Emotionalism

The worship of emotion is a cult experience.  Using emotion as a guide, following your emotion, is idolatry.  It is extreme error and idolatry to confuse emotion with the Holy Spirit.

It seems that many churches turn toward emotionalism, especially when that church's disobedience has caused the Holy Spirit to leave. 

A popular song that some have considered to be a Christian song has the lyrics: "It can't be wrong when it feels so right."  Well, it can be very wrong and feel very right.  Feelings, emotions are fickle.  They can be caused by things you eat or drink.  They can be brought on by music and lighting.  The Holy Spirit is not required.

When emotionalism replaces the Holy Spirit, there is a problem in the Church.

There is a difference between the soul and the Spirit of God.  "For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  This refers to the Jesus, the Living Word of God.  He is the One who makes the Bible come alive and make sense.  It is true that  the Bible is the dead letter when intellectualism replaces the interpretation and revelation by the Holy Spirit.  "The letter killeth"  2 Corinthians 3:6  It is also true that the Bible is the dead letter when emotionalism replaces the interpretation and revelation by the Holy Spirit.

The reality is that the human mind is so deceitful, both the emotional mind and the intellectual mind, that it becomes difficult for any person to have authority even in revelation.  It is very possible for a sincere Christian to be fully convinced that they have the understanding of some spiritual principle, and for that sincere Christian to be wrong, deceived by his or her own mind.  One of the themes of the New Testament church is the multiplicity of ministries.  In Acts 15, though Paul felt that he had a revelation directly from God, he didn't have authority to establish that revelation on his own but took it to the apostles who were gathered.  Sometimes, Christians with far less spiritual authority than Paul will do what Paul was careful not to do.  They will take a dogmatic stand on issues about which they know little or even nothing at all.

Often, extreme and extra-biblical doctrines are defended using many Bible verses, but, on examination, none of the Bible verses actually support the doctrine.  The person arguing the doctrine is presupposing the doctrine then twisting the Bible to fit.  Human religious pride being what it is, this tendency is very easy to discern in others and almost impossible to discern when we examine ourselves.  Such attitudes divide the Church, which is not pleasing to God.