37 The Great Rule of Emotion in the Godhead

Ready to go again, dear tour companion?

Having derived that there were many feelings not actively present in the Godhead experience before or up to the cusp of the Creation, let’s now move our tour along.

To discuss emotion in the Godhead, it is essential to grasp what I call the Great Rule of Emotion in the Godhead—that God’s feelings are defined by rich mind-emotion bonds such as the following:

WHO HE IS is defined by HIS MIND.
His mind is defined by HIS INTELLECT and HIS CHOICE.
His choice is guided by His commitment to REASON & SELF-CONTROL.
His reason & self-control are defined by HIS VALUES.
His values are determined by His commitment to PURE GOODNESS.
His pure goodness determines & structures the array and expression of HIS EMOTIONS.

God’s emotions cannot be considered in isolation!

They must always be explored in context—the context of WHO HE IS. Further, that means we have to talk about emotion in the Godhead in relation to good AND evil because God is pure goodness and good is what pleases God and evil is what pains Him.

So keeping that in mind let me pose and answer the following questions:

What emotions were present in the Godhead before Creation?

Answer: As we have discussed at some length in prior blogs, the emotions present (and active) in the Godhead while summering were emotions associated with a state of pure goodness. Some feelings associated with pure goodness are peace, joy, love, respect, sociability, calm, contentment, well-being, good will (benevolence), bliss.

What emotions were not present in the Godhead before Creation?

Answer: The emotions not present (or active) in the Godhead while summering were of 2-types:

Type 1: Emotions associated with a state of corruption of pure goodness—in short, emotions associated with evil. These emotions include all emotions that God rejected, deactivated or sequestered; emotions such as sorrow, hatred, contempt, misogyny, anxiety, discontent, pain, ill will, torment.

Type 2: Emotions connected to goodness but not in active use were also sidelined, such as creativity, inspiration, imagination, concern. Such emotions would and do come into play when God moves from summering to a state of reflective consciousness necessary for Creation. And He will use these emotions to not only produce the Creation, but also to provide for and protect the Creation. For here is where His all-knowing begins to place huge demands upon Him. Here—pre-Creation, before one star is hung or the shape of the earth called together— is where He must provide against evil.

To step this analysis up a bit, there were other big emotions not yet fielded in the Godhead before Creation. Consider these three emotional predicaments:

One, God’s emotions in the Godhead before creation do not include emotional reactions to an opposing entity. At that time there is not a one. Only the Godhead exists.

Two, God’s emotions in the Godhead before creation do not include emotional reactions to an opposing ideology. There is no active opposing ideology in the Godhead.

Three, God’s emotions in the Godhead before creation do not include emotional reactions to the lusts of the flesh (or emotions associated with lusts of the flesh), or of related perversities. The flesh does not yet exist in the Godhead.

But what does it matter what God felt before or after Creation? you may ask.

The answer?

Four significant points:

First, understanding God’s person, His thoughts, His feelings, His methods, His priorities and His approaches to problem solving serves as what I call a Completion Model for us all (more about this in later blogs).

Second, understanding God's person, His courage, determination and investment in life, His indefatigable spirit, serves to deepen appreciation of His superior and noble character.

Third, understanding God’s situation before Creation helps us understand why later (actually at a time well into the Creation) God experiences episodes of sorrow and regret such as His regret of making mankind.

For example: Genesis 6:5-7 “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’”

Fourth, understanding God’s situation before Creation helps us comprehend His pre-Creation Plan and determination to overcome evil. And that brings us to the answer of how God decided, before the Creation, to handle troublesome evil.

To be continued . . .