Feelings
A Sermon on 2 Timothy 1:6
Scripture
6Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
Sermon Description
In one’s fight against depression, a person must deal with an incredible power: their feelings. In this sermon on 2 Timothy 1:6 titled “Feelings,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones deals with the problem of feelings in the Christian life. Everybody wants to be happy. The problem is that no one can make themselves happy. The human is not a master of self and cannot produce feeling. Try as hard as one might, a person cannot generate true emotions. One’s feelings are dependent on factors seemingly outside of one’s control. As a matter of fact, feelings seek to control the person. The world refers to this as a mood. A person controlled by their feelings may be referred to as a “moody” individual. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the Christian need not be controlled by their feelings. While feelings come and go, there is a great difference between rejoicing and feeling happy. Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls his listener to seek not happiness, but righteousness. The person seeking happiness will never find it. However, seeking after righteousness, the believer often discovers they are happy. The listener is encouraged to discover that Christians are called to seek Jesus Christ above all, and in Him is found lasting joy.
Sermon Breakdown
- The scripture verse being discussed is 2 Timothy 1:6 which exhorts Timothy to "stir up the gift of God" within him.
- The overall topic of the sermon series is "spiritual depression" and how to diagnose and treat it.
- Everyone desires to be happy, but happiness depends on many factors like temperament, physical condition, etc. Our feelings tend to be variable and unstable.
- The greatest danger is allowing our changeable feelings to control and dominate us. We must not be ruled by our feelings and moods.
- Our feelings should be engaged as Christians, but we cannot directly create or generate feelings within ourselves through our will or effort.
- There is nothing quite as variable as our feelings which depend on many factors like temperament, physical condition, circumstances, etc.
- We must not doubt our Christianity just because we lack a particular feeling or experience that others testify to. There are many reasons for variations in feelings.
- We must recognize the difference between rejoicing and feeling happy. We are commanded to rejoice in the Lord, but we cannot directly make ourselves feel happy. Happiness depends on circumstances, but rejoicing is a choice.
- The key is learning to "stir up the gift" - we must speak to ourselves and our feelings, not let our feelings speak to and dominate us. We must rouse ourselves from dullness and melancholy through effort and action.
- To find joy and happiness, we must seek righteousness and the Lord Jesus Christ himself - not thrills, experiences or good feelings. Seeking him leads to joy, peace and happiness as a byproduct.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers About Spiritual Depression from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon
What is the main Bible verse that Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on in this sermon about spiritual depression?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on 2 Timothy 1:6: "Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." His emphasis is particularly on the exhortation to "stir up the gift" as it relates to overcoming spiritual depression.
According to Lloyd-Jones, why are the terms "miserable Christian" or "spiritual depression" contradictory?
Lloyd-Jones explains that these terms are incompatibles that should not go together because Christians should be characterized by joy. However, he acknowledges that these contradictory conditions do exist in reality. He states, "Miserable Christian. It should be impossible, but actually it's a fact. Spiritual depression, there shouldn't be such a thing. But there is such a thing."
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the primary reason people outside the church are not drawn to Christianity?
Lloyd-Jones makes a bold claim that "the thing above everything else that accounts for the fact that the masses of the people are outside the Christian church today is the condition of those of us who are inside the church." He argues that the depressed and joyless state of Christians is a powerful deterrent to non-believers, as the world judges God and Christ by what they see in Christians.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between temperament and spiritual depression?
Lloyd-Jones explains that even after conversion, our fundamental personality is not changed. He states, "Though we are converted and regenerated, our fundamental personality is not changed. So that the person who was more given to depression than another person before conversion will still have to fight that after conversion." He emphasizes that while our temperaments remain, we should not allow them to rule us.
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the primary problem with feelings in the Christian life?
The primary problem is "the danger of being controlled by our feelings." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that feelings should never take the first place or be central in the Christian life. When feelings become central, he says we're "doing something that's unnatural" and "violating the order that God himself has established."
What practical advice does Lloyd-Jones give for dealing with spiritual depression related to feelings?
Lloyd-Jones offers several practical steps: 1. Make sure there is no unconfessed sin causing your depression 2. Avoid concentrating too much on your feelings or making them central 3. Recognize the difference between rejoicing and feeling happy 4. Learn to "stir yourself up" and speak to yourself rather than letting yourself speak to you 5. Seek righteousness rather than happiness 6. Go directly to Christ rather than focusing on your condition
What is the difference between rejoicing and feeling happy according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones makes a crucial distinction: "There is all the world of difference between rejoicing and feeling happy. The scriptures tell us that we should always rejoice... Happiness is something within ourselves. Rejoicing is in the Lord." He explains that you can't make yourself feel happy, but you can make yourself rejoice in the Lord regardless of circumstances.
How should Christians handle their variable feelings according to the sermon?
Lloyd-Jones advises Christians to "stir up the gift" by speaking to themselves rather than letting their moods control them. He says, "Don't let yourself, which works on your feelings, speak to you. You speak to yourself and stir up the gift, remind yourself of certain things and you must talk to your feelings." Christians should actively reject domination by their feelings and actively take steps to overcome negative moods.
What does Lloyd-Jones say is the correct path to true happiness?
Lloyd-Jones says the path to happiness is not to seek happiness directly but to seek righteousness: "Blessed, truly happy are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, not after happiness. Don't go seeking thrills. Don't go seeking happiness. Seek righteousness, and as certainly as you do so you shall be blessed. You will be filled. You will get the happiness. Seek the happiness. You'll never find it."
What is Lloyd-Jones' final advice for those struggling with spiritual depression?
His final advice is to seek Christ Himself: "If you find your feelings are black and dark and depressive, don't sit down and commiserate with yourself. Don't try and work up something... Go directly to him." He concludes that if you seek and find the Lord Jesus Christ, "there's no need to worry about your happiness and your joy. It is joy itself. It is happiness, it is peace, it is love, it is everything."
Spiritual Depression
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.