Misreading God's Self-Revelation
Humans are naturally inclined to error, but divine revelation through the Holy Spirit is necessary to complete our understanding of God.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that humans are naturally inclined to heresy and error, instinctively gravitating towards falsehoods. While natural theology reveals some truth about God's glory through creation, it remains insufficient for a complete understanding of God. Tozer argues that divine revelation through Scripture is essential to fill in the details of God's nature and character, allowing the Holy Spirit to illuminate the full picture of truth. He highlights the importance of relying on God's Word to gain a deeper and more accurate understanding of Him.
Text
We are all heretics by nature and take to error as instinctively as ducks take to water.
This does not mean that natural theology is wholly false, for the heavens declare the glory of God and the visible universe shows His eternal power and Godhead. Add to these the presence in the human heart of that light that lights every man that comes into the world, and you have the source of a certain body of truth known more or less clearly by the whole human race.
The knowledge thus received, however, is inadequate; it forms little more than a frame for the total picture. The details are all unknown and undiscoverable, so that we must depend upon divine revelation as given in the holy Scriptures to fill in the particulars and render the picture intelligible. The brush of the Holy Spirit labors to complete the work and to show every hill and rock and tree and blade of grass, each in its proper relation to everything else.
Sermon Outline
- The Nature of Human Understanding
- The Limitations of Natural Theology
- The Importance of Divine Revelation
- Divine revelation is necessary to complete our understanding of God
- The Holy Spirit is the author of this revelation
Key Quotes
“We are all heretics by nature and take to error as instinctively as ducks take to water.” — A.W. Tozer
“The brush of the Holy Spirit labors to complete the work and to show every hill and rock and tree and blade of grass, each in its proper relation to everything else.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Recognize the limitations of natural theology and the importance of divine revelation in understanding God.
- Depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us in our understanding of God's truth.
- Be aware of our natural tendency to error and seek to correct it through divine revelation.