In Mark 8:33-38, Jesus gives us an ultimatum: die to self – or being controlled by our feelings/emotions or we cannot “come after [Him]” for salvation. The reason is that self – or again our feelings/emotions, are severely compromised by sin and easily manipulated by Satan and the world. To be controlled by them will therefore result in us becoming no better than Satan, being led astray by the world, denied by Jesus, and losing our souls in hell forever. Self – or once more, being controlled by our feelings/emotions is, therefore, our greatest enemy and humanity’s biggest problem. All people can be separated into two categories: 1) the lost = those living according to their feelings, 2) the saved = those who have crucified their feelings and are living for Christ (2Co 5:15 [“for themselves” = Self/the flesh/controlled by their feelings]; Gal 5:24).
The power to do that (to live crucified to our feelings as that which controls us and follow Christ) was granted at our baptism. In those waters, we were set free from slavery to our flesh (feelings controlling us) (Rom 6:1-7). However, we must still do the work of applying the power or using those tools if such freedom is to be realized. And to this task we are obligated as part of our covenant vows to follow and give full control to Christ (Rom 6:8-13 w/8:12-13).
How to be free/take control away from your feelings (and give full control to Jesus):
REPENT
The number one reason people will not deny or die to self/their feelings and (as a result) fail to follow Christ is because they refuse to truly repent when they sin. And being controlled by your feelings is sin. Unrepentance is also the reason so many professing Christians lack passion in living for Christ. Unresolved sin kills passion. Repentance is therefore the first solution or step to taking control away from your feelings and living passionate lives for Christ. Hence the reason the pre-requisite to the gospel – or “take up your cross and follow Me” is always “repent” (Mar 1:15 “repent and believe the gospel” = “take up your cross”/die to self w/ Act 24:24-25 = The gospel includes/is about “self-control”).
Through his discussion on “godly grief” in 2 Corinthians 7:10-11, the apostle Paul reveals what true/legit repentance (i.e. “repentance that leads to salvation without regret”) looks like. This means, if we are to possess or practice the kind of repentance that frees us from the tyranny of our feelings, then it must be defined by what is mentioned in these verses. That each is absolutely necessary to our success in this respect is confirmed by Paul’s final statement (11 “At every point you proved yourself to be innocent [i.e. right again w/God] in the matter” = Accomplishing true/legit repentance requires conformity to all points that define it).
1.1. No pain no gain (or change)
(10) = True/legit repentance is produced by (or requires) “godly grief” (or pain) – the pain associated with change and taking control away from one’s feelings. It is the opposite of “worldly grief” (or pain) – the emotional pain associated with feeling sorry for oneself self. Godly pain brings change and life (or “salvation”) whereas worldly pain brings “death” and “regret”. Christian gain, therefore, requires godly pain – the pain associated with change (“no pain no gain”) (def. of insanity = expecting a change in the results without change in the actions).
1.2. Extreme ownership
(11 “what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves”) = In contrast to the person feeling sorry for themselves, playing the victim or making excuses, the person who is truly repentant takes extreme ownership of their situation, they call it for what it is and embrace the “godly pain” of change that it will require – no matter the cost (the first steps in all recovery programs are admitting you have a problem and possessing a willingness to do whatever it takes to change).
1.3. War
(11 “what indignation”) = Fierce opposition toward who/what is wrong. In this case, your feelings that are controlling you. They are no longer to be viewed as the friend you can trust (“follow your heart”), but the enemy within that deceives and can never be trusted. To truly repent and turn from our feelings therefore also requires that we go to war to self/our feelings (the f**k cancer campaign).
(what else defines true/legit repentance – the kind that frees us from the tyranny of our feelings/emotions)…
1.4. Phobic Fear
(11 “what fear” [φόβος; phobia]) = Different than momentary (or “casual”) fear (the fear of fight or flight), phobia is the kind of fear that stays with you. It is fear that ultimately determines what you do (it is causal, not casual). All creatures (including humans) have this causal/phobic fear as their main mode of operation (modus operandi). We are hardwired to fear as the key to survive and thrive. We are creatures controlled by fear. What then determines whether it is healthy (or unhealthy) is what fear it specifically is.
The causal/phobic fear that Paul is referring to here (the kind necessary to true/legit repentance) = The fear of the Lord. The Bible says this phobic/controlling/causal fear is “the beginning of wisdom” (Pro 9:10) [1].
What the fear of the Lord exactly is = Constant awareness of a coming judgment where every deed (including every careless thought and word) will be assessed w/o the ability to excuse it away, manipulate (e.g. cry) or play dumb (Pro 24:12; Heb 4:12).
Why fear of the Lord/constant awareness of a coming judgment breaks us free from being controlled by our feelings (or the sinful flesh) = We can’t serve two masters (or two forms of phobic/causal fear). Fear of the Lord will always be stronger than FOMO (fear of missing out) – the main reason people obey their feelings. So when we have fear of the Lord, those feelings get suppressed and neglected (Pro 23:17) = The key to not letting our feelings (“heart”) move us to “envy sinners” (to worry that what they have we don’t or what they are experiencing, we aren’t) is to “continue in the fear of the Lord.”[2]
Why (else) fear of the Lord/constant awareness of a coming judgment is an important piece of true/legit repentance = Because it also causes us to not only live for God but also love/care about others (the goal of repentance) – including their moral/spiritual state (Lev 19:14 [“fear your God”: “I am the Lord”] – 17) = Verse 14 shows an appositional relationship between how God is using the phrase “fear your God” and “I am the Lord” (i.e. that the latter signals or communicates the former). As such every command that follows and carries this phrase (“I am the Lord”) is meant to communicate this as it cause – or means for carrying it out (“fear your God”). In light of what these specific commands are about, what we are being told is this: fear of God is what will cause us to not only live for God, but also love/care about others – including their moral/spiritual state (to not “curse” or be “partial”, nor be a “slanderer” but instead “reason w/him frankly” [regarding his moral/spiritual state], to “love him as [ourself]”); (2Co 5:9-11) = Notice three things: 1) Paul identifies “fear of the Lord” as the coming judgment where all deeds (good and bad) wb repaid (11 “Therefore knowing the fear of Lord” – i.e. knowing of this coming judgment [10“before the judgment seat of Christ”]), 2) this fear (or knowledge of this coming judgment) motivates (controls/causes) Paul to “please (Christ)” as his goal in living versus fulfilling the desires of his flesh of feelings (9 w/14-15 = What Paul called “the fear of the Lord” in v11, he now equates w/ or identifies as “the love of Christ” that “controls us” (i.e. causes us to do what we do). In this case, “live no longer for [self] but for him…who died and was raised.” (See also 7:1 ...
