I have been reading After I Believe: Experiencing Authentic Christian Living by Mark D. Roberts. It was a book I received in college, yet never read. In the first chapter, Roberts describes the four basic ideas about the Christian life. My favorite of these sections is "Idea #2: The Christian Life is Feeling Joy and Peace in the Lord."
Roberts talks about the "initial blush of emoition" a new Christian sometimes feels. Jesus promises us joy. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says "Be happy and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually." The is an emotional side of Christianity, but Roberts warns that "we must beware of the tendancy to reduce Christianity to feelings alone."
When we reduce Christianity to emotions, we are left with a feel-good Jesus who makes us happy and rich. Many churches have fallen into the feel-good Jesus theology and forgotten about the Jesus who died and suffered for our sins.
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