"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)

"Many who speak to others of the need of a new heart do not themselves know what is meant by these words. The youth especially stumble over this phrase, "a new heart." They do not know what it means. They look for a special change to take place in their feelings. This they term conversion. Over this error thousands have stumbled to ruin, not understanding the expression, "Ye must be born again." Satan leads people to think that because they have felt a rapture of feeling they are converted. But their experience does not change. Their actions are the same as before. Their lives show no good fruit. They pray often and long, and are constantly referring to the feelings they had at such and such a time. But they do not live the new life. They are deceived. Their experience goes no deeper than feeling. They build upon the sand, and when adverse winds come their house is swept away." (EGW MYP 71)

Without the correct understanding of God's moral law they are not aware of the spiritual needs but only of the psychological ones and therefore they are satisfied by psychic sensations.

The experience of emotional excitement is called by them the experience of rebirth. The fruits of fanaticism are called by them the fruits of faith. Since their conscience is distorted (because of neglecting God's law) they are not able to see the difference between the holy and unholy, between the real love and fanaticism.

They are prone to justifiably condemn the fanaticism of the justification by works, the characteristic of traditional Christianity and by doing so to arouse the fanaticism caused by feelings:

"What are those cold formalistic prayers?! ... You count by your rosaries how many times you have directed a prayer of love to God! Do you, young man, count the kisses to your girl? Do you know at all what the love is? ... there is not a worth in your sole desire to be good, if you don't feel a love! You must experience God! You must feel Him deeply!"

To such men who are moved by a fanaticism caused by feelings, we can say:

"Your feeling of love means nothing! You should have love!"

Many do not understand that to feel love and to have love is not same. Biased goodness moved by feelings is possessed by some alcoholics while they are influenced by alcohol. Such love is possessed also by persons in love. However, the fruits of fanaticism differ from the fruits of love. A person in love, while under the influence of his or her fascination, does not take the characteristics of holiness: humiliation, patience and renouncing one's desires.

A sinful man can also feel love but cannot have it as well. We always meet people who sincerely feel love for themselves, while they, at the same time, smoke and drink. It shows to us that if we feel love for somebody it does not mean that we have it too.

In order that a man have love it is necessary for him to experience the change of what he is (his nature) and not what he feels.

The purpose of feeling is not to move us to goodness. It is the characteristic of liable persons only. We should be good not because we feel goodness but because we are good. Real goodness is a principle, founded on the communion with Christ and not on the feelings.

In psychology, love is considered to be an emotion. We make the difference now between the very emotion of love and the motive for love. When the emotion of love gets a role of a driving power then the fanaticism caused by feelings is in question.

An important feature of the mentioned kind of fanaticism is its non-enabling a man to obey the commandments of the moral Decalogue. Why? Because it is not the fruit of the conversion of heart - motives, but is based only on the conversion of the feelings. And converting of the feelings does not demand the renunciation of sins.

It is possible for a person in a state of emotional fascination to behave kindly and amiably but his obedience to God's commandments is merely formal and accidental. He or she will respect more the commandments the formal violation of which would spoil his or her feelings. But some commandments cannot be understood by him or her from his or her sentimental standpoint, as shall be seen in the following chapters.

We will show the difference between the real love and fanaticism caused by feelings analyzing a man's relationship with God (from the First to the Fourth commandment) and with a neighbour (from the Sixth to the Tenth commandment).

NEGLECTED LOVE FOR GOD

SPIRITUAL OR PSYCHIC PEACE

There exists an interesting phenomenon related to the Fourth God's commandment which tell us about the seventh day as the day of rest, devoted to God. A fanatic moved by feelings bases his relationship to God on the feelings, consequently on the psychic level. He strives every day to have psychic peace and blessings, and wonders why he or she ought to have it only every seventh day. The only difference between the day of rest - the Fourth commandment and other days is, according to some, physical rest and therefore they interpret the Fourth commandment as a sanitary commandment. However, why would a sanitary commandment be inserted into the moral Decalogue?

What is the problem of a sentimental fanatic?

He does not realize the difference between a spiritual and psychic rest. We should have a spiritual rest in Christ every day.

Of course, God did not ask the Jews to be faithful to him just one day weekly. When God consecrated and blessed the seventh day for the Eden couple, He also did not mean that they should be faithful to Him on that day only and have spiritual peace only then.

Differently from the spiritual peace, psychic peace does not depend on our relationship with God but on our relationship with the object the attention of our mind is paid to. Our work and creativeness during six working days demand the attention of our mind and determine our psychic experience. The seventh day is dedicated to God ("Holy Lord's day") and it represents the day -rest- from creative activities that demand the paying of attention of our soul and activity of our body.

A fanatic moved by feelings must have psychic peace every day for he does not know the experience of spiritual peace. He is burdened by psychic peace for he tries by it to suffocate his spiritual unrest. He often feels guilty because he has, by his work, forgotten God. Therefore he is burdened by the idea that he must always in his intellect and feelings maintain the idea of God, thinking otherwise that God has abandoned him. Since he determines his spiritual state on the basis of his psychic experience, it seems absurd to him that he should be in psychic peace every seventh day only, what is understood by him as if he should have the spiritual union with God on that day only.

THE NEGLECTED CATEGORY OF HOLINESS

Real godly love comprises the category of a principle, holiness and respect which a fanatic, stirred by his feelings, can neither understand nor give. That is why, to him, abiding to the day of rest of the Fourth Commandment of God, would represent a heavy burden. He considers those who celebrate the seventh day to be formalists. Why is that so? Because he would be a formalist himself if he, in the spiritual state he was in, tried to dedicate the holy day to God. He looks at himself and in that way discovers the absence of love in his heart. He is under the impression that God gave Sabbath to Jews in order to torture them by fanaticism and legalism and he wonders how could the prophet Isaiah call that day pleasure (Isaiah 58:13). The seventh day can be considered holy only by the one who is holy himself. That is why the Fourth commandment is the symbol of becoming sanctified (Ezekiel 20:12) and for those who are stirred by the feelings it is an almost ideal test of not being sanctified.

A fanatic stirred by feelings avoids quoting Biblical verses which reveal the holiness of God.

The categories of holiness and respect are neglected not only in doctrine, but in life as well.

So, at the their meeting for praying we can notice how one group of believers prays aloud while at the same time another group of believers talks with each other without the due respect for the holiness of the prayer.

When a man's heart is stirred by the prayer for forgiveness or by deep thankfulness, then it is joy and pleasure to express his spiritual attitude in a physical way too, of course, as much as the circumstances allow it. In all Biblical reports the one who prays kneels, except when, because of the concrete needs of the situation he stands or lies. However, a fanatic, because of the feelings, when he prays, mostly sits or sometimes stands.

The intonation of his voice, during the prayer, does not seem adequate with the conversation with another person; it looks more like a set up speech by which he tries to make God merciful and not like a conversation with the Creator of the Universe on whose heart lies the salvation of man.

A fanatic stirred by the sentimental feelings often cannot endure simple spiritual hymns. In fact, some demons by which they are possessed cannot endure it. Let us remember how an evil spirit left Saul while David played for him on his harp (1 Samuel 16:23). That is why the choice of music which the fanatic listens to rarely contains spiritual hymns. Spiritual music which he listens to most often sounds like popular music which appeals to the unconverted heart in which it quenches the thirst of its soul. It can have other forms too, but in any case it is at least the kind of music which reveals the character of godly love.

The bearers of the aforementioned fanaticism express their disrespect towards God in the way in which they sometimes, as they pray, mention God's name too frequently unnecessarily and in that way they openly break the Third Commandment of the moral code of God. Some of them prayed as if they tried to please God by frequently mentioning His name, they addressed to him with the endearing words that they would address to a kitty or a puppy.

In the home of God they often behave so unholy, in the way they would not behave in the presence of some earthly ruler (silly actions, dressing, ...).

We can also notice often how a fanatic, stirred by the feelings, treats God as if He were his "colleague":

"The two of you; Jesus and you; to start as you embrace Him, singing songs! ... Well, you have to give it to me ... I laugh at Him, He must make my wish come true, and I am enjoying myself!" (Dr. T.Ivancic, the seminar on Petrovaradin, 20.05.1989)

A fanatic has less respect than an average unbeliever. Why? Because the truth, when it does not sanctify, hardens the heart. Does a fanatic believe in the truth? Yes! But, to its call directed to the common sense he refuses to answer. He answers to the call directed to the feelings and in that way wages the battle on the wrong plan.

The misconception which is added to the truth in which such a fanatic believes, has a role to justify his system of pseudo-repentance and justification without Christ. It also justifies distorted representation of God's character (God's law), the purpose of which is to make excuse for the sinful and fanatic branches of faith. The effect of the misconception is such that it distorts both the function and representation of terms which are the subjects of truth.

A fanatic, stirred by the feelings, reads the Bible and other spiritual literature in the same way as many people read love stories, feeding on the emotions which he try to stir in himself. (That is why some parts of the Bible seem strange and boring because he does not succeed to fill this misuse with them.)

NEGLECTED LOVE TOWARDS A MAN

CHANGEABLE "GOODNESS" TOWARDS OUR NEIGHBOURS

The goodness of the ones who are stirred by the feelings is not constant. At one time they are kind to you and cry for joy because they met you and at some other time they are indifferent as if they did not know you. Behind their tender feelings, hearts of stone are hidden. They often seem like tender persons but the truth is that they are just sensitive.

Under the influence of negative circumstances they very easily and very often fall into psychological crisis which they wrongly call spiritual crisis, just as the spiritual state of a man depends on his relationship with his surroundings and not on his relationship with God. They very often justify their weaknesses by negative external influences.

That is how they realize that they are building their house in the sand (on their feelings), instead on the rock (on Christ); because of their unclear conscience they are constantly burdened by the proofs of God's acceptance. However, miracles and other sensations which follow their life, will not justify them on the Judgment Day. Jesus says:

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." (Matthew 7:22-28)

Because of the spiritual experience which is based on feelings, such person hardly understand why God allows innocent people to suffer; that is why such person often has to justify the phenomenon of suffering in his consciousness. To the one who builds on his feelings, the suffering represents also the crisis, which he has to justify before his conscience.

God often allows that the one who relies on his feelings experience strong temptations in order to become aware that his spirituality is based upon wrong foundations. But, a fanatic stirred by the feelings, instead of overcoming the temptations, most often just runs away from the temptations. When the Holy Ghost shakes his conscience and gives the testimonial of his real spiritual needs, he consider the testimonial to be the cause of his spiritual crisis.

The obtained testimonial about his hard state makes him try to suffocate it and hide it immediately, instead of admitting the wrong foundations and building the union with God "which not even the door of hell will overpower".

A fanatic moved by feelings, being unstable, hardly can take the Christian exile. That is why Satan does not raise false exiles, against these followers of his, because in that case the power of their deception will lose its power.

WRONG ROLE OF RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PEOPLE

The bearers of fanaticism out of emotions seek salvation from their feelings in each other, in tender sentimentality which is aroused by the spirit of Satan. Almost every selfish heart is overburdened by the need to feel loved and they misuse it. They mislead him to seek for salvation in the feeling of closeness and being loved. They are prone to the outlets of tenderness and closeness by which they charm their victims.

One female believer reveals the motives of coming to her religious communion: "Oh, I felt so lonely without you. I could not bear to be without you for so long, so I returned from my trip just to be with you!" (She returned after only three days of her trip!)

Another female believer, from the same community, used to tell me that she knew that her community did not accept the whole truth, but she could not leave it because of the good company she found in it. "I feel fine there!" she says and in that way shows her real motives for coming to her religious communion (selfishness).

A person who is stirred by real unselfish love does not attend the religious meetings in order to feel nice there, but to give love to those who need it most.

The search for salvation in the felling of closeness often induces these believers to overstep the limit of intimacy which is reserved only for one's spouse and in that way the bearers of the aforementioned fanaticism become prone to sins of prostitution (sexual intercourse before marriage) and adultery, which the Word of God condemns (1 Corinthians 6:18).

When special closeness, reserved only for the spouse, starts directing itself towards the members of the whole religious community and then towards the whole living and non-living world, then it is one of the Satan's imitations of the real love which is the characteristic of many "enlightened" representatives of meditation, so as of many "Spirit-enlightened" Christians.

Of course, the feelings of closeness can have the wrong role even when they are directed towards one person only.

The persons who seek salvation in the feeling of being loved and closeness are not ready to recognize the atmosphere of the real love of God. There is nothing which can arouse it in them and that is why it seems cold and uninspiring to them.

The sermons directed to common sense such persons comment with the words: "Oh, what a cold sermon! Without the Spirit!", not trying to explain why many believers listen to such cold sermons with joy, even with tears in their eyes. If cold words could not stir emotions in the hearts of the believers, they had aroused real, unselfish love for sure.

HEALTH GUARDIANSHIP AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CLEAN AND THE UNCLEAN

Is it truly possible to love other people with an honest and real love, and not to love ourselves at the same time - as we smoke, use alcohol, unhealthy food and show in other ways a lack of consideration for our own health?!

Can we truly be better toward others than toward ourselves?!

If we are moved by a real love toward our neighbor and ourselves, we will behave purposefully according to the our and others' well- being. Even if we do not know what God's word and His law speaks, we will take care of our and others' health. Through our own attitude we would make others enthusiastic about the principles of right living and healthy nutrition.

Goodness moved by feeling and not by a motive of love cannot induce man to keep health principles. Imagine how person in love, in the state of its amorous passion, is getting a tendency toward keeping the health advices, and giving up alcohol, smoking and unhealthy food? Through health counseling we cannot make happy a person driven by emotions-born fanaticism or some other non-reborn motives. To a selfish person is more important that the foods be tasty than healthy. Since such a person does not see God's love in health advices and he has not love himself, he feels the advices a burden. Such a person sees "God's love" just in satisfying selfish and self- righteous human motives. It was the lack of love that made the Jews of Christ's day overlooked the real sense of God's commandments, so that they observed them blindly and fanatically.

The lack of love induces the Christians of our days to overlook the real sense of God's commandments, so they do not observe them at all.

This phenomenon one can observe in the attitude of most Christians toward Bible rules of nutrition and life, that make distinction between the clean and the unclean (Leviticus 11). On the basis of the experience of Daniel the prophet we can see quite clearly that the purpose of the classification into clean and unclean is of a purely medical character:

"But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's rich food, or with the wine which he drank; therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. ...

Then Daniel asked the guard whom the palace master had appointed over Daniel: 'Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. ...'

So he agreed to this proposal and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king's rich food." (Daniel 1:8-15)

The persons that have not a true love for themselves are prone to see God's love and care for them as a burden. They are not able to understand the demands of divine love in a right way, explaining them through the principles of their own sinful and non-reborn heart. They say: "There is no need for observing the health advices from the Bible. God's mercy is enough to be saved!" So they are showing that their religious zeal is moved not by love, but by a selfish interest.

In an effort to justify their lack of love for their own and other's health, many Christians see the classification into clean and unclean food as abolished one on the cross of Calvary, and that Christ's sacrifice made all the unclean clean.

The belief that by his death on the cross Jesus abolished the classification into the clean and unclean caused disastrous pestilence in the world's population during the Middle Ages.

Because of the violation the Biblical principles of life and nutrition, the epidemics took millions of lives. At the same time, the Jews were accused of causing the epidemics because of them being non-touched by them, because of their observance the health principles of the Bible:

"The person who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, 'Unclean, unclean.' He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease, he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp." (Levitisuc 13:45-46)

Contrary to the principles of folk healing practices, whose solutions are symptomatic in their nature, the principle of the Bible revelation is a health prevention.

"If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you." (Exodus 15:26)

If establishing the classification of foods into clean and unclean was a source of blessings for Noah and the other generations that lived before Christ, why should not it be so for those after Christ?! If we believe God is love, do we not believe that He is interested in extending blessed advices about life and nutrition to man?

Do we find an abolition of health advices in the New Testament?

When at the first synod of the early Christian church the preaching of the Gospel to the gentiles was discussed, a question was emerged whether they would be expected to observe the customs and holy days bearing a national Jew character, as well as the rules of the ceremonial law having been abolished with its fulfillment on the cross.

If Christ's sacrifice really had abolished the classification into the clean and unclean, the apostolic synod would have had no any right to expect the gentiles to observe the rules belonging to the Moses' law of the clean and unclean. However, the synod's conclusion was that "you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and what is strangled and from fornication" (Acts 15:29).

If it is a sin to eat the strangled and the blood, it is certainly sinful to eat carrions, snakes, frogs, insects, shells, crabs, pork and all other kinds of unclean foods.

Those believing Jesus had abolished the Old Testament health laws are not consistent to their opinion. They avoid a physical contact with the people sick with serious and contagious diseases, do not eat carrions and insects and carnivores and observe many other Old Testament bans, although Jesus, as they say, "cleaned it all up" on the cross.

Why should Jesus have abolished the health commandments?

Because they are, allegedly, of a ceremonial nature. However, it is sufficient to look at Leviticus, chapter 11 and understand that in the classification of food into clean and unclean there not any allusions to the plan of salvation, nor it has any symbolic function, but only a literal one.

For instance, what elements of the plan of salvation is pointed to by the verse: "Any animal that has divided hoofs and is cleftfooted and chews the cud - such you may eat. But among those that chew the cud or have divided hoofs, you shall not eat." (Leviticus 11:3- 4)

Likewise, the Word of God tells us the following: "All winged insects that walk upon all fours are detestable to you. But among the winged insects that walk on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to leap on the ground." (Leviticus 11:20-21)

What allusion to the plan of salvation makes the commandment whereby certain animals are forbidden for food, and certain others are permitted, just because they "have jointed legs above their feet, with which to leap on the ground"?!

No one, for sure!

Instead of giving a reasonable explanation why Jesus should have abolished the sources of expected to put away the sources of health blessings, they confuse many people by a wrong interpretation of apostle Peter's vision:

"On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate..." (Acts 10:9-17)

Let us notice that if Jesus on the cross had really abolished that, as they describe it, "slavish law", the apostle would certainly have known about it three and a half years before the vision and he would have not stated:

"By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean." (Acts 10:14)

God would have not allowed the apostles, in the power of Pentecost, to preach some "yoke" of the abolished Law for three and a half years and then, on the basis of Peter's vision, to contradict themselves. The timing of that seeming "delay" of vision points to its real purpose. Daniel the prophet had foretold that three and a half years after abolishing the ceremonial law on Christ's cross the Gospel would be preached to the gentiles (Daniel 9:24-27).

Had the message of the vision with all kinds of unclean animals had the purpose of abolishing the biblical division to the clean and unclean, the apostle Peter would have had full right to challenge its inspiration, fearing not to bring upon himself a damnation of preaching differently from that which Jesus instructed him to. There is actually a principle here:

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema." (Galatians 1:8).

The apostle even exhibited his readiness to challenge the message of the vision when he exclaimed:

"By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean." (Acts 10:14)

But, realizing that the revelation did not imply food but the gentiles world, he was able to say of his own vision:

"But God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean." (Acts 10:28)

Now it is clear to us that Peter's vision with the sheet has not a purpose of bringing about some new light, but only to remind, at a right time, of the light revealed back in the Old Testament times.

AN IDEALISTIC IDEA ABOUT SIN

Through Isaiah the prophet God condemns the hypocritical members of God's chosen people who ate unclean food and at the same time cared not to desecrate themselves with a contact with other sinners, considering them to be unclean.

"I held out my hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and offering incense on bricks; who sit inside tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat swine's flesh, with broth of abominable things in their vessels; who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not came near me, for I am too holy for you.' These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all day long." (Isaiah 65:2-5)

It was for the gentiles, that were considered unclean by the Jews, that God said through Isaiah the prophet:

"I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me.

I said, 'Here I am, here I am,' to nation that did not call on my name." (Isaiah 65:1)

Let us notice that God condemns the Jews precisely for they "who eat swine's flesh, with broth of abominable things, in their vessels;" (Isaiah 65:4). Unclean conscience caused by their own sin resulted in a fear from desecration through a contact with other sinners. In the fear of desecration they also observed the ritual washing of hands before every meal, as some people today who by washing try to free themselves from the influence of a negative energy.

Many religious persons are characterized by an idealistic idea about sin, which see the source of sin and temptation in negative feelings.

In order to save themselves from temptation and sin they apply various religious rules and techniques; however, by avoiding negative external influences they remove not the sin itself from their hearts, but just an opportunity for its manifestation.

So the Pharisees thought that the source of sin must lie in physical contact with another sinner.

Because of the influence of a superficial idea about sin some Christians were confused over eating the food dedicated to pagan gods. Apostle Paul, in his answer, said:

"Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that 'no idol in the world really exists,' and that 'there is no God but one." Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth as in fact there are many gods and many lords yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 'Food will not bring us close to God.' We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if others see you, who posses knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. If your brother or sister is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died." (1 Cor.8:4-13)

"For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. ... I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean." (Romans 14:2- 3.15)

Even before that, Jesus condemned such an idealistic idea of sin, making it clear that a sin does not enter the heart, but comes out of it:

"And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." (Mark 7:14-23)

"These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." (Matthew 15:20)

So, neglecting the health, eating the unclean food, smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, do not provoke sin in man's heart, but reveal its presence.

TEMPTATION FOR THE HONEST

Under the influence of wrong teachings which are preached by the bearers of fanaticism out of emotions, many true believers become ruined because they are led to seek the proof of God's acceptance in emotions. Instead of trusting God, they build trust in themselves and their own being which is just a part of their positive feelings. When they lose their pleasant feelings they think that they are spiritual outcasts and in that way they show that they had not believed in God before but in themselves.

"Many make a serious mistake in their religious life by keeping the attention fixed upon their feelings and thus judging of their advancement or decline. Feelings are not a safe criterion. We are not to look within for evidence of our acceptance with God. We shall find there nothing but that which will discourage us. Our only hope is in "looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith." There is everything in Him to inspire with hope, with faith, and with courage. He is our righteousness, our consolation and rejoicing.

Those who look within for comfort will become weary and disappointed. A sense of our weakness and unworthiness should lead us with humility of heart to plead the atoning sacrifice of Christ. As we rely upon His merits we shall find rest and peace and joy. He saves to the uttermost all who come unto God by Him.

We need to trust in Jesus daily, hourly. He has promised that as our day is, our strength shall be. By His grace we may bear all the burdens of the present and perform its duties. But many are weighed down by the anticipation of future troubles. They are constantly seeking to bring tomorrow's burdens into today. Thus a large share of all their trials are imaginary. For these, Jesus has made no provision. He promises grace only for the day. He bids us not to burden ourselves with the cares and troubles of tomorrow; for "sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (EGW 5T 199)

DIFFERENT KINDS OF FANATICISM OUT OF EMOTIONS

Religion based on emotions we can also find in non-Christianity for example, in Sai Baba teaching.

Let us read about the experience of a journalist who went through "conversion" just by looking at Sai Baba:

"A strange thing happened to me then: all at once I felt absurdly happy, unable to suppress the roaring laughter while at the same time I as sure that I was on the verge of bursting out crying without control!"

DIFFERENT INTENSITIES

There are differences in the intensity of the feelings (peace and gazing, a smile and a look full of love, loud laughter and uncontrollable crying, delirious talk and body spasms, rolling over the floor with shivering and sweating of one's body, /which exist in Krishna's consciousness as an indicator of the realization of a higher level of spiritual development/).

According to Krishna's teaching, a guru (a spiritual teacher) achieved such a high level of spiritual development (he shrieked and rolled in mud) that he had to beg Krishna to lower him a little so that he could speak normally to people.

DIFFERENT ROLE

There are various kinds of fanaticism out of emotions. They are different from each other by their negative role: searching for the signs of God's acceptance in emotions, pleasing the longings of the heart, suffocation and suppressing the unsolved problem of guilt, the distorted representation of God's character, emotions as moving force for goodness, feeling as the criterion of the truth, pseudo-self-repentance out of emotions etc.

DIFFERENT KINDS

There are different kinds of fanaticism out of emotions, which depend on the kind of feelings which are aroused by the spirit of demon (sensationalism, excitement, being in love, paganism, idolatry, pity, unholy joy, the feeling of closeness, peace, happiness, nirvana, power, the experience of "eating the fruit of distinguishing good from evil" etc.).

PSEUDO-REPENTANCE OUT OF FEELINGS

A Christian woman was once called to take an urgently necessary medicament to her friend. She promised to take it to her friend during the day but the day passed quickly and she did not do what she had promised. When, during her evening prayer, she became aware of what she had (not) done, she burst out crying and conscience-smitten wept for forgiveness from her heavenly Father. She felt that God forgave her and with tears of thankfulness she ended her prayer and went to sleep.

The next day she decided to hurry and bring the medicament to her friend as soon as possible. But her temporary obligations led her to postpone going to her friend for later and later, so once again she did not do what she promised. She became aware of it only in the evening, again during the evening prayer.

She burst out crying bitterly because of her negligence. She could not understand herself because she really cherished true and strong feeling of love. That evening she prayed and with deep belief in salvation she went to bed.

The same story was repeated the next day and for a few more days, so not only until the fifth day did she manage to take the medicament to her friend. As she begged her friend in tears to forgive her because she was so late, she heard the answer:

"I forgive you. And whether God will forgive you too, I do not know!"

That answer shook her up. She got the feeling of not knowing what to think. She could forget it all but she decided to fight with herself and with God until she cleared up what she had done wrong. She realized soon that, with her pseudodecision, she had only been calming her conscience (Matthew 21:28-31).

As it was unpleasant to her to face the fact that she did not really want to leave her sins, she tried hard to excite her emotions while praying and reading the Bible. During that she was possessed by a demon and he was arousing a very pleasant and sublime feeling. She would often say: "Oh, Jesus, I love you so much! I love you so much!"

Deep in her soul she bore the impression that something was wrong but she would suffocate it by directing her attention to her internal feeling: "I know that God is with me! I can feel Him in me!" She was not satisfied by the simple faith but she needed the proof that she was with God. Later, as she was freeing herself from the influence of the power of Demon, in the light of the face of God she felt as if she were fighting against the slimy and ugly excitement "which suppressed her soul and which represented a blockade" in her relationship with God.

Let us notice that this believer was aware of her problem back in the evening of the first day, but she was not aware of the depth of her problem, only of its symptoms. Many people who were aroused by the fanaticism out of feelings know that they have serious spiritual problems but do not want to become aware of the depth of it, and in that way solve it in its essence. They drink from a poisonous spring and make up fanatical branches of faith which later they try to control themselves according to their rational assurance about their own sin but without a radical change of their spiritual state.

At the moments of a higher level of sobriety they act like alcoholics who, after the phase of drunkenness, when they have headaches and hangover, take a smaller amount of alcohol in order to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of their drunkenness.

Just like the alcoholics, they do not see the problem (not even the solution of it) deeper than their own intentions and feelings. That is actually why they dispute the role of reason and the significance of teaching which would lead them to raise the higher referential point of their experience before themselves and in that way become aware of their spiritual and not only psychological (selfish) needs.

The law was given to them that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful (Romans 7:13). The law was given to us so that we can understand that sin is bad itself and not only because of its manifestations on the level of feelings.

In the light of the law of God, we understand the whole weight of sinfulness of our own nature and in that way become aware of the need to accept the offered hand of God's blessing completely. In a closer communion with Christ, the sin becomes strange and loathed and in that way, because of the acceptance of the big blessing - we stand solidly on the eternal Rock, resisting the strongest of the temptations.