Minds--Blind or Opened
True certainty comes from faith in the Scriptures as the full and true revelation of God's mind to men.
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.
Text
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.
Sermon Outline
- The Problem of Obscurity
- The Source of Certainty
- The Dangers of Dogmatism
- Cocksureness without biblical support
- Dogmatism based on personal opinions
Key Quotes
“The finest minds see things that are not there and fail to see the things that are.” — A.W. Tozer
“His dogmatism has back of it the strong ?thus saith the Lord? of prophet and apostle.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should strive to understand the Bible as the full and true revelation of God's mind to men.
- We should be cautious of dogmatism based on personal opinions rather than biblical support.
- We should prioritize faith in Scripture as the source of our certainty.