Embracing God's Thoughts
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of aligning our thoughts with God's higher ways and truths.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that in any disagreement between God and man, God is always right, and man is always wrong. He asserts that the only way for a person to be correct is to align their thoughts with God's, as human thoughts are often vain and misguided. Tozer identifies four key areas where human understanding diverges from divine wisdom, starting with our thoughts, highlighting Isaiah's declaration that God's thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours. This sermon calls for humility and a willingness to embrace God's perspective in order to find true righteousness.
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Whenever and wherever there is a controversy between God and a man, God is always right and the man always wrong. "So that you may be proved right in your words and prevail in your judging" (Psalm 51:4).
The only way any man can be right is to come over onto God's side. Whoever sticks to his own side is forever wrong.
The points at which God's way and man's intersect are likely to be four (though there may be others), and we will usually find our differences with God to occur somewhere in these four areas.
First, our thoughts. Divine inspiration has declared that the thoughts of man are vain, and in the prophecy of Isaiah, God sets His case before us so plainly that comment is hardly necessary: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Understanding the nature of God's thoughts - The contrast between divine and human reasoning - The importance of aligning our thoughts with God
- II points: - Recognizing the vanity of human thoughts - The implications of Isaiah 55:8-9 - The necessity of divine inspiration
- III points: - The consequences of sticking to our own side - The call to come over to God's side - The transformative power of embracing God's thoughts
- IV points: - Practical steps to align our thoughts with God - The role of prayer and meditation - Community and accountability in thought alignment
Key Quotes
“Whenever and wherever there is a controversy between God and a man, God is always right and the man always wrong.” — A.W. Tozer
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” — A.W. Tozer
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Regularly examine your thoughts against Scripture to ensure alignment with God's will.
- Engage in prayer and meditation to invite divine inspiration into your thinking.
- Seek accountability within your community to help maintain a focus on God's truths.