No Light Without the Divine Enlightener
The sermon emphasizes the importance of divine enlightenment and submission to Scripture in order to avoid compromise with darkness and to fulfill our obligation to guide and correct others.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the necessity of divine enlightenment for understanding redeeming truth, asserting that all men are inherently heretics without the illumination of Scripture. He warns against the dangers of compromising truth for the sake of social harmony, urging believers to correct errors rather than ignore them. Tozer likens the responsibility of Christians to that of lighthouse keepers, who must not yield to darkness but instead guide others towards the light of God's Word. He stresses that personal intelligence or experience is insufficient; only the Scriptures can provide the ultimate truth and understanding.
Text
However unpopular we may become as a result, we must cling to the knowledge that all men are heretics by nature and can never know redeeming truth till they are enlightened from above by and through the inspired revelation we call the Scriptures. We are never kind to our neighbor when for the sake of sweet charity we smile away his perilous error and let him go unrebuked and uncorrected. The sons of light have an overwhelming obligation to the children of darkness. The lighthouse keeper dare not compromise with the storm; neither dare the light become friendly with the darkness.
The temptation to create our own creed and settle religious questions out of our own heads is as great in the pastor?s study as in the corner tavern.
No man knows enough to be sure he is right about divine things until he has submitted his ideas to the test of the Scriptures. Intelligence is not enough, nor experience nor brilliance. The Word of God is the final court of appeal. ?I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path? (Psalm 119:104).
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Divine Enlightenment points: - All men are heretics by nature - Need for inspired revelation from the Scriptures
- The Dangers of Compromise points: - Smiling away perilous error - Not rebuking or correcting others
- The Obligation of the Sons of Light points: - To the children of darkness - To be a source of guidance and correction
- The Need for Submission to Scripture points: - No man knows enough to be sure he is right - Submission to the test of the Scriptures
Key Quotes
“The Word of God is the final court of appeal.” — A.W. Tozer
“I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path? (Psalm 119:104)” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must submit our ideas to the test of the Scriptures to ensure we are not compromising with darkness.
- As sons of light, we have an overwhelming obligation to be a source of guidance and correction to the children of darkness.
- We must hate every wrong path and cling to the knowledge that all men are heretics by nature.