Depression: Don't let the devil have the victory

A series of 4 messages preached by Pastor Ian Stevens at Emmanuel Independent Baptist Church

Published by Ian Stevens 2001 Ian Stevens You may not use this material for financial gain. Otherwise you may freely copy and distribute it. If you find the book a blessing and would like to support the author then offerings can be sent to: $AUS cheques made payable to: Emmanuel Independent Baptist Church PO Box 4710 Belconnen ACT 2616 AUSTRALIA Please clearly note in your covering letter, or on the cheque, that it is an offering for the ministry of Pastor Stevens ensuring that the PAYEE of the cheque is the church.

Introduction
This booklet comprises a series of four m essages I preached in January of this year at Emmanuel Independent Baptist Church. The topic is, I believe, a most important one for the believer: depression. Having dealt with people afflicted by depressive tendencies, and having been depressed myself from time to time (an admission I freely make given that everyone at some stage suffers from depression, some more so than others), I sought the Lord on a practical way in which to help the depressed. In doing so I made an inquiry over the internet on the Independent Baptist M issions forum and received many messages with advice on the matter. As a result of that and other enquiries I received some taped messages by men who had preached on the subject and was directed to the works of Jay Adams on Biblical counselling (works that I had in fact studied in part when in Bible College). Armed with all of this information, a desire to help those with depression to gain the practical victory over it in their lives, my experiences with those suffering from depression and my personal knowledge on the matter, I went to the Scriptures knowing that the answer to the problem lay there. Some years ago I had preached through the book of Job and now realised that this book was a key to the matter. The answer was confirmed for me in the book of Proverbs. The answer to this problem of depression is not complex. As is usual with the Word of God, the victory over depression is gained by adhering to simple truths. It is the very simplicity of the answer that w ill suggest to many that what is contained in these messages cannot be of assistance. M ay I suggest you consider them properly before dismissing them out of hand. W hilst the messages w ere not taped, it seemed to me that the practical assistance of them was important enough to make them available, albeit in written form, for others to consider. I make no claim to being a great preacher, but when the answers to life's issues are shown to be available from God's W ord it is my view that this should be shared. Do not dwell on my inadequacies of expression, or the basic m anner of the publication of this book, but consider the message of the Scriptures. God does not want His people held back by depression. M ay the Lord use these messages to His glory. Ian Stevens Pastor Emmanuel Independent Baptist Church Canberra, Australia 6 M arch, 2001

The Reality of Depression

Depression. How that word conjures up in our minds prejudices and sympathies. Our attitude to it depends on whether we are prepared personally to admit to its presence in our lives, or in the lives of those near and dear to us. Those who have endured depression personally know only too well its debilitating effects. Those who have been with loved ones who have gone through it have borne the brunt of its abuse. Yet those who have experienced neither, or w ho w ould claim not to have come under its effect, question what the fuss is all about. Nothing new in human nature in that! I am not a qualified medical practitioner. I have no learning from schools of psychology or psychiatry other than studying human nature over a number of years by being part of the human race, nor have I practised in either field. I am a minister of the Word of G od. On that basis, and that basis alone, I have an understanding of, and qualification to deal with, this issue of depression that psychologists, psychiatrists and medical practitioners cannot have unless they too seek to learn from the wisdom God has provided us. The Bible provides us with answers to all aspects of life. Instead of just com ing up with questions the W ord of God reveals to us the cause, effect and answer to depression. It tells us who it affects and w hy, and how it may be dealt with. Come with me as we consider this matter. The word depression is not found in the Bible. Neither is the word Trinity. That the w ord Trinity is not found in the Bible does not mean that sound doctrine is silent on the matter. The Bible teaches in many places and in many different ways the fact of the Trinity: Genesis 1:26; I John 5:7 (which is not a wrong translation as the modern versions would have us believe but rather is found in the better manuscripts and in early Church teaching) etc. So too we find from the annals of the Scriptures the teaching that depression exists.

Cain Genesis 4:1-8 W e need to take into account certain matters to fully appreciate what it was that happened here: 1. From verse 3 we see that: (i) it was only a matter of time before these Cain and Abel would begin to bring offerings to God suggesting that this was what Adam and Eve were now in the habit of doing as a result of the sin in the Garden of Eden. It was expected that as they came of age that they also would bring offerings of their own unto God; (ii) these offerings were an attempt by man to bring something to God that He would find acceptable - one does not bring an offering of that which is either offensive or of no effect to the one being honoured. Verse 4 tells us that Abel also brought an offering. The offerings by these two sons of Adam and Eve were clearly different in nature and displayed the attitude towards God by each of these young men. What pleased God was a blood sacrifice. Clearly Abel had respect and honour unto His duty before God. Equally clearly Cain did not - he was desirous of offering unto God what he believed to be an offering God ought to accept, being something that had been the result of the work of his hands. Cain missed the important principle that whatever we have is only by the grace of God. We can toil all we want, but without God it will amount to nothing. It does not matter what we put our hands to provided it is to a godly purpose according to Gods will in our lives. W hen we seek to offer unto God we ought present to H im that w hich He requires of us. Of Cains spirit was born the false religions of the world - men offering unto God that which they believe He ought to be pleased with rather than what He requires of us.

2. 3.

Not surprisingly God accepted Abels offering but not that of Cain. Abels offering w as of hum ility. W hilst he had reared the animals he presented to G od the firstfruits and the fat thereof (later in the M osaic law we find that the fat was the Lords only). Abel not only sought to do as God would have him do, but he followed to the very letter what was clearly required by way of sacrifice of that day. And God showed His acceptance of it by having respect unto it. In similar fashion Jesus C hrist, in being the offering to pay for sin, had his offering accepted by God the Father in that He was raised from the dead and now sits at the right hand of the Father. But Cains offering was not accepted. Cain was proud and arrogant in his pride. He knew that the right offering was of a blood sacrifice, as Abel had brought it. But in his pride and arrogance Cain believed that God ought to be satisfied, nay pleased, with what he had produced of his own hands. W hen we offer to God, we need be sure we do so in humility offering the best of what we have or are able to get that meets His requirements. This not only takes into account what we offer, but where (local Church: M alachi 3:10; I Corinthians 16:1-2) and how. Now Cain could have bartered his produce for one of Abels animals and one is left with the undeniable impression that Abel would have been only too willing to be a party to such an exchange, and that not of pride but of a desire to see another come properly before the Lord God Almighty. But then it would not have been the best - that would have been reserved for Abels offering. Cain would have been offering what he saw as second best. In reality he w ould have been humbling himself before Abel to seek of him what was needed to offer to God. In doing so Cain would have been admitting that he could not rely on himself to offer properly before the Lord. So his pride and arrogance. Petty one-upmanship was beyond Abel when it came to service before the Lord. He was more interested in doing right him self and helping others do the same because our God is worthy of it, not because of any gain to himself. Of course therein lies the paradox of God in that in doing right before God for ourselves is not rewarded whereas doing right before God because He is worthy is. This is the principle of losing ones life to save it. And yet Cain could have reared animals himself. W e have no reason given from the Scriptures as to why he did not, but the choice was there.

James 4:17 tells us that Cain, in offering as he did knowing what was right before God, sinned. Sin will reap its own reward, but not that which we would desire. It then comes hard on Cain that God respects the offering made by Abel but did not respect that which he offered. What happened? His countenance fell. His demeanour displayed what happened on the inside: he was upset with God, with Abel, with life. His response to the treatm ent of his sinful action was wrong. Cain, if he had been a godly man, ought to have come before God and repented of that which he had done and ensured the next offering he made would be that which pleased God. But he didnt - his countenance fell. Cain was depressed. Often when dealing with those who are depressed it is difficult to help them to do what is right. W hen we are walking with the Lord we do not find any problem w ith doing that which is spiritually correct. This is because we are then being led by the Holy Spirit. Depression com es at a tim e when we are away from the Lord and so the matters of the Spirit are not what interests us at that time. Cain wasnt even saved and so could not see the error of his way, even when pointed out to him. How many tim es do we come across people who resent the error of their way being pointed out, even when they know they have done wrong. But God sought to show Cain his error in verse 7. Unfortunately when we are depressed not only are we not prepared to listen to the W ord of G od, we often react negatively to it. So with C ain - he finishes up killing his brother Abel. All because he responded wrongly to what he had done wrongly in the first place. Depression is real. Naomi Ruth 1:1-5; 19-21 Over the space of ten years Naomi is bereaved of her husband and her two sons. These two sons had married. All wives survived their husbands. Naomi then determ ines to return to the land of Judah, the place of her husbands birth. She tells her daughters-in-law and encourages them to return to their own lands as well. In typical Jewish custom the daughters-in-law declare their allegiance to Naomi stating that they w ill return to the land of Judah with her. Naomi questions why they would do so and again encourages them to return to their own lands. Orpah takes this opportunity to do as Naomi has suggested but Ruth will not hear of the matter. Verses 15-17 are instructive as to the motivation of the two daughters-in-law. Orpah returns to her lands and unto her gods, whilst Ruth makes it known that Naomis life is now hers and so also will Naom is God be her God. The testimony of Naomi was such as to reach into Ruths heart to turn her to the true living God. Even in her grief Naomi was such a testimony that it spoke to Ruth and turned her to the Saviour. And yet, for all the testimony that Naomi had been to Ruth, something happened to her on the road back to Bethlehem . There is a difference between grief and depression. Grief is a natural emotional response to loss. God knows what it means to us to lose someone we love and depend upon - see the reaction of Jesus as He witnessed the grief of M artha and M ary to the loss of Lazarus: John 11:32-36. There needs to be a time of grieving. I have learned through personal loss that we all need to be able to express our grief and be comforted by those around us to ease the loss. But left to itself and allowed to continue w ithout that expression and relief of the comfort of friends, grief can turn into depression. So it was with Naomi. Left to herself, Ruth and the road home her thoughts dwelt on her loss and she lost heart - she became bitter. No more were they to call her Naomi, but rather M ara, for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with her: Ruth 1:20. By the tim e they arrive at Bethlehem Naomi has become embittered with her loss and depression resulted. God has dealt her a bitter blow, it is best to leave her alone in her bitterness. How depression bites. In typical fashion there is no reasoning with the one in deep depression. In verse 21 we see that Naomi seeks no discussion with any who would seek to cheer her up and gives ample warning to that effect. She blames God for her loss without looking to any purpose He might have for her experience. She sees that God has testified against her, and afflicted her.

Naomi did not have Romans 8:28 staring at her from the pages of the complete Bible to comfort her. But yet, whether you lived before any page of the Bible were written or after it were completed, the principle remains the same that God has sought to impart to man since the days of Adam and Eve: H e does not seek our harm, but at times we are so rebellious and stubborn of heart and full of our own self interests that w e have to go through some things before we can appreciate that which God would have us know. If Naomi had only seen the greatness of God even in her bereavement. For even in such personal pain and loss God was to bring forth the seed of the Saviour. W ho are we to question the actions let alone the motives of God! Depression is real. And it blinds us to the blessings that await us if we could only see through the immediate problems we appear to face. David Psalm 51:12 David was a great King whose heart was after the Lord like no man before or since. Yet he seem ed to have a weakness for women, and that at times for women who had been with other m en. Bathsheba was one such woman. The account of Davids adulterous relationship with Bathsheba is well known. At the time when kings go out to battle David didnt: II Samuel 11:1. Instead of being at the battlefront with his men seeking great victories for his God and his people, David remained at the palace in Jerusalem pondering matters. In doing so he looks out from his palace and sees on a rooftop a beautiful woman bathing. He is captivated by her and sends for her. How can any, even the wife of a general, refuse the request of an audience with the King? No matter the hour. David sleeps with her. The result of this union is Bathsheba becoming pregnant. David sees that this will not look well to have Bathsheba visit him and fall pregnant when her husband is dutifully at the battle front fighting for the King who has betrayed his bed. He calls for Uriah to return: II Samuel 11:6-13. Uriah is wined and dined and sent to his home, no doubt with the intent by David that Uriah would be with his wife and so explain the pregnancy. But Uriah is an honourable man and refuses to go to his wife. Instead he sleeps at the steps of the palace until returned to the battle. The King seeks to entice Uriah so a second time, but fails again. W hat a devotee to duty, his men and his king! David then arranges for Uriahs death at the hand of the enemy as his men withdraw from him in heat of battle: II Samuel 11:14-17. Nathan the prophet then comes to David with a parable which explains to the King the terrible thing that he has done: II Samuel 12:1-8. David is devastated. He has done wickedly and used his position, a position only enjoyed by the grace of God, and fed his fleshly lusts and then sought to cover it up. He becomes morose in what has happened. How could God use som eone such as himself? He loses the joy of Gods salvation. He is depressed. He calls on God to return that joy to him: Psalm 51:12. Even one such as David became depressed. Depression is real. Elijah I Kings 19:1-4 Elijah was one of the great prophets of the Bible, used mightily of God. He is only one of two men reported in the Scriptures never to have tasted of death. Just prior to our text here, Elijah has had the experience of a lifetime. He has taken on 850 false prophets and won. He has had the wonderful opportunity of challenging these prophets openly and seen the mighty hand of God make fools of those who dared usurp His position and seek to turn Israel away from the truth. Not only this, but he has had the privilege of ordering the death of these prophets before the King and seen that order carried out - a King who had prospered the work of

these same false prophets. And he had heard the wonderful words uttered by the people: the Lord He is God. At times Elijah probably never thought that he would ever hear such words in his lifetime. God blessed him. God blessed his work mightily. Jezebel, the wife of the King gets to hear of what Elijah has done. Now it is one thing to stand against the King, his army and the false prophets in sight of a people who were wavering on who they would follow. It is another to stand against the most feared woman of the realm - a woman whose very look could mean death. Jezebel declares that she will have Elijahs life by sundown of the next day. Elijah hears of this threat and panics. He has just witnessed a mighty victory at the hand of the Almighty God, a victory that none other could produce. And the victory had been a testimony to the people of Israel that God is the Lord God Almighty and NONE can stand in H is w ay. How ironic then that having won this great victory and dealt to Israel this lesson of the greatness of God that Elijah then runs from a woman. And how he ran! Indeed Elijah becomes morose and calls for God to kill him: verse 4. Elijah became depressed after victory! After this event Israel does not seem to have learned too much from the defeat of the false prophets on M t Carmel. I wonder how much of that has to do with Elijahs running from Jezebel. Depression is real, and it has its effect on others as we fail to release its grip on us. Job Job 3 Once again we have the account of one who has great victory. Described as perfect and upright in all his ways by God, Job is obviously a special fellow. God challenges Satan over Job and Satan rises to the bait. In Chapter 1 we see Job lose everything but respond with the wonderful quote in verse 21. In Chapter 2 Satan is again baited by God and attacks Job personally and physically and still Job is up to the task of standing for God. W e hear no more of Satan in the book, but we hear much of Job, his three m ates, a young hot head who cannot contain himself and God. Chapter 3 reveals to us the effect of Satans attack on Job: he also becomes morose, questioning why God allowed his birth. The whole chapter is a lament of his existence. The end of the chapter reveals the cause for his concern: his belief that God had deserted him (Job 3:25-26). And so the rest of the book deals with how Job, his three friends, Elihu and God all handle the matter. Job doesnt handle it too well at all, you see he had become deeply depressed. Depression is real. And it can destroy our effectiveness as a testimony for God as long as it debilitates us. Jonah Jonah 4 Jonah is called by God to deliver the message of repentance to the people of Nineveh, a Gentile city of some 120,000 people. Jonah runs away from this call, and w ith good reason. W hy should God waste His time on such as these Gentiles? W ere not the Jews His chosen people? It w as not even right for Jonah to eat with such as these, why should he then share His God? Try as he may, Jonah cannot outrun God. He repents inside the belly of the whale and agrees to go do the Lords bidding. Interesting that God could have used anyone else when Jonah ran, but he didnt. Jonah was His chosen vessel for this work and Jonah it was who was to give the message. And he did. The result is that the whole city turns to God. W hat a victory! But in Chapter 4 we see the effect of this wonderful victory on our boy Jonah. He asks God to kill him. H e is lamentably depressed that so many Gentiles are now saved. How different is the reaction

of Paul to the salvation of the Gentiles as he rejoices in their salvation and calls even those he berates his joy, simply because they were saved. In verse 3 Jonah expresses the depths of his despair - he cannot live with the results of what he has done, even though this be what God wanted Him to do with the knowledge of what would be accomplished. Depression is real. And it can hurt us to our very being. Peter Luke 22:31-34; 54-62 Jesus speaks to the disciples and tells them that where He is to go they cannot come. Peter boldly declares what many of them were probably thinking: I will go wherever they would take Him, to prison and even to death. Interesting that this is exactly the path that Jesus was taken down, and yet poor old Peter was not there for it. Jesus knew and tells Peter that he would deny Jesus three times before the cock would crow - and so it happened. Stricken with grief, Peter looks into the eyes of the Saviour with the knowledge of his having denied Him and weeps bitterly. He has entered depression. Depression is real. And it usually causes us to try and escape the presence of others, the very ones we are called to go to and deliver the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! John Mark Acts 13:4-13 Paul is bold in his preaching. He comes across one Elymas the sorcerer who would seek to turn a man whom Paul had been witnessing to away from the truth. Paul squares Elymas up and declares openly what Elym as was: verse 10. This appears to have been too much for John M ark who is there with them at the time: verse 13. Pauls boldness had been too much for him and he went back on home to M um m y: Acts 12:12. Later we learn of a split between Paul and Barnabas over John M ark. As far as Paul was concerned John M ark had already shown himself to be a quitter and not profitable to have around whilst dealing with people about their eternal souls - he got upset too easily at boldness and ran off to M ummy. He got depressed. Depression is real. And it affects our ability to make a stand for what is right. Conclusion W hy go into such detail with so many examples of depression from the Bible? Because depression comes to us all at some stage. Whether we be Kings or paupers, missionaries or pew sitters, prophets or messengers, wives or husbands - it hits us all. Depression according to W ebste rs 1828 dictionary is a sinking of the spirits; dejection; a state of sadness; want of courage or animation. In the sense that we are talking of it is that morbidity of life brought on by circum stances not going as we have desired or anticipated. In simple terms it is our not getting what we want! M any more examples from the pages of the Bible can be cited of men who becam e depressed. Depression is a fact, not just for the unsaved, but for the saved as well. It is a great hindrance to the saved person being used of God. And it hits EVERY saved person at some stage, some more frequently and for longer periods than others, but it hits all. But depression is saying to God: I am not content with how You are handling things. You are not doing as I want and though I am powerless to change that, I am not going to accept it! Depression is sin. It is reacting to circumstance in an ungodly way.

John 10:10 Jesus cam e to give life and that more abundantly. Paul knew this and experienced it. But Paul still went through the exigencies of life: he suffered physically not only in beatings and jail but in disability that God w ould not remove; he suffered trials and tribulations but instead of bemoaning his situations he rather rejoiced that in them he was being given opportunity to learn the Christ like life, to live the Christ like life and thereby to be a testimony to the lost and an encouragement to the saved. You and I are no different. Depression can come as a result of bringing a wrong offering and having it rejected, grief not properly dealt with, as a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and falling for temptation, after victory, after attack, doing the bidding of God when we do not want to, following our rejection of the Saviour before men, because others are too vocal in their stand for the Lord. But it will come unless we are prepared to handle every situation in a godly fashion. Be a David and come meet the Saviour this morning and let Him give you the joy of salvation. He can and wants to, but only if you will see things His way.

The Cause of Depression: Proverbs 17:22

Today man approaches the issue of depression incorrectly. A m ajor cause of this wrong approach was the acceptance of the work of Sigmund Freud at the end of the 19 th century and the beginning of the last. I say work carefully as the so-called clinical evidence supporting Freuds theory of psychoanalysis is now being questioned on the basis of whether his patients were real. Yet what else would you get from a man, and at that tim e and since, a society that was keen to do away with God? Based on his theory of psychotherapy Freud developed a 3 part model of man. According to Freud man is made up of 3 parts: the Id (mans sex drive and aggression), the Superego (conscience) and the Ego. As far as Freud was concerned problems arise when the Id is suppressed and the role of the Superego is emphasised. Freuds message is to just do it so long as it is within the bounds of acceptable social norms ie to allow the Id to dominate provided that it doesnt hurt anyone else this is where we get this idea of it being alright to do things so long as it doesnt affect anyone else - a major philosophical cause for changes in society away from the Bible over the last century. The method is to encourage the Id to play out its fantasies and thereby rehabilitate the person to act within the norms of society. The consequence of this approach is that as more seek to play out their fantasies the definition of social norms changes. One hundred years ago a womans bare ankle under her dress was never seen. In the early 20 th century someone dared to do it. The reaction was mixed but was positive enough to see the fashion continue. Enough men wanted to see the fashion and enough women saw it as an emancipation that it soon becam e the norm. The definition of fashion norm had changed. This allowed for the legs being shown later in the century and also being accepted. This allow ed later for the mini skirt, then hot pants and today we have skin as being the in fashion. Now note that to bare skin 100 years ago as it is today would never have been accepted. But in making the fashion statement in gradual stages it was inevitable to reach where it is today and it will go further. II Timothy 3:1-7 You do not need to break social norms to achieve this. As you press the extremes of the norm, eventually what was normal becom es the abnormal and the extremes become the new norm, until this is pressed again. So the acceptance today of abortion. This did not simply happen overnight, but w as a gradual process. So also of the sodomite community practices, public availability of pornographic material, the push to legalise drugs, adultery, disobedience of parents, self-centredness, and the list goes on. The more we follow the Freudian concept of simply doing it the sooner that becomes acceptable behaviour and so the values of society are constantly changing. But rem ember how this is achieved. The Superego, or conscience, is suppressed. By liberating the Id ought come release and mental health and stability. In its place comes the false notion of social conscience which has no absolutes because it is fluid, constantly changing. If values are constantly changing people become insecure and so we see society today is made up of more and more people being insecure in life, and consequently a rise in the mentally ill. Society is evolving. Yet even the use of this term is of itself significant in that it has a psychological acceptance and link to the theory of evolution. Evolution itself has to do with so-called physical changes and psychiatry gains acceptance and intellectual repute by becoming a part of the changes necessary to allow evolution. This induces people to expect change in societal behaviour which if it does not come makes some believe that society is in danger of collapsing. This is the view that society needs to be evolving to survive. The end result of this evolution is that it weakens and eventually, if allowed to continue, will erode all moral values. It is C hristians alone, as led by the Holy Spirit, who see the moral degradation and the

fact that this is contrary to Gods unchanging values. According to God there is no need for value changes to ensure mans survival. So this therapy breeds those who will not accept authority. Rather at every turn society today is being told to do their own thing. The Nike advertising campaign declares that we should Just do it! Now we have the Commonwealth Bank campaign of M ake it happen. This is not to say that these organisations are demonic, but they are certainly playing into the hands of the AntiChrist. W ith the rejection of authority we see today sin is bolder than before. It is m ore and more difficult to live morally and preach acceptance of that. In times past the stand was direct: do right or not. Now we are raised to doubt what is right according to the norm. If the norms are constantly changing then what is right? People today are asking as Pilate asked Jesus: W hat is truth? The moral life is now fluid and difficult to determine. Jay Adams says of psychiatry that its goals are personality and behaviour change by altering values (Competent to Counsel, p.12, Jay E. Adams, Zondervan Publishing House). Yet Christianitys goal is the change of a persons relationship to God resulting in an acceptance of unchanging values which effect a change in behaviour. Todays society is more permissive than ever before, it is more tolerant than ever before (to everything but the true Biblical position), but there are more with problems than ever before. Anyone will tell you that society is getting worse, not better. At some stage questions have to be asked of the psychoanalysis model: has it come up with the real cause of the problem of the mental state? Given the results of the model, which have had plenty of time to effect their cure, the answer m ust be a resounding no. And this comes from the empirical evidence, not just from someone who seeks to debunk this as being ungodly. Freud was anti-religion and particularly anti-Christianity. You don't have to be Einstein to realise that Freud missed it. What he developed as a m odel to help man was based on a false analysis of the cause. And most psychiatric models since have swallowed the line completely. But no wonder that Freuds theory has been of no benefit: Consider the Scriptures: Cain it is totally contrary to Gods W ord.

Genesis 4:5-8: Cain had a stubborn resolve not to heed God. He was told that he would rule over Abel but wanted it his way and in his time. But this is nothing new for Cain this was the same problem he had with the offering. Naomi Ruth 1:21: her possessive nature rebelled at losing all that she held dear. Elijah I Kings 19:3-4: he feared for his life and so failed to rely on God. Job Job 3:25-26; 33:8-11; 34:5-11: ever been there? Job thought God had deserted him and for no cause. His faith was wanting. David Psalm 51: Davids adultery. Asaph Psalm 73:1-3: Asaph was envious of w hat the heathen had and that they got by without being rebuked by God - they prospered. Jonah Jonah 4:1: he was angry. Peter Luke 22: Peter was upset because he had let the Lord down. John Mark Acts 13: John M ark was offended by Pauls boldness, but his offence was wrongly taken. So many causes for depression: possessiveness, fear, lack of faith, adultery, envy, anger, failure, false offence. The Bible tells it like no other book - sin is recorded and shown. And herein lies the cause of depression. In each case of these people from the Bible their circumstances had changed and things did not work out the way they expected or as anticipated. The event or failure to meet with expectations was handled badly. This accentuated the problem and that then can become cyclical one thing leads to another and before you know w hat you are sitting under a tree lamenting your existence and asking God to take your life. Ever been there?

Proverbs 17:22: Depression results from a broken spirit, which is a spirit that has, through sin, mishandled a change in circum stances or a failure of events to meet our expectations. A broken spirit has a physical consequence. Each time that you get depressed, each time that you are down it has a physical effect on you. Depression is real. It results from a sinful response. It doesnt have to happen. How does depression express itself? There are many ways in which depression is evidenced in a persons life: morose thoughts of suicide or seeking God to end the life (which is not suicide rather a death wish), inability to meet up to the perceived expectations of others, inability to live up to the standards set by God and as supposedly im posed upon them by the Pastor (praise God for Pastors who pass on the standards of God - w oe to the Pastor who passes on his own), etc. There are those who would say that because of the different ways in which this malady can express itself the way one approaches the matter should differ in accord with the symptoms evidenced in a persons life. But there is only one way to deal with depression. W hether the person who is going through it is suicidal or backsliding from Church or abrogating their responsibilities, the answer is the same in all cases, for God has only one way to resolve this matter! In the depression cycle the depression itself becomes the cause for doing wrong. W e see from Proverbs 16:3 that the change in the behaviour m akes one feel good about oneself. This is what God sought to share with Cain in Genesis 4:7. Depression is NOT inevitable. No matter how far down a person is, depression can ALW AYS be counteracted by Biblical action in the power of the Holy Spirit because depression is the result of sin. Depression results from handling a problem incorrectly. The answer to depression is therefore found in handling the problem Gods way ie with Biblical action in the power of the Holy Spirit, saved. First, one can avoid depression and then there is no depression at all. Second, depression, once experienced, CAN be counteracted. Depression arises from an initial improper handling of a matter ie not handling the matter Gods way in recognition that H e is in control. A poor reaction causes the depression. Physically a person can be well. But something goes wrong and there is a wrong reaction and it sends us into depression. This can lead to a physical problem , a chemical imbalance in the body which interferes with correct behaviour - there is always a consequence to our sinful actions. The person still does not react well to what has happened, and here medication is required to correct the chemical imbalance to make a right reaction more readily attainable. Case Example: II Thessalonians 3:10 Harry is a labourer. In an accident he breaks his leg. Unable to work because of a PHYSICAL disability imposed upon him by circumstance and not of his own making, H arry is a candidate for depression because this is not what he wants. He begins to feel sorry for himself being laid up in bed day in and day out. This reaction is a wrong response to circumstance. Following the Biblical teaching we are to accept ALL matters of circumstance to be used by God to in some way benefit the believer: Romans 8:28. From this small beginning may come a spiralling of events leading to ongoing depression which then becomes all consuming. Having reacted wrongly to the initial onset of a physical problem, Harry may then react wrongly to other matters as they come up after the accident. A bill comes and he is unable to pay it because he is off work. The psyche of societal pressures then comes to bear on Harry. He becomes further depressed because of his responsibility as the bread winner and the expectations of others - he has not provided properly else the bill would be paid. He becomes further depressed.

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Because he is laid up and unable to earn, his wife takes it upon herself to work to pay the bill off, thus sending a further message to Harry that he is incapable of fulfilling his role as a husband and provider. This depresses him further. Because of his enforced period of inactivity the man contracts an infection which makes the likelihood of a quick recovery remote. He is laid off from work when his sick leave runs out and he becomes further depressed. He is now placed on medication to alleviate the depressed condition because he has developed morose tendencies. W ithout the medication the man is unable to cope with his circumstances and rapidly plunges into a deeply depressed state in which he wants no contact with the world or any one in it. He feels that the problem is of his own making and he questions any positive purpose to his existence. Even at this stage, whilst the problem has developed into more than one of the spirit, a return to Gods way can reverse the situation to return the man to a relatively normal life, albeit because of the previous poor responses to his situation this may involve the continued use of medication. It is now that the w orld says that there is little that can be done for this man other than condemn him to a life of medication and expensive ongoing psychiatric or psychological analysis, which treatment in the main is aimless in that it does not appreciate what is actually wrong with the patient and because of this has no real idea as to where to take the patient for resolution. Indeed, through such attem pts at remedy the depressed state of the person can be accentuated because in spite of all this help the problem is not getting any better. This can have the effect of sending the patient into a deeper state of depression. It is to be noted that often a patient is encouraged because the analyst is able to tell him what he is experiencing before he tells the analyst. But this is illusory. This is only learned from behavioural observation, it does not come from an understanding of the situation, unless the analyst has or does suffer from depression himself, yet even in such situations the analyst can only empathise with the symptoms and condition without fully understanding the actual cause. This then is of no real benefit to the patient other than to comfort him that someone else appears to understand - it does not cure the patient nor can it, because the cure to depression, rather than the treatment of it, does not come from behavioural observation, it comes from an understanding of the patients spiritual condition and the impact this has on his life. It m ay be of some comfort to a cancer sufferer that a doctor can understand and articulate what the cancer sufferer is going through, but empathy does not bring a cure any the closer. Equally as symptoms experienced by the cancer sufferer come from a disease we know as cancer, and it is the cancer that needs to be treated, not the symptoms, so also the suffering of one who is depressed com es from a disease we know as sin and it is the sin that needs to be treated, not the sym ptoms. I do not rule out the possibility that some people may, by reason of hereditary influences, be predisposed, for one reason or another, to the effect of poor responses tending to depression. For instance, it is more likely that ones upbringing has raised the understanding that this is the way to respond to difficult situations by reason of the influences of parents, other family, friends or acquaintances responding in this fashion, and it could be a combination of all. Take the situation where a young boy plays and hurts himself. Fathers generally will stop the mothers from going straight to the boys aid (being sure that the child is not seriously hurt requiring immediate attention) - dad doesnt w ant his child to become a mummys boy. Interestingly this action is a positive effect on the child teaching him part of what life is all about. Often where there is no response to the accident the child goes on without complaint or comment. This can even be in situations where the child has really hurt himself. Often mum seeks to rush in - this can be the beginning of (s)mothering the child and turning him into a mummys boy. W hen he doesnt get the response he is used to and therefore seeks, it can lead to depression. Yet, that a person may be so predisposed does not remove from them the opportunity to make correct choices according to Gods way, it merely means that there may be a tendency in that person not to.

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This is a fact of upbringing. It needs be remembered that whilst we are born with a sin nature, we have a choice as to how to respond to our circumstances no matter how we are raised and what our environment has been - w e are responsible for our own sin, including how we so respond. Abraham was raised in a totally pagan household and culture. He was not taught to respond to the true living God. Yet he did so in spite of his upbringing and environment and acknowledging that he was personally responsible for his response to God. Ungodly tendencies and ways can be overcome - by choice! Poor (sinful) responses are of our own making. Further, whilst poor responses can be influenced by our environment, contrary to what Freud and others would have us believe, w e are accountable for what we have done, and should be made aware of this accountability - the Freudian approach has lead generations to believe that they are not so accountable and, not being responsible for what they do, have no problem in behaving in anti-social ways. W hether or not there are influential factors leading us into poor responses, we each of us have the ability, indeed responsibility, to respond in Gods way to all circumstances that present themselves to us. How is a depressed person to be helped? There are Biblical guidelines: 1. 2. 3. Address the matters not being attended to eg chores, responsibilities, etc. This then stops the spiral by a change in behaviour: Proverbs 16:3. Investigate the initial cause of the problem - the first poor response that triggered the problem. Seek to find the triggering circumstances and address them Biblically. Note, as Jay Adams points out, those who have unstructured lives are more likely to suffer from depression. Those who have a 9.00 to 5.00 job generally have their tasks set out for them. W hen a person is selfemployed, mothers at home, etc. a lack of structure can trigger depression when the work is not done. Remove the obstacles to right behaviour.

4.

Those who are positive and do not get depressed easily are generally those who structure their lives with achievable goals and do them . They then feel good having achieved what they sought. Setting unachievable goals will make you prey to depression. A t times we get depressed as a result of circumstances beyond our control as in the exam ple of Harry. As a preacher I see at times in the Church services that things are not good. This gets me depressed because I feel like I have somehow failed - if I had done more then perhaps things would have gone better? Yet the preaching is there, the people have the Bible, they can pray and they are in control of their attitude when they come to Church. If they do not respond to the preaching and do not read the Bible, pray or get their own hearts right, then there is nothing I can do to get them to do what is right except follow Gods way myself: II Timothy 4:2 with all longsuffering and doctrine. To get out of depression I have to accept: (a) (b) (c) (d) there are times I could have done more and have been slothful - I need repent and move on; having done all I am still not responsible for their failure to do right - they are; I am not to get depressed by reason of someone else not doing what is right when they have been properly taught on the matter, or rebuked; and I need follow G ods w ay to be a right testimony myself no matter what others do. So much of todays ills are caused by selfish motivation to judge others for their wrong ways and so take the heat off ourselves. But none of us will give account for what others do (provided we have not caused them to do wrong): Romans 14:10; and as believers our ministry is to help others to be reconciled into fellowship with the Lord, not criticise: Galatians 6:1-2.

This does not mean that as a Pastor I do not feel for the people when this happens - indeed that is a part of having a Pastors heart. Pastors who are not aware of, and moved by, the poor spiritual

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condition of the flock that God has made them the overseer of do not have a Pastors heart and ought consider whether the call of God has been on their life to be where they are! How are we not to deal with the problem? 1. Improve self-image. Self-image is the new age gospel of today, yet it is nothing new . In the garden of Eden the devil sought to impress Eve with a need for self-image: Genesis 3:4-5. He appealed to Eve to feed her fleshly desires. The devil tempted her with the prospect that she could be as a god, knowing good and evil: increase her self-image! Feel good about yourself and your behaviour will change to what is socially acceptable. Notice here how the devil does not tell Eve anything different to what God had said in respect of what type of tree it was. It was certainly the tree of the know ledge of good and evil. But where the temptation came from the devil was what he added: the effect of eating of the fruit of the tree would be to make her as a god. Beware of those w ho w ould add to the W ord of God! The knowledge of good and evil does not make us gods, it only shows us how far we fall short of Gods glory. The same poison is being peddled today by those who would make merchandise of men, turning man to himself and at the same time reaping huge financial rewards for his modern gospel. God made man a tripartite being ie body, soul and spirit. Through the original sin of Adam and Eve man died spiritually and physical death was brought into the world. Whilst ever man remains dead to the spirit he is incomplete. This is the cause of much depression in the world. W hen a person accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour having repented of his sin he is made complete. There is no need for self-image improvement as we have in Christ all the im age w e need. What we need then is to be made more conformed to the image of the Son: Romans 8:29; which is brought about by God taking us through circumstances: Romans 8:28. It is when we really appreciate that ALL circumstances in our lives are there for a purpose that we can start to see that self-image is not what God seeks to promote and that Christ needs to be our answer to all circumstances. Jesus said that if we are to be worthy of Him we are to take up our cross, deny ourselves and come follow Him. This means the opposite to the worlds answer: not only are we not to seek to improve our self-image, it is wrong and contrary to Gods way. He wants us to step aside, die to self, and let Him live through us. It is only then we can not only be complete but we can properly appreciate that we are. 2. Simply do something, get active to get out of the lethargy. W hat is wrong with this approach? Surely it is better than allowing the person to wallow in their lethargy? The problem with this approach lies in what it is that the person does. To do simply anything may mean the person actually doing what is contrary to Gods Word and thereby make the situation for them potentially worse than it already is. The example of Harry can be taken here again. Someone com es to Harry and says youve just got to get out of the house and get active again. So Harry gets out and then involves himself in some ungodly activity eg down the pub with some friends. Because this is not godly activity and Harry has not dealt properly with the cause of the problem already it can have the effect of making the situation worse. The N ike slogan of Just do it! is not a godly response to ANY situation. James 1:22-23 shows us that we are to involve ourselves with godly conduct, not just anything.

Then how are we to deal with the matter? 1. W hat is the problem? How did it originate? circumstances and repent of it. Determine the first wrong response to our

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2.

W hat does GOD want me to do about it now? In Numbers 13-14 M oses sends out 12 men to spy out the land of Canaan. They come back, 2 with a good report about what a great land God was giving them whilst the remaining 10 were negative in their assessment, forgetting that God said He would give them the land, they considered it w as too well fortified and protected for them to go up and take it. The people go with the 10 and decide not to take the land. God rebukes them and tells them they would never now see the land for themselves. In response the people come to M oses the next day, with their tails between their legs, and admit their wrong in not following G od and declare they will now go up and take the land: Numbers 14:40-45. The people, in a bout of depression seek to redress the situation they are now placed in. But M oses warns them and says that God has spoken and He is now not in their going up at this stage. In their depression they refuse to listen and go and fight - they are resoundingly defeated. W e are not simply to follow the worlds teaching to merely do something. W e are to do that which GOD would have us do, no matter what stage of depression we are in. One must do right in GODS eyes to overcome the problem to feel better about oneself, which is not the end to be sought but will be a result of doing what is right. Now do it! Not the Nike Just do it syndrome. Rather do what God would have us do. Take the first step and see what else needs to be done.

3.

One thing those w ho are depressed have mostly in common is their desire to tell God what He ought do with them, even the unsaved, who do not profess a belief in God at all. M any of them call upon God to kill them and, as with Job, lament with others and God of the day that they were born. A nd herein lies the answer to the issue of depression: who are we to tell the Lord God Almighty what He ought do with His creation? No matter what we have done, no matter what we do, hath it not pleased God to make us? God hates our sin, but He loves us each and every one. God makes NO mistakes. He made no mistake in creating you and me! So it is that Elihu responds to Jobs justification of himself by revealing to him that which Job had not appreciated: what arrogance, what pride that man should take it upon himself to reveal to God the error of His ways and to dictate to God what He ought now do to remedy the situation: Job 34:5-9,12; 35:2,14-16. Job had lost his trust in God in this life - he thought he had been left to his own devices. If Romans 8:28 has any place in the Bible then it is this: do not be so arrogant as to think that we are the exception to the rule of Gods perfection, that H e must have made some sought of grand mistake in making us for see how we have failed Him. So then God takes up the rebuke of Job and finishes the message. H ow arrogant we are to think that we are so special that every whim of ours has to be waited upon by the Lord God Almighty! H ow arrogant we are to think that we are so special that Gods plan has been utterly ruined because we have not lived up to His expectations! How arrogant we are to dare think that our lives are so important that all in our lives is going to go famously well how else can w e be a good testimony for God? Have you ever considered that through our mistakes and trials we have the greatest opportunity to be a testimony to God? The measure of a Christians character is the manner in which he responds to all circumstances, difficulties as well as good times. Jesus said to exhibit hospitality to them who are incapable of returning the kindness. It is easy to exhibit so to those who can return it but what is then gained? Love those who are unlovable, your enemies and those the world would seek to forget for these ones cannot be expected to return your love. So it is that the world looks on to see how we respond to those circumstances which God allows in our lives to enable us to be a testimony to others of H is grace and goodness. Get depressed about these circumstances and you lose an opportunity to be a testimony to others and see them perhaps accept the Lord to their eternal salvation. Proverbs 24:15-16 The just man (one who is saved) falleth seven times but riseth up again. Why?

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Look at verse 15: it is a warning to the wicked not to provoke the righteous to fall because he will simply get up again, as a good soldier for Christ, and the wicked will be dealt with. The cause of depression is sin in our lives. I give you, the Bible believer, nothing novel in this, but I seek to bring it to your attention when you may have been missing or avoiding the reality of the truth, and that to your detriment.

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How to gain the Victory over Depression: II Timothy 3:16; Proverbs 16:3
W e have seen thus far that depression is real. N ot only that but it strikes the saved and the unsaved alike. No one is immune to this condition. W e have also seen the cause of depression: it is no more than sin in our lives. Sin can have many different effects, one of which is depression. But let me say this as clearly and deliberately as I can: depression is NOT inevitable. Let me repeat that: depression is NOT inevitable. No matter how far down a person is, depression can ALW AYS be cured. We have seen that depression results from handling of a change in circumstances we had not anticipated incorrectly. It is getting morbid because things don't go our way - we havent got what we want and were going to show others that by getting upset! The answer to depression is found in handling the situation Gods way, not just any way. A godly response to the change in circumstances or results not in keeping with what we anticipated will ALW AYS avoid depression. It was by no coincidence that the devil, in the garden of Eden, sought to attack Gods words when he tem pted Eve. The attack has ever been on Gods Word. W hy? As the name of Jesus has power and so the devil has sought to dilute its effect by getting men to use that name irreverently, so the Word of God has power. How did Jesus respond to the temptations of the devil in the wilderness? W ith the W ord of God. Three times H e responded with the W ord of God and that alone. A principle of the Bible is that at the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every matter be established. By responding on three occasions to the temptations of the devil with the Word of God so Jesus was establishing the principle that there is power in the W ord: power enough to stand against the devil, power enough to withstand temptation, power enough to have the victory in this life. The devil knows this. He doesnt want you to appreciate the truth of the matter. He would have you remain in ignorance thinking, as Freud and others have taught: the W ord of God has no place in these matters, rather you need go to a qualified practitioner of the arts of psychiatry or psychology to gain the victory. But the devil knows that whilst they m ay have a great deal of knowledge they never come to the knowledge of the truth that the Word does have the answers to ALL of lifes issues and questions: II Timothy 3:7. So when the learned scholars of today seek to ridicule those who would turn to the Word for the answers in this life rather than mans brilliant mind, we ought see it as nothing new . In Acts 4:13 we are told of Peter and John preaching the Word. They are noted as being unlearned and ignorant yet because they used the Word nothing could be said against them. Indeed, Paul declares to the Corinthians that he did not come to them with excellency of speech or wisdom, rather preached he the Word: I Corinthians 2:1. So when I declare to you that the answer to this condition of depression is found in the W ord of God, I am not surprised that there are many who seek to ridicule the simplicity of the answer. I come to you not with eloquence of words or of the wisdom of men - I come to you with the healing power of the very W ord of God. Then what does the Word of God have to say on this matter? Have I not already told you that the word depression, nor any derivative thereof, is not found in the Word? But this does not mean that the issue is not covered. Follow the principles of the Bible and you will NEVER give a wrong response to a change in circumstance or results not in keeping with what we have anticipated. This not only means that you have in the W ord of God the way of putting an end to the effects of depression and its spirals, but you

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also have the means to avoid being caught in the very grips of depression altogether. Now before going on I want to deal with a particular issue. The triggering mechanism for depression can be organic. But it is not organic in origin. Depression is a state of the spirit, not the body. There are a number of physical conditions that can cause a chem ical imbalance in the body. But these conditions will not trigger depression if they are handled correctly. Depression comes from wrong responses to circumstance which m ay include physical conditions causing chemical imbalance in the body. W ith that, depending on the depth of the state of depression, chemical imbalance in the body may be worsened (where chemical imbalance was already present) or result: Proverbs 17:22. So medication can be necessary. But this still does not relieve the person from depression as with wrong responses, even though medicated, he can still suffer depression. Depression can have its influence on the condition of the body equally as the condition of the body can bring on the triggers for depression. This means that those who regularly suffer from depression may have to spend some time on medication to regulate the chemical imbalance in the body. Indeed, some may be so affected in this way that they are required to spend the rest of their lives on medication. But medication alone will not give the victory over this condition. It still needs godly responses to our environment. II Timothy 2:15 commands all believers to study the Word. Why? II Timothy 3:16-17. The importance of these verses is often overlooked. The W ord of God is profitable for the believer to be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. To be so requires us to be of sound spiritual condition. James tells us that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways: James 1:8. The believer in depression is double minded - at one time following the Lord and the next feeling sorry for himself or being overly self-critical. Since the W ord of God is of such importance in the life of the believer then we ought study it and consider it. To obtain the victory over depression the pattern leading to depression has to be reversed. An upward cycle of righteous living leading to further righteous living is required. A problem m et by a Biblical response will NEVER result in depression. A Biblical response leads to a solution which strengthens ones ability to solve new problems as they arise. Dependent on the extent of the depression being experienced this will be a ready solution or may take some work. Notice the advice given by God to Cain: Genesis 4:7. God realised that Cain was depressed as a result of the offering he presented not being accepted. But God was telling Cain that he was not depressed because the offering was not accepted. Rather H e was saying that Cains response to not doing right w as the problem. God tells Cain that if he does what is right then he will be accepted and the result of that is that he will feel better. H ow often we hear today that to change a persons response to his circumstance we need to change the way in which he feels. Today when a criminal is caught, rather than have that person face up to being responsible for what he does he is told that because of his upbringing, his current circum stances, the influence of others on his life, then we ought not be so hard: there but for the grace of God go I. Cain com m itted a criminal act in the eyes of God - he sinned by not bringing an acceptable offering. Imagine if you will Cain coming before a judge today and his defence lawyer giving the plea in mitigation. Your Honour you see before you a broken man, the result of an upbringing riddled with abuse and rejection. The Defendants parents are A dam and Eve your Honour. And if those names do not ring loudly in your Honours ears of the dreadful curse that has been upon Cains life from his birth may I remind your Honour that it is because of the activity of his parents, neither of whom is innocent, in that well known but now inaccessible resort of the Garden of Eden that man has been banished from that wonderful place. Can your Honour appreciate the shame

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and ignominy of having to grow up in the household of the people who have caused us all, as well as creation, to be cursed? His childhood was a constant barrage of abusive calls and condemnation caused not by his own actions but of those of his parents. Instead of bringing their children up in the beautiful surrounds, as we are led to believe they were, of the Garden of Eden and the great benefits thereof, because of their actions Adam and Eve have condemned Cain and us all to have to work by the sweat of the brow to eat. Because of this Cain has had great difficulty in finding acceptance from others and thereby himself. Yes Your Honour I appreciate that Abel was also brought up in the same household and does not appear to have been so affected, and I thank Your Honour for pointing this out for therein lies a grave issue to be faced by the Defendant. That Abel was not so affected clearly shows the ineffectiveness of Adam and Eve, not only as representatives of all mankind, but also as parents. For clearly it must be that they were guilty of favouritism. The facts speak for themselves that Abel is a w ell-adjusted person and that because he did not have to bare the brunt of the rest of mankind, and was favoured by his parents. The Defendant has sought, through his own good labours to turn that all around. In presenting his offering to God he was seeking to show his rehabilitation in society by presenting som ething of value from his own hands rather than to rely for his continued support on the beneficence of the Lord God Almighty. Yes Your Honour is correct in noting that God had already provided a sacrifice to cover the sin of Adam and Eve before they were evicted from the Garden of Eden. And yes that may have stood for an example of what God required by way of offering. If I may be permitted to say two things in response to that: W hilst God did sacrifice an animal as a covering for the sin of A dam and Eve, it could not be said that this was clearly a statement from God as to what He expected from Cain and Abel; and secondly ... W ell yes Your Honour, I appreciate that Abel did give an offering that God did accept. Perhaps he was just fortunate that he picked the right offering type? In any event if I may be permitted to continue: 1. I would respectfully submit that in fact Cain was only providing that offering which was expected and required by God. Cain was a tiller of the ground, an occupation that God was content for him to be engaged in as there was no rebuke from G od as he toiled in such pursuits. Now I would put to Your H onour that it would be reasonable to expect a man engaged in agricultural endeavour to then make an offering of what he had produced, which clearly Cain had thought to do. W ell yes Your Honour I am aware that when God rebuked Cain for his sullenness over having his offering rejected that he said nothing about his believing that this would be acceptable. But Your Honour at that stage he had not had his rights read to him and so his failure to respond ought not be taken as an indication of his state of mind at the time. Yes Your Honour I am aware that God reads the thoughts and intents of the heart and God does indicate that what Cain had done was sinful. I can but say that perhaps God was a little hasty in his dealing with Cain. And that Your Honour brings me to the conclusion of this plea. I respectfully suggest that this man Cain, in the eyes of God a criminal for this sin though possibly hastily concluded so, in fact is a hero in the eyes of many by virtue of his having overcome such a dreadful childhood and taken his life into his own hands and achieved something. But God will not countenance such pleas: Proverbs 19:21. God did not seek to excuse Cains actions, 2.

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rather make him realise that he, and only he, was responsible for what he had done, and its consequences. Yet God does not let it rest there. God gives Cain the most valuable advice that anyone can get - advice that today still has the benefit of avoiding the consequences of sin. This advice was to do what was right and acceptance will follow. As the cause for Cains depression was the ungodly reaction of feeling sorry for himself when his offering w as not accepted, so God says do what is right and acceptance will follow, which will also make him feel good. But if w e do what is wrong then we will feel bad about ourselves - because of sin. Our sin. Our choice. No one elses. Gods advice to us is the sam e today: do what is right then we will be accepted and then will we feel right about ourselves. This is the message from Proverbs 16:3. If we will commit our works unto God, that is to do what is right so as to please Him, then our thoughts will be established - we will feel good about ourselves and our circumstances - it will give no ground to the devil to be able to question us as to what sort of person we are. For make no mistake on the m atter, the devil would seek to have us constantly questioning how we can be believers by sinning as we do. The world says the problem is emotional not behavioural, but the reality is the problem is behavioural not emotional: Proverbs 18:4. If we do all in our lives (work, family, leisure) unto the Lord, then we will ALW AYS have a right attitude from God being in control. Depression can be brought on from many things:

At times our depression is caused by our thinking m ore highly of ourselves than we ought. W hen we do not meet our own expectations then we get upset (wrong response) and become depressed. Yet Paul warns us in this regard: Romans 12:3; Proverbs 16:18. At times our depression is caused by the expectations of others and our failure to meet them. This gives rise to stress (wrong response) and we become depressed. Stress is our response to expectations others have of us. Those who do not get stressed do not have a problem with expectations of others. And the believer who does not get stressed also appreciates that God desires of us no more than is reasonable: Luke 17:3-10; Romans 12:1. At times our depression is caused by our guilt (wrong response) over sin and we become depressed. W e find it difficult to reconcile this with what we know to be Gods ideal walk of the believer. And yet even here we can overcome the problem: Proverbs 24:15-16; I John 1:9. W hen we are honest with ourselves, most of us know the sin that has caused our depression: Psalm 51:1-3. Turn from that which is wrong (repentance), for as a saved person you are no longer under the spell of sin: Romans 6:19.

Are w e getting the picture here? Depression is NOT an inevitable consequence of life, nor is it something that need enslave us, provided we are prepared to take God seriously and follow His ways. Overcoming depression is a matter of discipline in what we do. If we follow Gods advice to Cain and do right then we will be accepted. To do that we need to know m ore of the Scriptures to know what is that response to any given situation that pleases God. Discipline is the secret to godliness: I Timothy 4:7. To do this we need to:

Study: II Timothy 2:15; Get rid of the teaching of the world: Romans 12:2; Repent of our wrong ways: I John 1:9; Once we know what is right then do it: James 4:17; Proverbs 16:3.

But what does this mean in a practical sense? It means when things don't go your way don't mope about it - learn to appreciate that God has a purpose in everything that happens in our lives, and that to our benefit. And respond to such events in a godly w ay - how would Jesus have handled it? This is committing our works unto the Lord: Proverbs 16:3.

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For the example of Harry, there is nothing he can do to change w hat has happened, whether or not it be his fault. Attitude is what determines how fulfilling life is for us, and attitude is determined by what we do. Godly responses will give us a good attitude. How many times have we seen someone go through a difficult situation and been impressed by how they have responded: I wish I could handle it as well as him. M y wife and I have five children alive today. W e did have a sixth. His name was Jared. He was born with and severely affected by cerebral palsy, and he died at the age of 12. M y wife and I could easily have become depressed at the prospect of looking after Jared, but we couldnt do anything about it, and certainly Jared couldnt. Of what value is it to become depressed? M ake the best of the situation you can. Then again how many times have we seen people respond badly to situations and thought: I hope I never respond like that. Sinful habits of response must be broken and replaced by Biblical patterns. And let me say that such patterns are developed from a young age. From Proverbs 22:6 we know that we are to train our children in the way they should go, that is Gods ways. Parents, share your failures with your children, lest you be put on an unrealistic pedestal of perfection your child can never, and should not be pressured to, attain. This involves accepting them for who they are rather than for what they do. If we make our acceptance of our children dependent upon their performance they are developing unBiblical patterns of what it means to be accepted. Jesus did not accept you and I for what we have done, but because He loved us: Psalm 132:11-14. But isnt this simply taking God at His W ord? II Tim othy 3:16-17 How important is the Word of God to you? Proverbs 16:6 As you read the W ord are you looking for wisdom from God to help you live a godly life? Let me share some Scriptures with you:

Proverbs 15:21: Understanding is the answer to depression for in it a man walks uprightly. They who lack understanding will walk in depression; Proverbs 16:2: W e get depressed because we seek to justify our actions as being proper rather than face the truth. Compare this with Jobs response to his situation and Elihus understanding of the situation: Job 34:6; noting that God did not rebuke Elihu but he did Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar; Proverbs 16:16: Jesus said Look up for your redemption draweth nigh. Proverbs 15:16-17; Philippians 4:9-13; Proverbs 16:8; Colossians 3:2;

Proverbs 15:13,15: Job said that he esteemed the w ords of Gods mouth more than his necessary food (Job 23:12) and Jesus declared that man doth not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (M atthew 4:4). For those who think nothing or little of the W ord there will be a continual famine of joy. Such are prime candidates for depression. But those who are continually in the W ord, esteeming it more than their necessary food, are those who are of a merry countenance as they see the promises of God in their redemption, in the Rapture, in their life in Heaven with our Saviour.

A hindrance to faithfulness is depression. The devil is not responsible for your depression. But he wins when you give in to depression. Don't let the devil have the victory in your life. He may not be able to stop you from being saved, but he can remove the joy of your salvation and your faithfulness to God by putting things in your way to get you off track. Depression is one thing he can seek to use in your life. Don't let him.

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Depression: Why we should not fall prey to it

Depression is that morbidity of life that being concerned for self is brought on by our responding incorrectly to events not going as we have desired or anticipated. It is rebellion at not getting what we wanted! W e have seen the reality of depression through Biblical exam ples. W e have seen the cause of depression coming from a broken spirit resulting from things not going as we have desired or anticipated: Proverbs 22:17. W e have seen that victory can be had over depression through a correct approach: Proverbs 16:3. But here we have to be careful. W hat I have given to you from the Bible makes no sense to that person who is not saved. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, having repented of your sin, then you cannot know true victory over depression. And, mores the pity, you probably do not even recognise that any of this can help you or anyone, for the things of the Bible make no sense to you as yet. This we are told in the W ord: I Corinthians 2:14. You can seek to find an answer, you can cover it up, you can live as if it were not there: but you will not have victory without the W ord of God! I would urge you who are not saved to consider taking Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. But salvation in Christ Jesus gives the opportunity for that victory, but even then it must be taken, it doesnt simply happen. The question for those who believe is: have we taken that opportunity and gained the victory over depression? W hen were you last depressed? Equally as you can have the victory now, you could have had the victory then. Go back over the last message in this series and see how you too can have the victory over this debilitating condition. Depression comes through many different avenues: someone says something that hurts you; something has happened that you did not want to happen; you become upset over som e m atter. Do nothing and the devil has the victory. To have the victory over depression you have to take action, but not just any action will do, godly action is required: Proverbs 16:3. For the believer the first step to that victory com es with confession of what has been the incorrect response: I John 1:9. Then it is that God can work in our lives to gain the victory: M atthew 11:28. But why is overcom ing depression so important? Let me give you four reasons why the believer should seek the victory over depression: 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. God wants to use you God wants you to be effective in the local Church You are an am bassador for Christ For your own well-being God wants to use you From Ephesians 2:10 w e see that there is a purpose to our salvation. God desires for us to be in Heaven w ith H im. But He also has a purpose for us in this life now that we are saved: He wants us to walk in the works that He hath before ordained that we should walk in them. W e are His workmanship and therefore God would have us be a new creature now that we are in Christ Jesus: II Corinthians 5:17. W e are created in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 2:4-7; through salvation and Jesus needs then to become our life unto good works. Now we know that in ourselves is no good thing: Romans 3:12; but in Christ we can becom e a vessel for use of the Lord if we will rest in Him to do what needs to be done: Philippians 4:13. And since it is the case that God hath before ordained good works for us to walk in, then it is simply a matter for us to make ourselves available to walk in them. This has to do with Romans 8:29.

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In appreciating that God has prepared good works for us to walk in, then does it becom e more evident that God would have us commit our works unto Him: Proverbs 16:3. If you are depressed then Gods purpose for you is frustrated. 2. God wants you to be effective in the local Church I Corinthians 12:18 is a powerful message to every believer. God loves us so much that He considers us individually to place us in the local Church of His choosing. Now there are those who would say that the Church of Jesus Christ is universal, spiritual and invisible which every believer becomes a member of upon salvation. This is the Protestant view, developed essentially to differentiate it from that from which they were spawned: the Catholic Church. The Catholic church sees itself as universal, spiritual with its visible representation here on earth as the Catholic church which one becomes a member of through baptism. Both hold to a universal, one church position. For either of these views to be correct, there is only one church (body) into which God can place a person, so therefore what can it mean by as it hath pleased Him? It cannot refer to placing a believer in the local church if either of these universal church views is right, as there is only one church under both views. The placing of the believer in the body to please God can only therefore refer to the matter of salvation. Thus, according to this position, it pleases G od to save some and not others ie God is a God of predestination, predestining some to salvation and others to hell. A nd yet many passages refer to the free will of man: John 3:16; Acts 17:30 (the fact of a command means that the person being commanded has an ability to obey or disobey which means there is a free will choice in respect of salvation, for repentance is a necessary part of salvation); Romans 10:13; Ephesians 2:8-9. If then there is a free will choice in the matter of salvation then there is no universal church and as it hath pleased him m akes reference to it pleasing God to choose which particular local church, as opposed to some other local church, He places the believer in for His own purposes. This is evidently the meaning of the verse when also taken in context of the whole chapter. But we see here from this verse that God is interested in the local church and He places His people in such local church as it is going to best benefit both the individual and the church to which God has brought him. That means that God places a believer in the local church to be effective in that local church. And we are able to be so effective in a number of ways, but let me deal with three: (i) In Hebrews 10:24-25 Paul gives us some principles by which w e can be effective in the local church: (a) we are to provoke one another to love and to good works. This is an important aspect of being in the local church because it reflects on its testimony. Jesus, when He walked upon this earth constantly sought to encourage His disciples in just this way. But when we are depressed it is difficult to be positive with others, and our focus will not be on love and good works in any event. Indeed, in a depressed state our provocation is likely to be negative rather than positive and we can therefore actually do damage to the local church, and thus to the cause of Christ; we find it difficult to provoke others in a godly fashion when we are not in attendance at the local Church. W hen w e are depressed we do not feel like going to Church. In our absence some person has attended who needed the provocation that only we could provide for the moment. That person misses out and so the church suffers.

(b)

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(ii)

Again in Colossians 4:6 Paul seeks to encourage us in the way in which we can be effective in the local church. Our speech, if with grace, will be uplifting to others around us. Grace means to give that w hich is not deserved. A compliment may not, though appropriate, always be deserved in our view. W e may not always feel like giving the compliment, the exhortation. Then again there is a problem with going on feelings - we are not to go by feelings, w e are to go by the Word of God! One of the reasons we get ourselves into trouble with depression, and other issues in our lives, is because we tend to rely too much on our feelings. The C harismatics are particularly prone to fall to this problem as they live their roller coaster emotional lives seeking the charge to feel better about them selves as they speak in tongues and prophesy - or so they think. W e are not saved by our feelings, nor are we to be led in our lives by our feelings: Romans 10:17. Rather are we to commit our works unto the Lord and that will take care of our feelings. God says our speech needs to be with grace. It really doesnt matter whether you feel like it or not: go do it! M y mother used to tell m e that if I couldnt say anything nice about someone then I shouldnt say anything at all. M y mother had wisdom in this matter. It would do us all well to consider putting that into practice in our lives. Now there are times when we feel that a piece of advice ought be given to someone because we can see where they are headed and we want to help them avoid the pitfalls of life. After all, we have been where they are and it can only help them to benefit from our experience, right? Here is a principle that needs to be carefully considered: if you are not asked for your advice then it is most likely that it w ill not be accepted and it will be seen as criticism, which is not encouraging. This is particularly so if the problem is a spiritual one where the recipient of our well-meaning advice is having difficulty in their walk with the Lord and thereby actually wallowing in the flesh. The flesh does not want to hear anything of the spirit. And it only antagonises when the spiritual advice is given. In M iddle Eastern culture it is the way that a person who is in mourning should not be spoken to until that person first speaks. Job says nothing for 7 days and his friends hold their peace out of respect. We ought carefully consider breaking the silence of a persons solitude of mourning. Now there is a Biblical principle of rebuke and reproof: II Timothy 4:1-2. But there is often a difference between our advice and Biblical rebuke and reproof. Rebuke is pointing out a Biblical fault. General advice is pointing out what we consider wrong and giving our opinion on how it should be corrected. If it is not asked for, don't give advice! A nd often it is that we want to give an opinion - yet it is the W ord of God that is needed, not our opinions! And remember, if you are not the Pastor of the church, you are not the Pastor! W here a Pastor can speak to a person in the congregation a certain way, another member of the congregation may not be able to say the same thing and have it accepted. How often those in the congregation seem to want to take pastoral duties into their own hands and help the Pastor out. U nless you know what you are doing, have discussed it with the Pastor and he is content for you to go ahead, don't get into spiritual counselling - you will often cause more harm than good and you will undermine the Pastors work and authority. But the passage here does not end there. Our speech is to be with grace, seasoned with salt. Salt is not rebuke. Again, rebuke is pointing out a fault. Smoking is a fault. You smoke and I will rebuke you. It is sin. A nd a believer can give it up if he will rest in Jesus: M atthew 11:28. In Romans 6 Paul teaches us that in Christ we are no longer the slaves to sin we were before we were saved. Now we have a choice in the matter, and we can choose not to follow unrighteousness. I Corinthians 6:19-20 tells us that the

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believer is no longer his own. Having been purchased, bought for the price of the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, we now belong to God. Smoking is not only a dirty habit (producing bad breath, making our clothes smell and marking our body with nicotine stains), it is injurious to the body as the smoke that is inhaled into the lungs destroys the organs of the body that keep us alive and functioning properly, and it contains cancer producing agents which can eventually kill. W e are made in the image of the Almighty God of the Universe: Genesis 1:26. Could you imagine Jesus sm oking? Then w hy w ould we? And if you cant see the sense of this for yourself, then turn to Romans 14:13 and see that the command of Scripture is that we are not to be a stumbling block to others in what w e do. You smoke and another believer who has a problem in that area then thinks that it must be alright to smoke. And we cant use the excuse of: I am not m y brothers keeper. He knows it is wrong equally as I do and he is responsible for what he does. Yes, we are all individually accountable for our own sin, but by this passage God is saying that if you contribute to someone else sinning then you are also responsible! And when that other person does not have the victory over sin in his life, he is likely to get depressed, as you are in maintaining that sin of smoking in your life. Then you need to get serious about this and quit smoking: Proverbs 16:3. But Pastor you don't know what its like and you shouldnt judge what I am doing! Im a reformed smoker myself. I gave it up by simply saying N o! A nd do not fall for the worlds ploy to try and justify what you are doing: Jesus said it was wrong to judge, but He spoke in this m atter of the judging motive: M atthew 7:1-4. Jesus also spoke of Church discipline: M atthew 18:15-17; which requires us to judge, not motives, but actions. Smoking is an action - I dont need to judge the m otive to see and declare that it is sin. And in case there be those who would think that because they do not smoke then this does not apply to them, let them think again. I use smoking only as an example. There are many different sins that we get into. If smoking is not your sin, then look into your life and judge yourself: what I have said applies to whatever sin you see there, and if you see none then take the patches off your spiritual eyes so that you can see. Look at Galatians 5:21 and look for the such like. Salt is the gospel, it is our godliness as seen by others. Salt stings an open wound. Godly living stings the heart of the unrepentant sinner as it convicts of the sin in his life. And our speech needs to be seasoned with Biblical truth to go with our walk. To be seasoned means that it adds taste to the grace, it does not overwhelm it. Salt stings a wound, but fresh salt also heals the same wound. Let our speech be with grace, seasoned with salt, that in so doing it m ight be used of God to heal the broken heart of a sinner unto repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. If we are depressed, our speech will neither be with grace, nor seasoned with salt. (iii) The uncomely part of the local church, those who are feeble in the faith, ought be encouraged and lifted up by those who are stronger: I Corinthians 12:22-27. And the ones that are more spiritual ought lift up those who have fallen and restore them: Galatians 6:1-2. Show your m aturity in Christ by lifting others up, not bringing them down. And in so doing will you fulfil the law of Christ as you show your love in Christ to others which will see there be no schism in the body, the local church. But it is very difficult to show our maturity in Christ and to bestow more abundant honour on those who are feeble when we are depressed. So we see that in our depression we are being disobedient to God by not being the testimony

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and effect that He would have us be in the local church. 3. You are an Ambassador for Jesus Christ Paul tells us that all believers have a ministry of reconciliation. W e are for that purpose ambassadors for Christ here on earth: II Corinthians 5:17-21. This does not mean that we, or any of us, are Christ on earth. It means that in all that we do we represent Him on earth to bring people to the cross that they might be saved. The unsaved cannot see us as ambassadors for Christ when we are depressed. 4. For your own wellbeing Depression comes from a broken spirit caused by sin in our lives. From Proverbs 22:17 we see that a broken spirit drieth the bones. When we have a broken spirit it actually causes a physical problem for us - it affects us physically. That physical effect can be temporary or produce a permanent problem depending on how long we leave it go without attending to it, or on how big a problem it is in our lives. Depression can produce long-term, even perm anent damage to our bodies requiring us to rely on medication to assist us in overcoming the problem. For your own well-being, take the victory in your life over depression. The believer has the W ord of Life: Philippians 2:14-16. It is precious. Depression is a murmuring and disputing and only hinders the effect of the W ord of Life with which Paul exhorts us to shine as lights in the world. W e do indeed live in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, but hold fast to that which we have without wavering. So it was also for our predecessors in the faith: Hebrew 11:1316. True it is that if they had been mindful of w here they had come from, rather than look forward to what God has for us, then they too may have fallen to depression and not been able to be used by God. Let us not fall prey to depression and give the devil the victory. Let God use us, and that for His glory.

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