Gasping for the Glory of God
True spirituality is characterized by a dominant desire to be holy rather than happy and to prioritize God's honor in every choice.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that true spirituality is characterized by deep-seated desires that prioritize holiness over happiness. He argues that many Christians seek happiness instead of striving for holiness, which indicates a lack of true sanctity. Tozer highlights that a genuinely spiritual person seeks to honor God, even at the cost of personal loss or dishonor, embodying a commitment to God's glory that is instinctive and unwavering. This desire for God's glory is as vital as air to a suffocating man, illustrating the depth of longing for divine honor in one's life.
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True spirituality manifests itself in certain dominant desires. These are ever-present, deep-settled wants sufficiently powerful to motivate and control the life. For convenience let me number them, though I make no effort to decide the order of their importance. 1. First is the desire to be holy rather than happy. The yearning after happiness found so widely among Christians professing a superior degree of sanctity is sufficient proof that such sanctity is not indeed present. The truly spiritual man knows that God will give abundance of joy after we have become able to receive it without injury to our souls, but he does not demand it at once.
John Wesley said of the members of one of the earliest Methodist societies that he doubted that they had been made perfect in love because they came to church to enjoy religion instead of to learn how they could become holy. 2. A man may be considered spiritual when he wants to see the honor of God advanced through his life even if it means that he himself must suffer temporary dishonor or loss. Such a man prays ?Hallowed be Thy name,? and silently adds, ?at any cost to me, Lord.? He lives for God?s honor by a kind of spiritual reflex. Every choice involving the glory of God is for him already made before it presents itself. He does not need to debate the matter with his own heart; there is nothing to debate.
The glory of God is necessary to him; he gasps for it as a suffocating man gasps for air.
Sermon Outline
- Dominant Desires of True Spirituality points: - Desire to be holy rather than happy - Yearning for happiness is not a sign of true sanctity
- Desire for God's Honor points: - Wanting to see God's honor advanced through life - Willing to suffer temporary dishonor or loss for God's honor
- Spiritual Reflex points: - Living for God's honor without debate - Prioritizing God's glory in every choice
Key Quotes
“The truly spiritual man knows that God will give abundance of joy after we have become able to receive it without injury to our souls, but he does not demand it at once.” — A.W. Tozer
“He lives for God's honor by a kind of spiritual reflex. Every choice involving the glory of God is for him already made before it presents itself.” — A.W. Tozer
“He does not need to debate the matter with his own heart; there is nothing to debate. The glory of God is necessary to him; he gasps for it as a suffocating man gasps for air.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Prioritize God's honor in your life by making choices that advance His glory, even if it means suffering temporary dishonor or loss.
- Examine your dominant desires to determine if you are truly spiritual.
- Live for God's honor by a spiritual reflex, making choices that prioritize His glory without needing to debate the matter with your own heart.