Editorial by Pastor Larry Frazier
At some point in time after making their first confession of faith, I wonder how many people have said, “I don’t feel renewed, or different for that matter.” The good news is that God’s work does not depend upon, nor necessarily produce, emotional feelings within you.
God’s initial work in you goes by many names, such as renewal, regeneration, rebirth, saved, and being born again. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). God’s act of renewing a person is a spiritual thing, not physical. This action involves God producing faith within you, changing you, and giving you a different way to work. By way of an imperfect example, think of us for a moment as computers. People are like new computers without software or older ones that already have an operating system. Without the proper software, a computer is not useful at all and will not perform correctly. Just as computers need regular software updates, so God has to give us regular faith-strengthening.
Problems at home, work, school, in the nation, around the world, and in our relationships can pick at our spiritual well-being and wear down our faith. We are prey to an unbelieving world and sometimes forget the strength given to us in our regeneration. Sometimes church members come to their pastors and ask to be baptized again because they don’t feel renewed and empowered. Pastors must remind them, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:6).
God has given us examples in His word of how believers can sometimes experience doubt and weakened faith. The father of the boy stricken by an evil spirit came to Jesus for help, saying, “I do believe; help me to overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). At the death of her brother Lazarus, Martha, feeling let down, said to Jesus, “If You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). Paul the Apostle acknowledged his weakness and sin, saying, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do…What a wretched man I am!” (Romans 7:15, 24).
Our emotions, feelings, and actions come and go like tides in the ocean. Be glad that our salvation is not tied to such changing 
things. The words of the Psalmist are comforting: “If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness” (Psalm 130:3, 4). If you don’t know Jesus, He desires you to be part of His spiritual family: “And it shall come to pass that whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL • BE • SAVED” (Acts 2:21). And if you are already a child of God, you are a NEW creation. Don’t let your emotions and feelings deceive you. Jesus has told His spiritual brothers and sisters all they need to know, saying, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
