(Psalms 42 NASB) "As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for Thee, O God. {2} My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? (The first thing we notice is that this person is a believer, a Christian.) {3} My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" (This depressed Christian appears, to those who look on, to be God-less. The spectators conclude that if this man really knew God or if there was a God, such as he claims to know, he would have no reason to be depressed. David now recalls a time when he was not depressed and when God felt near.) {4} These things I remember, and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of JOY and THANKSGIVING, a multitude keeping festival. (The days of joy and peace seem far away now and he asks . . {5} Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why hav!
e you become disturbed within me? (The word despair means to be bowed down, laid out prostrate, humbled, it describes a person who has collapsed emotionally and spiritually. David has been asking himself questions and now he offers himself counsel.) Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence. (Now David prays.) {6} O my God, my soul is in despair (has collapsed, is bowed low) within me; Therefore I remember Thee from the land of the Jordan, And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. {7} Deep calls to deep at the sound of THY WATERFALLS; ALL THY BREAKERS and THY WAVES have rolled over me. {8} The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life. {9} I will say to God my rock, "WHY HAST THOU FORGOTTEN ME? WHY DO I GO MOURNING because of the oppression of the enemy?" {10} As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, While they say to me all day long, "WHERE IS YOU!
R GOD?" {11} WHY are you in despair, O my soul? And WHY have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance, and my God."
In this passage we hear, not just the voice of King David, but the voice of Joe Christian as well. For here is the experience of every believer in every age. At one time or another you have been or will be depressed. You will have to face, deal with, and fight depression on some level, all your life. Lord willing the lesson for this hour will help you fight wisely.
Depression is sometimes brought on by physical problems. I am not qualified to speak to those issues. So, my first advice to someone having serious problems with melancholy is to get a physical. See your medical doctor, tell him what is going on. Make certain that you are not trying to fight a spiritual enemy that is, in reality, a physical one. Once you have determined there is no physical cause for your depressed state then you can get to work on the spiritual issues that are behind your depression. It is with spiritual depression that I am concerned today.
There are three things that must be true of you if you hope to avoid serious problems with depression.
1. First you must BE RIGHT WITH GOD.
2. Second, you must DO WHAT IS RIGHT in the eyes of God.
3. Third, you must KNOW AND APPLY THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD.
My fist contention is this. In order to deal with depression, or come out of depression, or guard against depression, YOU MUST BE RIGHT WITH GOD! You must be saved by faith in Jesus Christ if you ever hope to deal with the hardships and trials of life without being crippled by depression. Friend, the problem is this. If you are not a Christian you are without God and, therefore, you have no hope in this world or in the next. Hear the word of God on this.
(Ephesians 2:12-19 NASB) ". . . remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having NO HOPE AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD. (Unregenerate man is in a hopeless situation. He has no strength of his own and no God to help him. He is without hope. There is no awareness of the love of God for him.. There is no awareness of son-ship shed abroad in his heart by God the Holy Spirit. The non-Christian is a being without God and without hope in this life or the next. Therefore, he is prone to fear, anxiety, panic, depression. But things are different for the believer.) {13} But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (As an unbeliever I was separate from God because of my sin. But now, by faith in Jesus, my sins have been done away with, forgiven. I have been reconciled to God. In Christ I have entered into God's presence. No!
w I have hope in this life and the next.) {14} For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups (Jews and Gentiles) into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, {15} by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, {16} and might RECONCILE THEM both in one body TO GOD through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. (Christ, by His life and death, has reconciled believing sinners to one another, but most importantly, to God! They were once His enemies but now, by the blood, they have peace with God.) {17} AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, (Gentiles) AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; (Jews) {18} for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. {19} So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household." Notice that the !
sinner who was without hope and without God has gained a great deal. He now has a spiritual family made up of believers from every nation under the sun. He has horizontal fellowship and human help. He has within him the Holy Spirit who tells him he is a son of God. This believing, once hopeless, sinner now has the Great Creator as his Savior and ever present Father. Here is vertical fellowship and divine help. Hope has come to the hopeless. Depression will not bring this man to absolute ruin because he now real hope and powerful help, both horizontally and vertically.
It is almost certain that the majority of you are professing Christians. So, why, do I begin with such an elementary statement? "One must be right with God" if he hopes to avoid and deal properly depression? I do so because the modern church has succeeded in convincing thousands of people that they are Christians when they are not. These people will not deal with life well. They are likely to be plagued by depression because they are not saved. They have no hope and no help.
If you are physically healthy but chronically depressed it may be that you are not a child of God. Someone may have convinced you that since you walked an isle and were baptized that you are now saved. I tell you that walking an isle and saying a prayer does not save you. Baptism, whether as an infant or an adult, does not communicate the grace of salvation neither does it guarantee or promise it in the future. Joining the church, or serving as a deacon does not save you. Friend, if you are not a Christian you have no hope of dealing with the stress and strain of life as you should. Further, if you are not a Christian and are in the church trying to act like one you will most certainly be frustrated and ultimately depressed. For you do not have the power to live the life nor do you have a taste for the Christian life. You have no insight into your own soul or the work of God that surrounds you. You don't identify with the family of God and you have no heavenly father.!
If you are not a believer, God's word gives you no guidance, no strength, no comfort. You must be born again, you must be saved by faith in Jesus.
How do you know whether you are saved or not? Well the proof is in your heart. If you have been given a new heart, which is given to every one God saves, the following will be true of you. You will recognize and hate your sin. You will turn from that sin to trust in Christ alone for forgiveness and acceptance with God. You will love God and His Christ. You will love and chase after holiness and righteousness. You will know and love the people of God, the church, Christians. You will love to be with them and to converse with them about Him and His truth. Have you ever come across a person who says they are saved but they have no interest in God's word? They do not enjoy learning and talking about the Bible. This person cannot be born again! If you are saved you will love the Bible. The Bible's words will be to you the very words of God. You will cherish His promises, heed His warnings, and obey His commands. None of this will be burdensome to you, rather, it will!
be the ever present desire of your heart to learn and do that which is pleasing to your Father. Failing to be or do that which you perceive is pleasing to God will make you sad simply because you wish to please the God you love. This is what a Christian looks and acts like.
The Gospel is the declaration of good news to ruined sinners. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." However, when one has really believed true fruit, the fruit I have described above, will appear in ever increasing abundance. Faith that does not produce this fruit is not saving faith at all. So, the first question that must be asked in reference to depression is, "Are you a Christian?" Are you right with God?
Having said all this we must face the fact that there are real Christians who have problems, sometimes serious problems, with depression. There are many reasons why this is so but I only wish to deal with two of them. The first is disobedience. TRUE Christians will become depressed if they persist in sinning against God and their conscience. This person will be miserable and ashamed. The longer he continues to practice rebellion against God the more weary and heavy laden he will become. This person will have no joy. His testimony will suffer, his job will suffer, his family will suffer, and his church will suffer. Life will become an unbearable journey.
Sin tolerated and unconfessed is the great depressor of God's people. I know this is true from my own experience. When I choose to sin against my conscience and my God I take a heavy hit. I am immediately under conviction and the discipline of my loving Father. My peace flies away like a bird set free. My joy is gone in a split second. My physical and spiritual strength drains out on the floor. This is spiritual depression. How long will I stay in this city with no sun and no lights? How long will I feel like the scum of the earth? How long will I feel like a lousy husband, father, employee, friend, pastor, Christian? How long will my soul despair within me? How long will the Father, Son and Holy Spirit bear witness against this erring son? How long will they keep my sin ever before me? How many nights will I toss and turn? How many days will be unproductive because I can't keep my mind on my work? How long will this misery continue? It will continue until I a!
cknowledge my sin and seek my Father's forgiveness. It will continue until my feet are once again planted firmly on the path called love of God and neighbor. It will continue until, by grace, I change my course of action.
Jay Adams, the counselor, has given us much useful information in his books. One statement he made has been of service to me almost daily for many years. "If you do right you will feel right." Think about this statement for a while and you will find in it the answer to many of your miseries.
Why are you depressed dear brother or sister? It is quite likely because of sin in your life. You are behaving badly so you feel bad. Perhaps, as a house wife, you are negligent. The house is always dirty. Meals are never prepared for the family. Clothes are never clean. Maybe you spend the families money on things not essential to maintaining a home. Maybe your on the phone all day complaining about your husband and children. Maybe you never read your Bible or pray. This is all sin, dear one, and your faithful Father will not let you get away with it. He will keep it before your eyes and He will discipline you in one way or another. Your unconfessed, un-repented of sin is what has ruined your conscience and summoned your Fathers disciplines.
Perhaps its you sir, whose soul is cast down in despair. Why is it so? Maybe you pay no attention to your wife or kids. You spend your time and money on the golf course or at the local bar. Maybe the house is falling apart and even though you have the skill and means you do nothing. Maybe it has to do with your job. Do you despise those in authority over you? Do you refuse to do your job as directed? Do you not care that God has ordered you to work for you boss as if He were God. What sin is it that has taken you into the city with no sun and no lights, the place of despair and misery?
To make things worse you and your sinful wife come to church on Communion Sunday. You eat and drink the supper as if nothing were wrong. Do you think God will be mocked? Does he speak for nothing when He calls you to self examination before you eat and drink? Is He bluffing when he threatens you with weakness, sickness, and at last death, for persistent, unconfessed, un-repented of sin? God makes no idle threats dear Christian. Neither does He wink at sin. He tells us in the book of Hebrews that none of His children escape His loving disciplines. For these reasons sin is the leading depressor of God's children!
It is not enough to be right with God, we must also do what is right in the sight of God. If you expect to enjoy the peace that passes all understanding, to have joy unspeakable and full of glory you must do what is right in the eyes of God. When you do sin deal with it immediately. Confess your sin and your Father will cleanse your conscience and forgive you. Not only will this prevent depression it is the only way out of depression. Let us hear again the words of King David as he finally deals with his sin.
(Psalms 51 NASB) (For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him,) (after he had gone in to Bathsheba.) (This passage is viewed by most as David's confession to God of his sins of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband.) "Be gracious to me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Thy compassion blot out my transgressions. {2} Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. {3} For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. (God the Holy Spirit will see to it that we do not ignore what we have done. Our sin will be on our minds night and day until it is taken care of. Praise the Lord!) {4} Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight, So that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, And blameless when Thou dost judge. (In 1 Samuel 12 you will find the words of the prophet Nathan. God sent him to David to reveal to him the consequences of hi!
s sin. He would be forgiven but the child produced by the sinful union of David and Bathsheba would die. Further, David's family was cursed and troubled all his days. These were the judgements about which David speaks in Psalms 51. "God was justified and blameless in judging me as he did," says David.) {5} Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. {6} Behold, Thou dost desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part Thou wilt make me know wisdom. {7} Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. {8} Make me to hear joy and gladness, LET THE BONES WHICH THOU HAST BROKEN REJOICE. (Here is spiritual depression brought on by sin, a guilty conscience, and the disciplines of God. David's faithful God had, as it were, pressed him so hard with sorrow and guilt it was as though his whole frame had been broken. He was crushed under the weight of the knowledge that he had sinned against God, the !
God he loved.) {9} Hide Thy face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. {10} Create in me a clean heart, O God, And RENEW A STEADFAST SPIRIT within me. {11} Do not cast me away from Thy presence, And do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. {12} Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, (When a Christian intentionally sins and refuses to confess that sin his joy vanishes like the morning dew in the hot sun. David longs for the return of his joy. He continues,) And sustain me with a willing spirit. (David understands that if God does not keep him in the way he will wander again and again and again. Therefore, he prays, "Sustain me with a willing spirit." Hold me up and keep me faithful. This Old Testament saint understood that salvation from beginning to end is all of grace.) {13} Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, And sinners will be converted to Thee. (When he is forgiven and restored to fellowship with His Father he will be of service to other sinners and perhap!
s instrumental in their conversion.) {14} Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Thy righteousness. (His joy will be restored.) {15} O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Thy praise. {16} For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. {17} The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. (The broken, repentant sinner will always be accepted by God.) {18} By Thy favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. {19} Then Thou wilt delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Thine altar." I offer these words of David in support of my contention that unconfessed, un-repented of sin is the great depressor of God's people. The pathway out of the terrible darkness and misery of sin is confession and repentance.
So, in order to deal with depression;
1. One must first BE RIGHT WITH GOD.
2. Second, one must DO WHAT IS RIGHT in the eyes of God.
3. Third, one must KNOW AND APPLY THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD.
This third point is no less important than the other two. When it comes to the discussion of depression one must understand that truth, accurate doctrine, matters a great deal. For as a man believes in his heart so he acts and feels and responds. If your theology is wrong you will not interpret or respond to your circumstances correctly. Theology and doctrine matter more than I have the capacity to say. For it is truth, and nothing but truth, that will set you free from the bondage, darkness, and misery of ignorance. Proper theology and doctrine is essential to the believers peace, joy, and to avoiding depression.
For example. Let's say that I do not understand that my performance in this life, my behavior, has nothing to do with my salvation. In my conversations I speak of grace and salvation by faith but somewhere in the back of my mind I haven't heard the Savior say, "It is finished." So I am always trying to make God happier with me than Christ's work made Him. I feel like I MUST do something more I hope to be saved from the wrath to come. My daily failures are not just sins that rob me of peace, ruin my witness, and break fellowship with my Father. They are sins that separate me from God altogether. My daily sin causes me to loose my salvation! So, every day, every hour, every moment of my waking existence, I carry the load of my own salvation on my back. Do you see how my beliefs govern my experience? I have been around people like this all my life. People who believe you're saved by grace but kept by your own performance. Such bad, unbiblical, doctrine sets one up for!
a life of fear, anxiety and depression. This person doe not understand that God saves sinners in spite of them and because of Christ. The sinner's performance never was part of the equation. But this poor soul doesn't get it. Therefore, he lives in fear and will never know what it means to have assurance of salvation. He has no lasting peace or joy and so long as his doctrine is wrong this will be the case. Jay Adams said, "If you do right you will feel right." Now I add, "If you believe and apply what is right you will feel and respond correctly."
Now I want to talk about what I believe to be the most critical issue as it relates to the subject of Christian depression. It has to do with one's knowledge of and beliefs about God.
Sadly, most Christians believe in what I call a paraplegic God. This God has good intentions, hopes and wishes for everyone but no strength to carry them out. Often times the devil is said to get in His way. More often, however, it is people that foil the Creator. People and their opposition to God's desires and will are said to be the one insurmountable obstacle He can't overcome. Man's will is stronger than God's. Again I say, "As a man thinks or believes so he is, or, so goes his feelings, reactions, and his life in general." If you worship a paraplegic god you can plan on experiencing serious, reoccurring, depression. You will naturally be depressed because you are on your own. You must fight your own enemies and solve your own problems. Subdue and control your own fleshly desires. Further, you ought to be scared to death of the devil. For he intends you only evil and what help can your god give you. People who believe such things about God often find that th!
ey grow more weary day by day. Their hands and legs grow weaker, their heart and spirit begins to fail. Often they despair of life itself, and can't figure out what is wrong. They have no God, that's what's wrong.
If this impotent god had been David's god what might his soul have said to him when he advised his soul to, "Hope in god?" Surely his soul would have plunged deeper into the darkness of depression. For this god is of no use to a man who must face real enemies from within and without. David's soul would have thought him quite stupid to put his hope and trust in such a god. Why are you in despair oh my soul? David's soul might have answered, "Because the god you worship has no legs." In order to deal with life without being plagued by depression you must know the truth about God.
The Christian God, ladies and gentlemen, is the Creator and absolute Sovereign Ruler of all things. Let me make clear what I mean when I say, "God is Sovereign." Webster does a good job on the definition of sovereignty when he says, "Sovereignty is having the undisputed right to make decisions and the unlimited, absolute, power to carry them out." This is what I mean when I say that God is Sovereign. The Christian God, as the Sovereign Ruler of what He has created, has the undisputed right to make decisions AND the unlimited, absolute, power to carry them out. GOD IS SOVEREIGN!" Hear the word of the Lord.
(Psalms 103:19-22 NASB) "The LORD has established His throne (authority, seat) in the heavens; And His sovereignty (reign, kingdom) rules over all. {20} Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! {21} Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will. {22} Bless the LORD, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the LORD, O my soul!"
The text begins with a statement of fact, "The Lord, God, the first person of the blessed Trinity, has established His throne in the heavens." God is the Lord and governor of His creation and He is presently sitting on His throne. Which means He is an active King. He is presently ruling over, managing, and governing His kingdom.
Secondly we see that God's rule is a SOVEREIGN RULE. Remember what that means. "God has the undisputed right to make decisions and the unlimited, absolute, power to carry them out". In other words God has a throne, He is on that throne, He has absolute power, and He is ruling with and exercising that power over all things, right now. This is just another way of saying that our God is in the heavens doing whatever pleases Him. It is just another way of saying that God does as He pleases among the hosts of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth and no one can stop Him. It is just another way of saying that all things are from Him and through Him and to Him. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. God is the sovereign governor of everything that is or will ever be.
What should our reaction be to this truth? Hear again the word of the Lord. (Psalms 103:20-22 NASB) "Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! {21} Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will. {22} Bless the LORD, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; (authority, force, rule) Bless the LORD, O my soul!"
In light of the fact of God's Sovereign rule and dominion the angels are commanded to PRAISE THE LORD! His hosts are commanded to PRAISE THE LORD! ALL THE WORKS OF HIS HANDS, in all places of His sovereign dominion, are called upon to praise the Lord! Then finally in verse twenty-two the Psalmist calls upon his redeemed soul to "Bless the Lord," or praise the Lord who sits on His throne and governs all He has made. "PRAISE THE LORD"!
In other words, ladies and gentlemen, the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God is meant to make us a rejoicing people. It is meant to fill us with peace and joy and strength. For our loving Father, who is strong and able, has ordained whatsoever comes to pass. This God is the Christian's God and He is always on duty. He is the King, Creator, Savior, and an ever present help in time of need.
When you have come to believe and apply this truth to your life you will never be the same again. From this lofty perspective you will learn to see the hand and will of God in everything that comes your way. You will finally understand that you already have the right husband, wife, children, job and the right boss. You live in the right town and country. You were born into the right family at just the right time. The cancer that was just discovered in your body is no unfortunate stroke of luck. Rather, it is sent from God for your good and His glory. He will see you through this great trial of your faith and you will be better for it.
When your daughter shows up pregnant you will be disappointed and hurt, you will cry, but you will not despair. Why, because you understand that God works ALL THINGS, without exception, together for good to those that love Him and are the called according to His purpose. The child in your little girls womb was ordained to be conceived by the sinful relationship between her and her male companion. From the perspective of the Sovereignty of God you will rebuke her for her sin and then you will love her and her baby.
If God is sovereign His children need not be depressed because of unexpected, difficult or life threatening circumstances. For our loving Father is the first cause of whatsoever comes to pass. He has designed all things with the good of His children in mind. This knowledge is essential for those who wish to have joy and peace on earth. Theology and doctrine matter more than I have the capacity to say.
My contentions are three in number. If you wish to deal with life appropriately and avoid depression you must;
1. BE RIGHT WITH GOD.
2. You must DO WHAT IS RIGHT in the eyes of God.
3. Third, you must KNOW AND APPLY THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD.
