Christ Is Not Divided
The sermon emphasizes the importance of understanding Christ as a whole Person, both Savior and Lord, and warns against the dangers of bad teaching that separates these two aspects.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the danger of presenting a divided Christ, where individuals are encouraged to accept Jesus solely as Savior without acknowledging Him as Lord. He critiques the prevalent teaching that suggests one can be saved without the necessity of obedience and discipleship, arguing that this misunderstanding undermines the fullness of the gospel. Tozer insists that true faith requires both acceptance of Christ's saving grace and a commitment to His lordship, as one cannot truly receive Christ in parts. He calls for a return to a holistic understanding of the gospel that encompasses both salvation and sanctification.
Text
Much of our full gospel literature and much of our preaching tend to perpetuate a misunderstanding of what the Bible says about obedience and Christian discipleship. I think the following is a fair statement of what I was taught in my early Christian experience and before I began to pray and study and anguish over the whole matter: "We are saved by accepting Christ as our Savior." "We are sanctified by accepting Christ as our Lord." "We may do the first without doing the second." What a tragedy that in our day we often hear the gospel appeal made in this way: "Come to Jesus! You do not have to obey anyone. You do not have to give up anything.
Just come to Him and believe in Him as Savior!" The fact that we hear this everywhere does not make it right!
To urge men and women to believe in a divided Christ is bad teaching-for no one can receive a half or a third or a quarter of the divine Person of Christ!
Sermon Outline
- The Misunderstanding of Obedience and Discipleship
- The Two Aspects of Christ
- The Consequences of Bad Teaching
- Urging men and women to believe in a divided Christ
- Cannot receive a half or a third of the divine Person of Christ
Key Quotes
“We may do the first without doing the second.” — A.W. Tozer
“To urge men and women to believe in a divided Christ is bad teaching-for no one can receive a half or a third or a quarter of the divine Person of Christ!” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must understand that accepting Christ as Savior is not enough, we must also accept Him as Lord and follow His teachings.
- Bad teaching can lead people astray and prevent them from receiving the fullness of Christ.
- We must be careful not to separate the two aspects of Christ and instead strive to understand Him as a whole Person.