Living by Faith in the Night
True faith lies in the will, not in emotions or experiences, and it is possible to live in good conscience before God and men without feeling peace and joy.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the transformative journey of faith, where God may strip away our most cherished possessions and comforts to cultivate a deeper reliance on Him. This process can lead to a season of spiritual dryness and a sense of loss, yet it is during these times that true faith is forged, revealing that joy is a fruit of faith rather than its essence. Believers may find themselves living in a state of blind will to continue, learning that their spiritual status remains intact despite the absence of emotional highs. Ultimately, Tozer teaches that genuine faith persists even in the absence of immediate joy and peace, highlighting the importance of steadfastness in our relationship with God.
Text
To do His supreme work of grace within you He will take from your heart everything you love most. Everything you trust in will go from you. Piles of ashes will lie where your most precious treasures used to be. . . . All this God will accomplish at the expense of the common pleasures that have up to that time supported your life and made it zestful. Now under the careful treatment of the Holy Spirit your life may become dry, tasteless and to some degree a burden to you. While in this state you will exist by a kind of blind will to live; you will find none of the inward sweetness you had enjoyed before.
The smile of God will be for the time withdrawn, or at least hidden from your eyes.
Then you will learn what faith is; you will find out the hard way, but the only way open to you, that true faith lies in the will, that the joy unspeakable of which the apostle speaks is not itself faith but a slow-ripening fruit of faith; and you will learn that present spiritual joys may come and go as they will without altering your spiritual status or in any way affecting your position as a true child of the Heavenly Father. And you will also learn, probably to your astonishment, that it is possible to live in all good conscience before God and men and still feel nothing of the ?peace and joy? you hear talked about so much by immature Christians.
Sermon Outline
- The Cost of Faith points: - God takes away everything we love most - Leaving us with nothing but a blind will to live
- The Nature of Faith points: - True faith lies in the will, not emotions - Joy is a fruit of faith, not faith itself
- The Reality of Spiritual Life points: - Spiritual joys may come and go without altering our status - We can live in good conscience without feeling peace and joy
Key Quotes
“To do His supreme work of grace within you He will take from your heart everything you love most.” — A.W. Tozer
“You will find out the hard way, but the only way open to you, that true faith lies in the will,” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Recognize that faith is not about feeling joy and peace, but about trusting in God's will.
- Understand that spiritual joys may come and go without altering your spiritual status.
- Cultivate a blind will to live, trusting in God's sovereignty even when emotions are absent.