promise and his ability to fulfill it. When God promises, you can rest assured He will do as He says. It is impossible for Him to lie (Titus 1:2).

My prayer and desire is two-fold: 

1. To make sure you are truly in the faith, and if you are in that faith, I desire that you grow to full maturity for God's glory and that your life is used by God.

2. If you are not in the faith, that you will be.

Jesus promises “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Knowing about truth only brings frustration. APPLICATION of truth brings freedom. The very presence of truth presupposes all possibility of error; anything which opposes truth is error. 

Another promise is in 1 John 4:18 which says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear .... ” 2 Timothy 1:7 promises: “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Love is stronger than fear in as much as perfect love casts fear out. There are two parts in fear: 1) The fear “object” and 2) the fear “experience.” Most people only have the experience without ever encountering the object they fear. 

They “feel” fear. Can we truly trust our “feelings”? Too many people end up in hell because they “feel” that God will accept them, or they “feel” saved or “feel” that their “way,” “church,” “religion” or self-righteousness is the right way. PLEASE NOTE Proverbs 16:25: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [not the start] are the ways of death.” 

Here is the command: “Examine yourselves [make sure, check it out], whether ye be in the faith [not in the “feeling”]; prove [test] your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5a). Only you can do this, and God wants you to do this.

Many people who are truly saved, born-again, go through periods in their lives when they “feel” that they are not saved, and thus can be stunted in their relationship with God because their “feelings” distract them from the truth of what is found in His word.

Too often, because of “feelings,” they will not obey God. “I don’t feel led to obey in this area,” they might think. Yet nowhere in scripture are we commanded to feel a particular way, but rather, we are to obey. Delayed obedience is disobedience, and disobedience is sin. 

When some Christians “feel” spiritual, they act and do spiritual things, but when they don't “feel” spiritual, they won’t do the things of God. There are also Christians who base everything on their “feelings” and not on “Thus saith the Lord.” 

Satan’s philosophy is, “if it feels good, do it.” Through the lust of our flesh (feelings, good appetites gone bad), Satan lures us to take the bait and to sin. Sin at the start “feels” good, and good “feelings” fool many. “I ‘feel’ I’m okay” or “I ‘feel’ this is not that bad”; “It’s only a little ‘feeling’ of pride.” “I can’t let anyone know I’m not truly right with God,” or “It’s only a ‘white lie,’” etc. These feelings show no evidence of being a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

Satan wants believers to “feel” that they are not saved, to neutralize them—not to win souls, not to serve, not to give, and then to completely stop walking with the Lord and to conform instead to this world's system and bow at the shrine of “feelings.” 

I'll confess that there are periods in my life that I do not “feel” saved, but the fact remains that I am. My “feelings” change, but my Savior does not. The facts do not change. 

Let me give you an example and then I'll help you through God's Word to examine yourself. 

I went to my doctor. I felt sick. I acted sick. He examined me and said, “You are not sick.” I walked out of his office “feeling” fine. The fact is, I was in the same condition, but I felt better knowing that I was well and not sick. My “feelings” changed.

God says in 1 John 5:13a, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know [not feel] that ye have eternal life ... ” 

Hebrews 11:6a says that “Without faith it is impossible to please [God].” Romans 5:1 teaches “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Habakkuk 2:4 states that “... the just shall live by his faith ...” (never feelings). As a matter of fact, every place in my Bible where God declares “by faith,” I wrote in the margins, “not feelings.” When my flesh, or “feelings,” cause me to react and not act, I usually get into trouble. 

Now let's examine with God’s Holy Word whether you are in God’s family through the new birth ... 

Remember, we have faith and faith’s object. Many people have real faith in something, but the object of that faith is wrong. Our faith must be in the one true God. 

EXAMPLE: I have faith in my car. I believe that it can fly, and by faith, I drive it off of a cliff. My faith is real, but the object of my faith is wrong, and I crash. Many people crash into hell by having faith in a religious system, in a church, in ‘feelings,’ but not in God according to His way. 

“So then faith [not feelings] cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). Hear with an understanding and with the intent to obey. In Acts 16:31 the question was asked, “What must I do to be saved?” The answer is, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” “That if [or, when] thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [as your Lord], and shalt believe in thine heart [not head] that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall [not perhaps, or maybe, but must] be saved” (Romans 10:13). 

In repentance and faith (not feelings), why not pray a prayer like this, if it truly reflects the attitude of your heart: 

“Lord, I thought that I was saved, I meant to get saved, or I need to be saved, but I don't want to take any chances on going to hell; for I know the wages (payment) of sin is death in the lake of fire which is the second death, and all sinners deserve it (Romans 6:23; Revelation 21 :8). I put my total trust in you, Lord Jesus, and call upon you to save me now. I will not just trust my “feelings,” but I trust You to do as You said in Your Word. Lord, because of your grace and mercy, save me and give me full assurance of this fact. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.” 

Now if you have truly believed God and trusted Him to save you, serve Him. Salvation produces service. Faith is followed by good works. 

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