Sometimes in church, our pastor gives a very touching and emotional sermon. When I look around, I see and hear people crying. But I don’t cry. Does that mean I am hard-hearted towards the Lord? I am saved and love God, but I just don’t have the emotions that others have.
While listening to the Word of God being expounded, there can be many reactions from a believer. There can be joy and rejoicing, gratitude and thanksgiving. There can be remorse (grief) or regret and repentance, compassion, anger, fear, sorrow, etc. I believe your question deals with how we express these reactions to hearing God’s Word.
It is very true and obvious that the precious promises given to us in the Bible can move us emotionally. Let’s consider Romans 5:6-8, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Even today, this verse can cause me to be emotional as I think about this wonderful, undeserved love of God that led the Lord Jesus to die for me when I was but a sinner.
Let’s consider the words of the Lord Jesus in John 15:25, “But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.” How sad to think that the Lord loved man so greatly that He came to die for our sins, yet He was absolutely hated by the vast majority of men. His unlimited love was met with fervent hatred. This, too, can produce emotions in the believer.
We see valid emotional expression in the pages of Scripture, especially in the Psalms. However, emotions are not necessarily a sign of spirituality. Sadly enough, some so-called ministers gear their sermons towards exciting the emotions of their congregations. Some believe that if they can stir the people emotionally, they are stirring them spiritually. That is simply not true. It is an ungodly endeavor to try to cause people to cry or become emotional by the message.
I am reluctant to declare that emotions are good or bad. We are all different. While some people are readily emotional, some are moved just as much, but it doesn’t show through in their emotions. We can rejoice in the Lord. We can be moved by His wonderful love and mercy. We can praise the Lord for the salvation of a precious soul. However, in a group of people, some will express this in ways that vary from what others express. It is a dangerous thing to aspire to great emotions, thinking that will indicate great spirituality.
Let us look briefly at what a truly spiritual person looks like. Galatians 5:22-25 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” One who is walking in the truth of God’s Word will be led of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit will manifest itself in our lives. The spiritual person will be known by the characteristics of the Spirit of God in his life, not by how emotional he is. (CC) (569.4)