Holy Motives
The moral quality of an action is determined by its motive, and without a holy motive, there cannot be a holy act.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the significance of holy motives in our actions, warning against allowing temporal consequences to dictate eternal decisions. He cautions that even good deeds can be tainted if motivated by fear or personal gain, and stresses that the true measure of an act's goodness lies in its intention to glorify God and benefit others. Tozer encourages believers to consider their motives carefully, advocating for silence over harmful speech and urging that love should guide our actions rather than fear. Ultimately, he asserts that without a holy motive, no act can be deemed truly holy.
Text
. . . All these examples point up to a grave modern evil, permitting temporal consequences to decide eternal issues.
A word of caution should be added. Sometimes an act, though good in itself, may, in a given set of circumstances, be better held in abeyance. Only be sure the reason for waiting is the desire to promote the glory of God and bless mankind. Sometimes a word, though true, would be out of season and injurious to someone. Better be silent than to speak a harmful word. Only let the reason for silence be love and not fear.
To sum up: no act, however noble it may seem to be, done from fear of consequences can be good in itself. A good deed done for earthly gain is an evil deed at bottom. Motive imparts moral quality, and without a holy motive there cannot be a holy act.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Motive
- The Dangers of Impure Motives
- The Necessity of Holy Motives
- Holy motives are necessary for holy acts
- Love and not fear should guide our actions
Key Quotes
“A good deed done for earthly gain is an evil deed at bottom.” — A.W. Tozer
“Motive imparts moral quality, and without a holy motive there cannot be a holy act.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should always consider the motive behind our actions to ensure they align with God's will.
- Our actions should be guided by love and not fear of consequences.
- We should not do good deeds for earthly gain, but rather for the glory of God and to bless mankind.