Section 8: Emotions and Affections — God’s Perfect Love vs. Human Emotional Disorder
1. Introduction
Emotions are a profound part of human experience. They shape decisions, relationships, and identity. Yet human affections are often unstable, conflicted, or disordered. In contrast, God’s emotional life—as revealed in Scripture—is perfect, holy, and consistent with His character. While God is not emotionless, neither is He ruled by passions. This section explores the theological understanding of divine affections, the instability of human emotion, and their contrast in Scripture, doctrine, and Christology.
2. Divine Affections: Perfect, Constant, and Holy
God is often described using emotional terms—He loves (John 3:16), grieves (Gen. 6:6), rejoices (Zeph. 3:17), and expresses wrath (Rom. 1:18). However, unlike human emotion, God’s affections are:
- Immutable – They do not fluctuate or contradict His being (Mal. 3:6)
- Purposeful – They are consistent with His perfect will and holiness (James 1:17)
- Holy – His love is not indulgent, nor His wrath unjust (Exod. 34:6–7)
- Volitional, not reactive – God’s affections are expressions of His sovereign character, not reactions to external manipulation
Key Scriptures:
- “God is love” (1 John 4:8) – Love is not merely what God does; it is who He is
- “The LORD your God is in your midst… he will rejoice over you with gladness” (Zephaniah 3:17)
- “Slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love” (Exodus 34:6)
Theological caution is important. Classical theism affirms that God is impassible—not in the sense that He is emotionless, but that His emotions are not involuntary or unstable as in fallen creatures (Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I.19.1).
3. Human Emotions: Beautiful Yet Broken
Emotions in human beings reflect the image of God but are profoundly affected by the Fall. Scripture shows both the value and vulnerability of human affections:
- “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9)
- “Be angry, and do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26)
- “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15)
Human affections are:
- Volatile – easily swayed by circumstance (James 1:6–8)
- Conflicted – often battling between desire and conscience (Gal. 5:17)
- Disordered – loving the wrong things or the right things in the wrong order (cf. Augustine’s ordo amoris)
- Prone to sin – anger becomes rage, desire becomes lust, grief becomes despair
Even noble emotions—like love or compassion—can be corrupted without alignment to God’s truth (Rom. 1:24–26).
4. Comparative Analysis: Divine Affections vs. Human Emotion
| Aspect | Divine Nature (Perfect Affection) | Human Nature (Emotional Disorder) |
|---|---|---|
| Stability | Constant and unchanging (Mal. 3:6) | Changeable, unstable (James 1:8) |
| Moral Quality | Always righteous and holy (Exod. 34:6–7) | Prone to sin, envy, anger, despair (Gal. 5:19–21) |
| Volition | Governed by divine will and wisdom | Often governed by impulse or pain |
| Response to Evil | Holy anger (Rom. 1:18), patient love (1 John 4:10) | Impulsive reactions, moral inconsistency |
| Capacity to Love | Infinite, self-giving (John 3:16) | Limited, often self-centred (2 Tim. 3:2–5) |
| Foundation | Rooted in God’s own essence (1 John 4:8) | Rooted in relational experience, memory, and fear |
5. Theological and Doctrinal Insights
a. God Is Not Emotionless, But Perfect in Affection
The doctrine of divine impassibility affirms that God does not suffer in the way fallen creatures do, nor is He subject to irrational passions. However, Scripture affirms that God feels deeply, but always in harmony with His attributes. His wrath is just, His joy is holy, and His love is eternal.
b. Augustine’s Ordo Amoris
St. Augustine taught that sin is not primarily loving evil things, but loving good things out of order (e.g., loving self more than God, or career more than truth). Disordered affections are a root of moral chaos.
c. Redemption Involves Affectional Reordering
Sanctification includes not only outward behaviour but the reformation of inward desires—to love what God loves and hate what He hates (Rom. 12:9).
6. Christological Fulfilment: God’s Emotions Made Visible
In Jesus Christ, we see divine emotion embodied without corruption:
- Compassion: “He had compassion on them” (Mark 6:34)
- Grief: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35)
- Anger: “He looked at them in anger… deeply distressed” (Mark 3:5)
- Love: “Having loved his own… he loved them to the end” (John 13:1)
Yet Jesus never sinned in His affections (Heb. 4:15). His emotional life reveals a perfectly integrated humanity, governed by the Spirit and aligned with the Father’s will. Christ models what it means to be fully emotional yet fully righteous.
7. Practical Implications for Christian Life
- Emotional Healing: God is able to restore broken hearts and reorient affections (Ps. 147:3)
- Spiritual Formation: Christian growth involves learning to love rightly (Phil. 1:9–10)
- Worship and Joy: God desires worship from the whole heart (Matt. 22:37; Ps. 100:1–2)
- Self-control: The fruit of the Spirit includes mastery of the passions (Gal. 5:22–23)
8. Conclusion
The emotional life of God is perfect: constant, pure, and in harmony with His nature. In contrast, human emotions—though valuable—are often fragmented, disordered, and self-focused. Yet the gospel offers more than forgiveness; it offers transformation. By the Spirit of Christ, believers are not only taught what to feel but reshaped to love what God loves. True holiness involves not just righteous action, but rightly ordered affections.
References
- Augustine. (398/1991). Confessions. (Trans. H. Chadwick). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Aquinas, T. (1274/2006). Summa Theologiae, I.19.
- Calvin, J. (1559/1960). Institutes of the Christian Religion. Westminster Press.
- Grudem, W. (1994). Systematic Theology. Leicester: IVP.
- Piper, J. (2003). Desiring God. Sisters, OR: Multnomah.
- The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV)
- The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV)