It's extremely dangerous to call emotions sin.
1. The Bible doesn't call emotions sin, so to do this is to add to the word of God / legalism.
2. Emotions were created by God. It's how we handle, express, or act upon them that may be sinful.
Let's look at a few examples:
1. The Bible doesn't call emotions sin, so to do this is to add to the word of God / legalism.
2. Emotions were created by God. It's how we handle, express, or act upon them that may be sinful.
Let's look at a few examples:
Anger.
I can and should feel angry when I learn that a child has been abused. Will I blow up and break something? Will I take revenge like Absalom? Or channel my anger into protecting the child and holding the abuser accountable? How I use my anger is either sinful or righteous.
I can and should feel angry when I learn that a child has been abused. Will I blow up and break something? Will I take revenge like Absalom? Or channel my anger into protecting the child and holding the abuser accountable? How I use my anger is either sinful or righteous.
Love.
I can and should love my neighbor as myself. If I learn that my neighbor is an alcoholic who drives drunk, will I love him and overlook his addiction? Or will I love him and all those other people on the road and intervene? How I use my love is either sinful or righteous.
I can and should love my neighbor as myself. If I learn that my neighbor is an alcoholic who drives drunk, will I love him and overlook his addiction? Or will I love him and all those other people on the road and intervene? How I use my love is either sinful or righteous.
Abusers will tell abuse victims: "You need to repent of your anger. Depression is selfishness and anxiety is lack of faith in God. You need to forgive and forget. To seek justice is to seek revenge. To hold the abuser accountable is arrogant, because you're a sinner too."
Abusers will tell anyone who stands against abuse: "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. To empathize with this child or woman is sin. Think of the abuser's soul. If you love Jesus you'll love the abuser. You'll forgive him and trust him, not take away his family."
This is what psychological abuse looks like. It is the hallmark and artform of narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths. They sprinkle truth on their lies to make them look truthful. They whitewash manipulation with out-of-context Bible verses and faux-Christian platitudes.
Abusers often falsely condemn emotions as sin, as a way to falsely accuse, shame, and guilt-trip their victims, and anyone else who might stand in their way. But emotions are not sinful. It is how we use our emotions that is either sinful or righteous.
"You belong to your father, the devil, and you carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
John 8:44
John 8:44
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