Program 200: It’s not a sin to be human!

Believers sometimes act as though certain emotions and reactions are a sin, but Yahuwah created us to have these emotions!

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: It’s not a sin to be human!

Miles Robey: Hello! I’m Miles Robey and you’re listening to WLC Radio.

I was recently reading through a collection of quotes about Yahuwah’s love for sinners. It was beautiful; it was faith inspiring. It just melts your heart, you know? To see that kind of love.

Well, two of the quotes really stood out at me. They were both attributed to Saint Augustine. One said, “[Yahuwah] loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” And that’s beautiful! It’s Yahuwah’s love for each one of us as individuals that draws our hearts to Him. The next quote said, “[Yahuwah’s] love is unconditional. Be sure that yours is, too!”

I got to thinking about that quote. I hate to say this, but some of the most judgmental, critical, fault-finding people you could ever wish to not meet are … Christians! Out of everyone in the world, believers should be the most loving, the most kind, and the least judgmental and yet, sadly, that’s often not the case. I asked Dave Wright about this. Why are believers too often the most judgmental rather than the least? We even claim it’s out of love, but it’s still being judgmental, and fault-finding, and his answer took me by surprise. He said, “We get this idea that somehow it’s a sin to be human.”

I wasn’t sure what he meant at first, but he explained that often Christians believe that some very basic elements of humanity are sinful. Even the most basic human emotions of anger, or depression, or sadness, we often get the idea that feeling those is somehow a sin but he claims it’s not. I’ve asked him to talk about that today and then later, Elise O’Brien has another faith-inspiring true story with today’s Daily Promise.

Dave? Why would you say that anger isn’t a sin?

Dave Wright: Well, first, because it’s just not. But before we get into that, I want to go back to that quote you shared. The second one. Would you read that again for us? The one about Yahuwah’s love being unconditional?

Miles: Yeah, sure. It says, ““[Yahuwah’s] love is unconditional. Be sure that yours is, too!”

Dave: This is touching on a very important point. When we understand this point, we can suddenly see one of Satan’s most subtle ways to separate believers from Yahuwah.

Now, we all know that Yahuwah loves us. His love is unconditional. But is our love unconditional? Do we love others as ourselves?

Miles: We like to say we do but you look at how too many of us treat others and we probably don’t, do we?

Dave: Well … I think we do love others as ourselves. I think everyone does. And that’s the problem, because if you don’t love yourself, if you loathe yourself, that attitude is going to seep out onto how you feel about and treat others.

We all know what Christians should be. Christians should be kind, loving, understanding, polite, forgiving, compassionate, joyful—

Miles: Basically, like Yahushua.

Dave: Exactly. But if our inner emotions are filled with loathing, even if those feelings are aimed at ourselves, is it even possible to be loving, compassionate, kind, patient, joyful and forgiving to others?

Miles: Hmmm …

It would be rather difficult, wouldn’t it?

Dave: Yahushua talked about this. Let’s read it. Luke chapter 6, verses 43 to 45. Would you read that for us, please?

Miles: All right. It says:

For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Dave: If our hearts are filled with a spirit of criticism—even if it’s directed at ourselves—how can we be kind and loving and accepting of others the way Yahushua was? Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. If our inner thoughts are not thoughts of compassion, we’re not going to have compassion, grace, mercy, and kindness to give to others.

Miles: Yeah, but that’s … others. I mean, we’re sinners. I’m a sinner; you’re a sinner. Isn’t it edging over into pride to love ourselves?

Dave: Aw, you’ve put your finger right on the very heart of the problem and that is this subconscious idea that in order to be repentant sinners we must hate ourselves.

I’m here to tell you that that is one of the most subtle but effective lies of Satan. You’re right: we’re all sinners and we’ll continue to be sinners, we’ll continue to make mistakes and stumble into sin so long as we have fallen natures.

What does Romans 8:7 tell us? “The carnal mind is—”

Miles: “The carnal mind is enmity against [Yah]; for it is not subject to the law of [Yahuwah], nor indeed can be.”

Dave: Nor. Indeed. Can. Be.

It’s not that the repentant heart doesn’t want to be. Paul describes that struggle well when he says, “What I want to do, I don’t do. But what I don’t want to do, that I do!” So there’s this conflict in the heart of every believer. It’s due to our fallen natures and that conflict will remain until we are gifted with higher natures.

But this is where Satan has gained a lot of ground and we haven’t even recognized it. And that is the over-use of guilt.

Miles: What do you mean by that?

Dave: Well, guilt, in and of itself, isn’t a bad thing. Grab your dictionary there and read us the definition of guilt.

Miles: All right, uh … “The fact of being responsible for the commission of an offense; moral culpability. . . Responsibility for a mistake or error.”

Dave: That’s good. Another dictionary says that guilt is “a feeling of anxiety or unhappiness that you have done something immoral or wrong, such as causing harm to another person.”

So, again. Guilt, in and of itself, isn’t a bad thing. Being able to feel guilt is what separates us from psychopaths. But Satan comes in and magnifies our natural feelings of guilt.

Look: we’re sinners. We’ve got fallen natures. We know it and yet we long to be like Yahuwah who is holy, pure, and perfect. Right?

Miles: Absolutely. We compare ourselves to Yahuwah and we see just how sinful we are.

Dave: We’re going to feel guilty and we should … for when we actually do something wrong. But Satan takes those feelings of guilt and magnifies them and that’s where the problem comes in. Because when we’re feeling guilty one of two things is going to happen.

First, we’re going to feel shame. Now, shame is not the same thing as guilt. It’s a step beyond guilt. It’s closely related, but it’s not the same thing.

Here. I printed off the definition of shame. Would you read that for us, please?

Miles: Um … “A pervasive, negative emotional state, usually originating in childhood, marked by chronic self-reproach and a sense of personal failure.”

Dave: When you feel shame, do you want to be around the person you feel you’ve wronged? Or do you find yourself avoiding them?

Miles: Oh, avoiding them. Absolutely!

Dave: That’s one of the ways Satan tries to drive us away from Yah. But you’re not going to get any better, you’re not going to improve away from Him, are you?

Miles: No.

Dave: It’s only in going to Yahuwah, in trusting in His love and kindness, His forgiveness, that any of us have any hope. But shame destroys faith. That’s why shame—or an over-abundance of guilt—more than any other emotion, is what Satan presses down on us.

Turn to Zechariah chapter 3. Zechariah was given a very interesting vision. Now the high priest at that time was named Joshua. In Bible times, more than one person used the same name just as in modern times.

I want you to start with verse 1 and let’s see what’s happening in this vision Zechariah was given of the high priest, Joshua.

Miles:

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Yahuwah, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. Yahuwah said to Satan, “Yahuwah rebuke you, Satan! Yahuwah, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”

Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. [Zechariah 3:1-3]

Dave: This is a courtroom setting. Satan is standing there to accuse Joshua who, as the high priest, is bearing the sins of the people, symbolized by the filthy clothes he’s wearing. Joshua is filled with shame as Satan accuses him but what does Yahuwah do?

Now this is Yahuwah Himself. Zechariah says so. What does He say to Satan? Verse 2.

Miles: “Yahuwah said to Satan, ‘Yahuwah rebuke you, Satan! Yahuwah, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?’”

Dave: Satan is the accuser and one of his most effective tools is to get us accusing ourselves, being filled with shame, because then our faith stumbles and we stay away from Yahuwah.

And this brings me to my next point. The human mind can’t dwell forever in a state of self-hatred. We have to, by some means or another, make ourselves feel better. So, when we’re filled with self-loathing, what do we do?

Miles: We try to make ourselves feel better.

Dave: And the easiest, fastest way to do that is to criticize and find fault with others.

Turn to Revelation 12 and read verses 9 and 10. This is a fascinating description of Satan and his work.

Miles:

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Dave: Yahuwah is our God, our Elohim. And what does Satan do?

Miles: He accuses us before Yah day and night.

Dave: And when we find fault with others, we unwittingly join forces with Satan. We speak his words and do his work. I don’t care how you spin it, when you find fault and criticize others, you are doing Satan’s work.

Some people call it loving the sinner but hating the sin. They go out of their way to say, “I love you, it’s what you’re doing that I hate.” But that’s still fault finding. It’s still judging someone else.

Miles: Aren’t we supposed to share when a brother wrongs us, though? Remember, if they don’t listen, we’re to tell it to the church, and if they still don’t listen, then keep your distance?

Dave: I’m glad you brought that up. Yes, that passage, which is found in Matthew 18, is used by many believers as justification for shunning or withdrawing from others they feel compelled to denounce as sinners. But let’s read it in context. When you look at it in context, it’s saying something very different. Matthew 18—what verses is it? I don’t know.

Miles: Uhhh … verses 15 to 17. It says:

If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Dave: So now the question is, how did Yahushua teach us to treat pagans and tax collectors? Luke 15, verses 1 and 2.

Miles: “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Yahushua. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, ‘This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’”

Dave: This is how we’re to treat those with whom we disagree or who we feel are stumbling—or even wallowing—in sin. We are to be kind to them just like Yahushua was. We’re to welcome them, not judge them and shun them. That’s what the Pharisees did and what they criticized Yahushua for not doing.

But can anyone get better away from Yahuwah?

Miles: No!

Dave: It’s only by treating them with love and kindness—just like Yahushua did—that any souls are drawn to Yahuwah.

Too often, though, in an attempt to make our shame-filled selves feel better about ourselves, we find fault with those around us.

• Look at what she is wearing!
• Look at what he’s eating!
• Look at what they let their kids do, watch, read, listen to … whatever.

Miles: Like you’ve said before, it’s not our job to convict of sin. It’s the spirit of Yah’s job.

Dave: Exactly. We can’t read the heart, only Yahuwah can.

Turn to Revelation 7. This is where it’s talking about 12,000 being sealed from each of the 12 tribes. There’s a very interesting little detail here in verse 8 I’d like you to read. Revelation 7 verse 8.

Miles: “Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.”

… Well, that’s weird.

Dave: Did you catch it?

Miles: Yeah. It talks about the tribe of Joseph. There was no tribe of Joseph. He got a double inheritance through his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.

Dave: There was no tribe of Joseph in Israel, but here in Revelation there is. That’s how you still have 144,000 with 12,000 sealed from each of the 12 tribes. One tribe is missing and that’s the tribe of Dan.

Jacob knew the characters of his sons and his knowledge is reflected in what he said about each one while on his death bed. Turn to Genesis 49 and let’s read what he had to say about Dan. It’s in verse, uh … 17.

Miles:

Dan will be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that its rider tumbles backward.

Dave: To put it in modern parlance, Dan is a back-biter. He waits until the horse and rider are past then bites at the horse’s heels. He’s a back-biter; a criticizer. He finds fault with others and judges them.

Dan wasn’t the only brother with faults but what’s interesting is that, in the final tally in Revelation, he’s the one tribe that was lost because of this character trait of judging and finding fault, of back biting and back-stabbing others.

Miles: Wow.

Dave: There is a real danger among Christians to fall into this camp.

See, when I find fault with you whether it’s how you dress, or eat, or spend your time or money, then I can make myself feel better about my chances of being saved. After all, I’m not as bad off as this poor slob! My chances are pretty good compared to him!

Miles: Hey!

Dave: You see what I’m saying.

Miles: Yeah, I do. I’ve noticed it, too. And sadly, the more conservative the Christian, the more this tendency to judge others raises its ugly head. And they’re really sincere, too! They want to be like Christ! They want to honor Yahuwah. And yet they can be some of the most critical, judgmental, fault-finding people around! Why do you suppose that is?

Dave: When you start to grasp how pure and holy Yahuwah is, it’s brought home to you how sinful you are. But instead of responding with gratitude that we are loved with an infinite love anyway, we start to focus, however subconsciously, on what we can do to become more like Yah.

Maybe we decide if being a vegetarian is good, becoming a vegan is better.

If wearing dresses is good, wearing “caped” dresses is better.

If not watching movies is good, not reading novels, not playing games, not telling jokes, not laughing is better.

And all of a sudden you start noticing everyone around you who are still doing all the things you used to do but now which you’re abstaining from. And it makes you feel pretty good about yourself.

Miles: And just that fast, you’ve slipped into salvation by works.

Dave: Exactly. I know we’ve got to take a quick break, but when we come back, I want to talk about a few areas that Satan is making a sneak attack, imposing a really heavy burden on believers.

Miles: Okay, we’ll be right back.

* * *

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* * *Part 2: It’s not a sin to be human!

Dave: The Bible has been described as Yahuwah’s love letter to sinners. Would you please turn to Jeremiah 31 and read verse 3 for us?

This sums up Yahuwah’s attitude toward us more than any other single verse of the Bible. Jeremiah 31 verse 3.

Miles: “Yahuwah hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

Dave: This is Yahuwah’s disposition toward sinners. This is how much He loves you. The devil knows this and so he tries to drive us away from Yahuwah through too much guilt which he then turns into self-loathing and shame.

I’d like to talk now about three emotions—very human emotions—that Satan uses to make us feel shame, to kill our faith, and drive us away from the Father. The first one is anger. What are your thoughts on anger?

Miles: Well, I’d say it’s a sin. I know Scripture speaks of Yahuwah experiencing anger, but He’s holy. His anger is righteous.

Dave: And human anger isn’t?

Miles: Well, no. I mean, I don’t think so. Can it be?

Dave: This might surprise you, but anger isn’t a sin. If it were, Yahuwah wouldn’t experience it.

Miles: Yeah, but … come on. He’s holy. I know I’m not and I know for sure that you’re not!

Dave: My wife would agree with you.

Turn to Deuteronomy 9 and read verse 8, please.

Miles: “Also in Horeb you provoked Yahuwah to wrath, so that Yahuwah was angry enough with you to have destroyed you.”

Dave: Still sound holy?

You look uncomfortable.

Miles: Yeah, I am. I’m used to feeling that anger is a sin except when Yah feels it.

Dave: A lot of people feel that way, but it’s a mistake. This is a lie Satan uses to make us feel shame, to destroy our faith, and to drive us away from Yah.

Anger is a very human emotion. It can also be a very divine emotion. The emotion itself isn’t a sin, it’s what we do with it that becomes a sin.

There’s a quote here I’d like you to read by Jim Butcher. Would you read that please?

Miles: “Anger is just anger. It isn't good. It isn't bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters. It's like anything else. You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice."

Dave: Most of us don’t like to feel angry. Anger is what we call a “negative emotion,” but the truth is that anger can be a very righteous reaction to injustice. It’s the still small voice saying, “This is wrong.”

Case in point: Back in June of 2012, a man by the name of Jesus Mora Flores was beaten to death in Texas in the United States. The man who killed him, beat him to death with his bare hands.

Miles: That’s terrible.

Dave: It sounds that way, doesn’t it? But what if I told you that the man who beat Flores to death had just caught Flores raping his five-year-old little girl?

Changes things, doesn’t it?

Miles: Absolutely! Besides protecting his child, you could say the father was exacting justice. Did they file charges against the man who killed him?

Dave: Actually, no. Locals described the father as a very peaceful man, and it was clear from what he told police that he hadn’t actually meant to kill Flores.

My point isn’t to focus on the fact that he accidentally killed his child’s rapist. The point is that he got angry and, based on the provocation, his anger was justified. Again, anger can be a very righteous reaction to injustice.

Scripture is full of references to Yahuwah’s anger. Here are just a few of them. Would you read those, please, and tell us where they’re found?

Miles: Let’s see …

2 Kings 17 verse 18 says: “So Yahuwah was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left.”

Psalm 78:59: “When Elohim heard this, He was furious, and greatly abhorred Israel.”

And Numbers 32:13: “So Yahuwah’s anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone.”

Dave: And for those that say, “Oh, that’s the Old Testament God,” let me assure you there are plenty of places in the New Testament that also discuss the wrath of Yah. What does Revelation 18 say? You don’t even need to look it up. We’ve talked about it enough before. What does it say?

Miles: Um, “Go out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues”? [Verse 4]

“For her sins are come up into heaven, and [Yah] hath remembered her iniquities”? [Verse 5]

Uhhh … “Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is [Yahuwah Elohim] who judges her.” [Verse 8]

Dave: Hm. Okay. So it doesn’t actually use the word “wrath” there. But we all know that’s what it’s talking about: “the day of the Lord.”

Try Revelation 6. Read from verse … um … start at verse 14.

Miles:

Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” [Revelation 6:14-17]

Dave: This is when Yahuwah exercises justice in the earth. Now, this is where we can draw a line between divine anger and human anger. Because Yahuwah has the ability to be perfectly just, when He punishes, it is complete and utter justice. When we act out in anger, it crosses the line.

We tend to view anger as a “negative” emotion but as we’ve seen it’s also both a divine emotion as well as a human emotion. Always remember that we were created in the divine image, and we were created to have emotions.

Miles: All right, but let’s not skim too quickly past anger that crosses that line. Because there is a difference. You’ve got to admit, not all anger is righteous. I mean, men who hit their wives, women who let loose, screaming at their husband or their kids in anger, uh … road rage. Someone cuts you off in traffic and you get angry, flipping them off and cursing them out.

Dave: The difference between anger that is not a sin and anger that is, is entirely dependent on what you do with that anger. Do you feel the emotion and let it flow past? Or do you react: hit your wife, slap your kid, kick the dog, swear at that driver who cut you off in rush hour traffic?

Marcus Aurelius, who was Roman emperor in the mid to late second century CE said, quote: “How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.”

Miles: Hmm. Wise words.

Dave: Anger crosses the line into sin when you use it as justification to hurt another. I printed off a quote here from the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. I thought he had an interesting insight into anger that is harmful. Go ahead.

Miles: I just want to add, for those who may be wondering why Dave quotes from some of the people he does, WLC believes that no one has 100% truth or 100% error. If we held out for someone that had no error whatsoever, we’d lose out on a lot of valuable insight. Yahuwah takes us all where we are.

Dave: Thanks, Miles. That’s right: take what’s good and lay aside the rest.

Miles: Okay, uh, Aristotle said, quote: “Anybody can become angry — that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way — that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.”

Hm. That is insightful. Basically he’s spelling out the difference in Yahuwah’s righteous actions versus our lashing out.

Dave: Right. But the emotion itself, again, is not a sin. Anger becomes sin when it leaves the realm of emotions and enters the realm of action, causing harm to another.

Let’s take a look at Isaiah 42. This is a prophecy of the Messiah and it’s spelling out what his work will be. Read the first four verses of Isaiah 42.

Miles: Okay, uh … it says:

Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
He will not cry out, nor raise his voice,
Nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed he will not break,
And smoking flax he will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till he has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for his law.

Dave: I want you to notice that the Savior’s work is tied to justice. He is to establish justice in the earth. And in doing this notice how he does it: “A bruised reed he will not break.” In other words, a reed that’s been damaged, that’s bruised and hurting, he won’t destroy by breaking. A piece of flax, or a candle. We don’t use flax tapers today. A candle that’s sputtering and smoldering, struggling to stay alight, he won’t snuff out.

Now, I’m going to go off on what sounds like a bit of a tangent here, but stay with me. Let’s talk about causes of anger. Yes, as we’ve already discussed, injustice. But there are other causes of anger. There are mood disorders, unresolved trauma, often from abusive childhoods. There’s PTSD.

Miles: Hormonal imbalances.

Dave: That, too. All of these can cause anger. Now, Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah tells us right there that he would be kind, understanding, sympathetic and compassionate. All the things that Yahuwah is.

But then Satan comes along and he’s just the opposite. He presses down on us feelings of guilt and shame. “Oh, you got angry, huh? What a sinner you are! What a horrible thing to … feel!”

You may not have cursed out the driver that cut you off in rush hour traffic, but Satan’s right there to press down on you feelings of shame and guilt for even feeling the emotions … even if those very human emotions never crossed over into harming someone else!

Miles: That’s true. Satan’s very good at that.

Dave: And what if those feelings of anger are due to a hormonal imbalance, or PTSD, or some other unresolved trauma being triggered. Yahushua may not snuff out a smoldering flax but the devil sure will, and his most effective way is getting us to do it to ourselves. Feeling guilt and shame that drives us away from Yahuwah. He wants to get us feeling so awful, so guilty, that in some desperate attempt to make ourselves feel better, we’ll start looking around and criticizing those about us.

Don’t fall into that trap. Don’t castigate yourself for feeling human emotions. After all, you were created to be human!

* * *

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* * *Part 3: It’s not a sin to be human!

Miles: You said there were several emotions Satan gets us feeling shame and guilt for experiencing. We talked about anger. What else?

Dave: Depression and sadness. Now, they’re not identical but there is some overlap.

Miles: Sure. Depressed people are sad, but not all sad people are depressed.

Dave: Right. You can be sad that Liverpool lost to Manchester, but you’re unlikely to be depressed about it.

Miles: Don’t you mean the other way around? Manchester lost to Liverpool?

Dave: No, because Manchester never loses to Liverpool.

Anyway, you get my point. Sadness can deepen into depression if it lasts long enough, but not all sadness is due to depression. Let’s talk about depression first.

Depression is another common human emotion and one that Satan can use to drive us away from Yahuwah. Depression often goes hand-in-glove with shame or self-loathing, so you can see how Satan takes advantage.

Miles: Oh, sure. As Christians, we know the tremendous blessings Yahuwah has poured out on us, so it can be easy to pile feelings of guilt on top of feelings of depression. I’ve heard preachers say, “Christians should be the happiest people around!” But the way they say it is almost as though they’re scolding you for not being happy. You know what I mean?

Dave: I do, I’ve noticed that, too. But as we’ve seen, Satan uses feelings of guilt and shame to drive us from Yahuwah. Especially if we’re struggling with depression, he makes us feel unworthy to come to Christ. But let me ask you: did Yahushua ever turn away anyone who came to him for help?

Miles: Never.

Dave: And because Yahushua came to reveal the Father to us, we can know that Yahuwah will never turn away anyone who comes to Him for help, either.

Turn to Matthew chapter 11 and read verses 28 and 29 for us. Even though this statement was made by Yahushua, as you read, I want you to envision the Father saying this to you, because Yahushua came to reveal to us the Father, to speak His words.

You have it?

Go ahead.

Miles: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Dave: This promise is very broad. It doesn’t matter why you’re laboring or heavy laden. The invitation is there: come to him and he will give you rest.

Miles: I really like this. Often, among people who don’t struggle with depression, there’s this idea that a person with depression could overcome it if he just tried hard enough. Or, if she just chose to be happy, she could be. Mental health by will power.

Dave: I know. I’ve encountered that attitude, too. And if anyone listening secretly feels that way, let me just say: Stop it! That’s placing an unnecessary burden on the person struggling with depression. It’s saying, “It’s your own fault you’re depressed because if you really wanted to be happy, you would be.”

Does that sound like something Yahushua would ever, in a million years, say to anyone?

Miles: No! That’s breaking a bruised reed and quenching a smoking flax.

Dave: Like anger, depression is a negative emotion but also like anger, it’s not, in and of itself, a sin. It’s just an emotion. There were a lot of people in Scripture who suffered from depression.

Miles: I’ve heard it speculated that David was manic-depressive.

Dave: Well, whether he was or not, he certainly did struggle with depression. And yet the Bible calls him a man after Yah’s own heart.

Now, he wasn’t perfect by any means.

• He was a known liar. One of the lies he told led to the deaths of all the priests of Nob and their families. They were just slaughtered, and even though Saul ordered it, David’s lying to the high priest was the cause of it.
• In one instance, he pretended to be insane, not trusting Yahuwah to protect him.
• He numbered Israel, a sin that resulted in the deaths of 70,000 men in Israel.
• He was a polygamist and an adulterer.
• He coveted another man’s wife, arranged to have the man killed, then stole his wife.

Miles: Yahuwah Himself called David a “man of blood” from his youth.

Dave: And yet depression, which David clearly struggled with at times, was not counted as one of his sins.

Turn to Psalm 77. This is just one of many the psalms of David. Start with verse 1.

Miles:

I cried out to Elohim for help;
I cried out to Elohim to hear me.
When I was in distress, I sought Yahuwah
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
… I was too troubled to speak. [Psalm 77:1-2, 4]

Dave: This is not a man that is happy. In fact, he’s deeply, even chronically depressed. Keep reading.

Miles: Ummm …

Will Yahuwah reject forever?
Has His unfailing love vanished forever?
Has Hs promise failed for all time?
Has Elohim forgotten to be merciful?
Has He in anger withheld His compassion?” [Psalm 77:7-9]

Dave: There are so many other passages. You can practically let the Psalms open to any page and somewhere on there you’ll find soul-deep anguish crying out to Yahuwah for comfort.

And note that not only is it not counted as a sin to feel that way, but these psalms have been preserved in sacred Scripture precisely because they’re so relatable.

Let’s talk about sadness now. Again, a very human emotion and one that isn’t a sin. I can’t emphasize this enough because there are people that believe and teach that sadness is a sin. So let’s look at some examples of sadness.

Miles: Well, there’s Yahushua at the tomb of Lazarus. The shortest verse of the Bible is: “Yahushua wept.” [John 11:35]

Dave: And what’s so amazing about that statement of fact is that you know Yahushua knew he was going to be raising Lazarus back to life in just a couple of minutes! And yet he still mourned Lazarus death and the pain it caused those who loved him.

Miles: Reminds me of that promise that says: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” [Hebrews 4:15]

Dave: He feels what we feel, so obviously these emotions are not—can not be—a sin! And what does the next verse say?

Miles: Uhhh …

Dave: Hebrews 4:16.

Miles: Um … “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Dave: Here the writer of Hebrews is using the fact that the Savior feels everything we feel as a profound argument for why we should go to Yahuwah for help. And not just slink there in shame but he tells us to “come boldly” and we will “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Miles: That’s beautiful.

Dave: Christ himself struggled with sadness. During the triumphant ride into Jerusalem, he wept over Jerusalem.

Miles: Yeah, but that’s … Does that even count? He was weeping for others rather than himself.

Dave: All right. That’s still sadness, but I get your point. So let’s look at a time when he was sad and it wasn’t necessarily overtly on behalf of someone else.

Turn to Matthew 26 and read verses 36 to 38. What does that say?

Miles:

Then Yahushua went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Dave: These were Yahushua’s emotions. Now let’s read about the same event in Luke 22. Luke’s description is even more graphic. Uh, verses 43 and 44.

Miles: “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”

Dave: In context, you get the idea that if the angel hadn’t strengthened Yahushua, he would have died right there. He never would have made it to Calvary. That’s the level of stress, of soul-anguish, he was suffering. He was literally sweating blood.

That’s not just a cliché. That’s an actual medical condition. It’s rare, but it does happen. It’s called hematidrosis. I’ve a quote here from webmd.com I’d like you to read.

Yeah, just … yeah, go ahead.

Miles:

Doctors don't know exactly what triggers hematidrosis, in part because it's so rare. They think it could be related to your body's ‘fight or flight’ response. … It seems to be caused by extreme distress or fear, such as facing death, torture, or severe ongoing abuse. It's probably where the term ‘sweating blood,’ meaning a great effort, comes from.

Dave: Hematidrosis has been known to happen when a person was under extreme stress, in fear for their life. Leonardo da Vinci reported one incident of a soldier sweating blood before a battle. There was another case reported sometime during the London Blitz of World War II.

So again, this happens during times of extreme stress, and mental or emotional anguish. It can be related to very high blood pressure, which makes sense because high blood pressure is also a symptom of extreme pain or stress.

Miles: So, if Yahushua experienced this level of mental and/or emotional pain, it couldn’t be a sin.

Dave: No. He was sinless, so if feeling depression, if experiencing extreme emotional stress and sadness were a sin, he wouldn’t have experienced it. But he did, to the point of sweating blood.

In many cultures, there’s a stigma attached to mental health issues. People who are struggling with sadness or depression often feel shame and embarrassed to get help, but that’s ridiculous. It’s been literally thousands of years since the human race had access to the tree of life. Why would our health, our bodies, our lifespans deteriorate and decline but not our brains?

Miles: So you don’t see a problem with taking anti-depressants?

Dave: I think if we try to make a generalized statement and apply it to every situation, we’re going to be guilty of unjustly criticizing and judging others. We don’t know every situation. It’s not our job to judge.

Hey, if Christ could tell the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you,” what makes us think we can judge anyone?

Miles: I hear you, but … well, a lot of people view taking anti-depressants as sort of a crutch. Or speaking to a psychologist or therapist as something to be ashamed of.

Dave: I know. I know. It’s part of that you’d-be-happy-if-you-just-decided-to-be mindset. And it’s so judgmental! Not to mention unfair.

For example, take bipolar disorder. It used to be called “manic depression.” Now, currently, medical science doesn’t know for sure what causes bipolar disorder but we do know that it comes with severe depression and even suicidal ideation. Experts believe that it may be caused by an imbalance in brain chemistry or a possible link to genetics. It’s been suggested as well that environmental factors play a role.

So now tell me: which of these is the person’s fault?

Miles: None of them.

Dave: So how can it be considered a sin? If their brain chemistry is literally out of balance, if their body simply isn’t producing the correct combination of brain chemicals, it’s going to impact their sleep, which in turn will affect their moods, their ability to concentrate, and a whole host of other things, including their appetite—which may lead to weight gain … the list goes on and on. And do we have the right to sit in judgment when it’s literally something beyond their control?

Miles: Of course not. And you know Christ wouldn’t condemn, either.

Dave: Imbalances in hormone levels can also cause depression. Is it really a sin to go to a doctor for that?

Miles: No.

Dave: The sin is in setting oneself up as judge of someone else. Christians sometimes get this idea that they’re supposed to be happy all the time and if they’re not, they’re somehow sinning. But Yahushua’s own experience shows that that’s just another burden imposed by Satan.

Miles: Not to mention suppressing these difficult emotions isn’t mentally healthy, either. Suppressing anger, pretending depression doesn’t exist, can lead to more anger, more depression.

Dave: And, even, other health problems.

Bessel van der Kolk is a psychiatrist—not a psychologist; he’s a medical doctor that specializes in mental health—and he wrote a book called The Body Keeps The Score. It’s a 600+ page tome in which he shows how trauma literally changes both the brain and the body. It impacts everything from a person’s ability to engage with others, to their ability to trust, to exercise self-control. Even to feel pleasure!

So for believers to go around, pointing the finger at others suffering from depression or any of what we call the negative emotions is to set ourselves up as judge and jury, and that’s a job Yahuwah has not given us. That’s taking up Satan’s work, joining with him in being an accuser of the brethren.

If we want to cooperate with Christ, our words and actions will be kind, compassionate, encouraging, supportive . . . and never, ever judgmental, critical, and fault-finding.

I want to say something, and if you don’t remember anything else from today’s program, I want you to remember this. You ready?

Miles: Yep.

Dave: Listen carefully. It’s not a sin to be human.

I’m going to say that again. It’s not … a sin … to be human. We were created to be human!

Turn to Genesis 1 and read verses 26 and 27. I want us to pay attention to a word here we typically gloss over. Genesis 1:26 to 27.

Miles:

Then Elohim said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So Elohim created mankind in His own image, in the image of Elohim He created them; male and female He created them.

Dave: The word here translated into English as “mankind” comes from the Hebrew word, aw DAWM.

Miles: Adam??

Dave: It’s the same word, yes. It’s number 120 in Strong’s Expanded Dictionary. Would you look it up and read the definition for us, please? There’s a copy right behind you on that shelf.

Miles: Sure, um … “A human being (an individual or the species) … Adam means ‘man; mankind; people; . . .’ In Genesis 1, ‘man’ is depicted as the goal and crown of creation.”

Dave: This is a very interesting definition. We all know that Adam and Eve were created in the image of Yahuwah; we all know that they were created to be the crown of the entire creation. But what we forget is that they were created to be … human. If Yahuwah had wanted them to be something other than fully human, He would have made them to be something else, but He didn’t.

Again: it is not a sin to be human.

Miles: I don’t think this is a conclusion anyone has consciously arrived at, but you’re right: it’s what we’ve subconsciously been acting on.

I like how Genesis 1 finishes with, “Elohim saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” He was including Adam and Eve in that. And, yeah. They were sinless at that point, but still the state of being human was not regarded as inherently sinful.

Dave: Another case in point: Yahushua himself. As we’ve covered in other programs, the Bible reveals that the nature of Yahushua is fully human. He had to be in order to be the second Adam, overcoming where the first Adam fell. He was wholly and completely human and not at all divine.

And what did Yahuwah say about Yahushua in his full humanity?

Miles: “This is My beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” [Matthew 3:17]

Dave: “In whom I am well pleased.”

We have to get past this satanic lie that being human is bad or evil. Sin is bad and evil, but being human, in and of itself, isn’t. We were created to be human and we were created in the image of Yahuwah. So it’s not a sin to feel human emotions.

Miles: I’m really glad you said that. I’ve been one of those that felt guilty if I felt, as you call it, these “negative” emotions. But I suppose if Yahuwah had wanted automatons, He would have made automatons.

Dave: It’s not a sin to feel anger! It’s not a sin to feel sadness. It’s not a sin to be depressed.

Miles: On the flip side of that coin, neither is it a sin to laugh or joke.

Dave: What?

Miles: Oh, yes! Didn’t I tell you about that time we had a family over for dinner and the next day, the woman called my wife and told her our family laughed too much? We’re living in solemn times, she said, and to laugh so much made a lie of our faith that we were living in the end times.

Dave: And what did your wife say?

Miles: Well, she was polite. She thanked her for her concern … then hung up and laughed herself silly. But, yeah. Apparently, laughter is a sin.

Dave: That’s really sad because Yahuwah wants His people to be happy.

In Nehemiah 8, we have an interesting story of how the recently returned Israelites learned that they had ignorantly been violating the divine law. They were repentant and heartbroken that, in their ignorance, they’d been dishonoring Yahuwah.

Why don’t you read it for us? Nehemiah 8, verses 9 and 10. There’s an important lesson we can take from this.

Miles:

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to Yahuwah your Elohim; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.

Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of Yahuwah is your strength.”

Dave: It is the joy we receive from Yahuwah that strengthens us through life’s trials.

Don’t listen to Satan’s lies that the state of being human is sinful. We were created to have emotions and it’s not a sin to have them. Reject that burden Satan is trying to impose.

Yahuwah loves you and He accepts you just as you are: a human being made in His image with all the emotions that go with that.

Miles: Thank you, Dave. This has really clarified things for me, personally, and I trust for our listening audience, too.

We do hope you’ll join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

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In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

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