Truth Tests

By A.W. Tozer


We need to cultivate a healthy skepticism toward everything that cannot be supported by the plain teaching of the Bible. Belief is faith only when it has God's revealed truth for its object; beyond that it may be fully as injurious as unbelief itself. 

Many of the stories brought forward to justify the ways of God to men actually prove nothing except the unsoundness of the speaker's intellectual fiber. Yet if all chimney-corner Scripture and old wives' tales were forbidden, many a preacher would have to get out of the ministry. It is a deep pity that the Christian public must be forced to listen to so much nonsense and be helpless to do anything about it.

The point is, the Word of God needs no support from men. It stands alone, strong and majestic as the Matterhorn. When we call in the aid of childish stories and shaky illustrations to prove its truth, we do no more than to reveal our hidden unbelief and air our weak credulity.

Truth Revelations

By A.W. Tozer


That we must often receive new truth into minds already cluttered up with old truths, half-truths and scraps of downright error, and fit it into the total in such a way that it will appear right and 'feel' right to the heart, makes it extremely difficult for us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The camel may squeeze through the eye of the needle and be well on his way before some of us can rid ourselves of our hindrances and get our minds clear for the free reception of God's unadulterated truth. 

Lest the bare statement of the facts tend to discourage someone, let us look at the other side of the question. Undoubtedly God knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. We should not berate ourselves too much for this weakness. Even an apostle had to have a vision from heaven to free him from some of his old misconceptions and open his heart to a new order of truth (Acts 10:9-16). 

And we should remember that it does not take a perfect understanding of all truth to save a man and bring him into communion with God. Furthermore, God has sent us a Teacher in the person of the Holy Spirit (John 16:12-15). If we humble ourselves and come to God as little children, He will reveal His Son in us and favor us with revelations of spiritual truth unknown to the wise and the prudent (Matthew 11:25-27).

TRUTH IS A PERSON

By A.W. Tozer


Let me say boldly that it is not the difficulty of discovering truth, but the unwillingness to obey it, that makes it so rare among men. Our Lord said, "I am the Truth." And again He said, "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." 

Truth, therefore, is not hard to find for the very reason that it is seeking us! So we learn that Truth is not a thing for which we must search, but a Person to whom we must hearken! In the New Testament, multitudes came to Jesus for physical help, but only rarely did one seek Him out to learn the Truth. The whole picture in the gospels is one of a seeking Savior, not one of seeking men. The Truth was hunting for those who would receive it, and relatively few did, for "many are called, but few are chosen."

TRUTH HAS A SOUL

TRUTH HAS A SOUL

By A.W. Tozer


I believe there is a positive warning in the gospels that a person's faith may stand in the revealed Bible text-and still be as dead as the proverbial door nail! Consider the prayer of our Lord in Matthew 11: "All things are delivered unto me of my Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." There is more than a body of truth - and if we do not get through to the soul of truth, we have only a dead body on our hands. When the power of God moves in on the text and sets the sacrifice on fire, then you have genuine Christianity! 

We try to call that revival, but it is not revival at all. It is simply New Testament Christianity. People who thought they were saved get saved! People who have only believed in a code now have placed their faith and trust in Christ's person. It is not any deluxe edition of Christianity-it is simply New Testament Christianity having its place!

Like a concealed worm at the root of a flower

Like a concealed worm at the root of a flower

(John Angell James)

It may be that your hindrances to a more rapid
growth in grace, arise from some specific cause,
some sin indulged, some corruption cherished. Is
there not some sacrifice which you are unwilling
to make, or something which you are unwilling to
surrender? You must give up the forbidden thing,
or your growth in grace is impossible! That one sin
will, like a concealed worm at the root of a
flower—eat out the very life of your piety, and
cause it to droop, wither, and decay. 

If we fall as Peter fell

If we fall as Peter fell

(J. C. Ryle, "The Gospel of Luke" 1858)

"And Peter left the courtyard, crying bitterly." 
    Luke 22:62

See how bitter sin is to believers, when they
have fallen into it and discovered their fall.

Peter found out by experience the truth of
Jeremiah's words, "It is an evil and a bitter
thing that you have forsaken the Lord."

He felt keenly the truth of Solomon's saying,
"The backslider in heart shall be filled with
his own ways."

No doubt he could have said with Job, "I
abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

Sorrow like this, let us always remember, is
an inseparable companion of true repentance.

The falls of a 'graceless professor' are falls from
which there is no rising again. But the fall of a
'true believer' always ends in . . .
  deep contrition,
  self-abasement,
  and amendment of life.

Let us take heed, before we leave this passage,
that we always make a right use of Peter's fall.
Let us never make it an excuse for sin. Let us
learn from his sad experience—to watch and
pray, lest we fall into temptation. If we do fall,
let us believe that there is hope for us as there
was for him.

But above all, let us remember, that if we fall
as Peter fell, we must repent as Peter repented;
or else we shall never be saved.

"And Peter left the courtyard, crying bitterly."

He waits to fall upon our neck and kiss us!

He waits to fall upon our neck and kiss us!

(James Smith, "The Pastor's Morning Visit")

"Only acknowledge your iniquity!" Jeremiah 3:13

Will the Lord receive us when we have backslidden from Him, and are desirous of returning to Him? Oh, yes, He invites, He exhorts, He beseeches us to return! Nor does He prescribe any hard conditions — but He says, "Only acknowledge your iniquity!"

He is so ready to forgive, so infinitely gracious in His nature — that if we only confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Have we wandered? 

Have we left our first love? 

Let us go and return to our first husband, for then it was better with us than now. His affections yearn for us, His arms are open to receive us, and He waits to fall upon our neck and kiss us!

Let us go to His throne of grace — and there . . .
  confess our sins,
  beg His pardon,
  sigh for the enjoyment of His love — 
and He will restore unto us the joys of His salvation. 

Let us daily confess our iniquities unto the Lord, and He will pardon our numerous sins. 

In His favor is life. In His frown is distress and woe. 

He delights in mercy. 

He will receive us, pardon us, and bless us — like a God! 

His mercy endures forever!