On Becoming More Lovable
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of becoming Christlike to fully receive and enjoy God's boundless love.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that God desires all individuals to become Christlike, as this transformation allows them to receive His boundless love more fully. He explains that conformity to Christ's nature restores God's image within us, enabling a deeper experience of divine love. Despite the struggle of sinful individuals to accept God's love due to their conscience and moral failings, the Bible consistently affirms God's love for humanity. Tozer encourages believers to trust in God's declaration of love and to embrace the sanctifying grace of Christ to fully enjoy this love.
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God desires that all men should become Christlike, for in so doing they present larger and more perfect objects for the reception of His outpoured love. Conformity to the nature of Christ on the part of a redeemed man restores the image of God in the soul and thus makes it possible for God to lavish on the soul without restraint all the boundless love of which He is the original fountain. It is hard for a sinful man to believe that God loves Him. His own accusing conscience tells him it could not be so. He knows that he is an enemy of God and alienated in his mind through wicked works, and he sees in himself a thousand moral discrepancies that unfit him for the just enjoyment of so pure a love.
Yet the whole Bible proclaims the love of God for sinful men.
We must believe in His love because He declares it and avail ourselves of the sanctifying grace of Christ in order to receive and enjoy that love to the full.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Understanding God's Desire for Us - The Nature of Christ and Its Importance - The Restoration of God's Image in Us
- II points: - The Challenge of Believing in God's Love - The Role of Conscience in Our Perception of God - Overcoming Moral Discrepancies
- III points: - The Biblical Proclamation of God's Love - The Importance of Faith in God's Love - Receiving and Enjoying God's Love through Grace
Key Quotes
“God desires that all men should become Christlike, for in so doing they present larger and more perfect objects for the reception of His outpoured love.” — A.W. Tozer
“It is hard for a sinful man to believe that God loves Him.” — A.W. Tozer
“We must believe in His love because He declares it and avail ourselves of the sanctifying grace of Christ in order to receive and enjoy that love to the full.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Reflect on the ways you can embody Christ's nature in your daily life.
- Challenge your doubts about God's love by meditating on Scripture that proclaims His grace.
- Seek to restore the image of God in yourself through prayer and the transformative power of Christ.