Our Highest Happiness
The happiness of all moral creatures lies in the giving of obedience to God, the Creator.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that true happiness for all moral beings is found in obedience to God, the Creator. He illustrates this by referencing Psalm 103:20, highlighting that even angels experience their highest joy in fulfilling God's commandments, viewing obedience not as a burden but as a delight. Tozer asserts that heaven is characterized by the surrender of its inhabitants to God's will, making it a realm of joy for His obedient children. He encourages believers to recognize that their fulfillment lies in aligning with God's purpose and commands.
Text
Let me call it to your attention that the happiness of all moral creatures lies in the giving of obedience to God, the Creator. The psalmist cries out in Psalm 103:20: "Bless the Lord, ye his angels; that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word." The angels in heaven find their complete freedom and highest happiness in obeying the commandments of God. They do not find it a tyranny-they find it a delight! Here is something that we should know and realize: heaven is a place of surrender to the whole will of God and it is heaven because it is such a place.
I thank God that heaven is the world of God's obedient children.
Whatever else we may say of its pearly gates, golden streets and jasper walls, heaven is heaven because children of the Most High God find they are in their normal sphere as obedient moral beings.
Sermon Outline
- The Source of Happiness
- Obedience to God
- The Angels' Example
Key Quotes
“The angels in heaven find their complete freedom and highest happiness in obeying the commandments of God.” — A.W. Tozer
“Heaven is a place of surrender to the whole will of God and it is heaven because it is such a place.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should strive to find our happiness in obeying God's commandments.
- Surrendering to God's will is a key to experiencing true happiness.
- Heaven is a place of obedience and surrender to God's will.