I would believe God’s word before my feelings any day. How do we deal with an inquirer who has accepted Christ, but who lacks assurance that he has eternal life? We do not ask him to look at his feelings, but we take him to some such passage as John 3.36. We tell him to read it and he reads: ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.’ ‘Who says that?’ we ask. ‘God says it.’ ‘Is it true?’ ‘Oh, certainly it is true; God says it.’ ‘ Who does God say has everlasting life?’ ‘He that believeth on the Son.’ ‘Do you believe on the Son?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘What have you then?’ ‘O, I don’t know, I don’t feel yet that I have eternal life,’ ‘ But what does God say?’ ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.’ ‘Are you going to believe God or your feelings?’ We hold the inquirer right there until on the simple, naked word of God, feeling or no feeling, he says, ‘I know I have eternal life because God says so,’ and afterward the feeling comes.
– RA Torrey –