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  MINDS--BLIND OR OPENED
  by A.W. Tozer
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Summary: True certainty comes from faith in the Scriptures as the full
and true revelation of God's mind to men.

Topics: "Authority of Scripture", "Spiritual Understanding"
Scripture References: 2 Timothy 3:16

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DESCRIPTION
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A.W. Tozer emphasizes the necessity of God's inspired Word for clarity
in understanding spiritual truths, arguing that without it, even the
most intelligent minds can misinterpret reality. He points out that many
religious individuals, despite their strong desire for knowledge, often
overlook the Scriptures, leading to confusion and personal
interpretations. Tozer acknowledges that while some Bible lovers may be
overly dogmatic, their certainty is rooted in the authority of
Scripture, contrasting it with those who rely solely on personal
opinions. He warns that the most rigid dogmatism often arises from those
who lack a scriptural foundation for their beliefs.

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CONTENT
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Until the full light of God?s inspired Word floods down upon the
religious landscape, almost everything is obscure and indistinct. The
finest minds see things that are not there and fail to see the things
that are. This inability to make out the details is a frustrating thing
to persons of a strong religious bent and results in a lot of guessing
and theological improvising. Such persons demand to know, and though
they neglect or reject the holy Scriptures they will know, regardless,
in some manner satisfying to themselves.

Bible lovers have been blamed for being excessively dogmatic and it may
be that they sometimes are.

I do not wish to justify a spirit of cocksureness wherever it may be
found, but the certainty of the believer may be understood when it is
remembered that it springs from his faith in the Scriptures as the full
and true revelation of the mind of God to men. His dogmatism has back of
it the strong ?thus saith the Lord? of prophet and apostle. My own
experience has taught me, however, that the most stubborn dogmatism is
found not among those who quote the Bible to support their convictions,
but among those who quote no one and claim for their spiritual authority
nothing higher than their own opinions.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/minds-blind-or-opened/
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