Seeker, Pretender, or In-the-Rut Disciple
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of true conversion and the dangers of the rut, where people become stagnant in their faith.
A.W. Tozer addresses the spiritual condition of individuals who may be in a rut, questioning their true conversion and the lack of spiritual progress in their lives. He emphasizes that many may have entered the church through various means without experiencing genuine conversion, which requires radical repentance and a transformed life. Tozer warns that those who are not growing in holiness may be abandoned to sin and irreverence, particularly at the communion table, where they may partake unworthily. He calls for self-examination and a return to a reverent relationship with God, highlighting the importance of recognizing His presence in our lives.
Text
. . . People in the rut never know when the last leaves are falling for them. Why are people in the rut? There are several possibilities. They may never have been truly converted at all, and this is one of our great problems now. We have a dozen ways of getting people into the kingdom of God, when the Lord said there was only one. They leak in, ooze in, come in by osmosis and get in by marriage--just get in by any kind of way. But there is only one true way. When people find that after being in the church for years they are not making much progress, they ought to examine themselves and wonder whether they have been truly converted.
True conversion means radical repentance, a changed life, conscious forgiveness of sin and a spiritual rebirth. Genuinely converted people, as the old Methodists said, had a radical repentance, which eventuated in a changed life. Then there came a consciousness of forgiveness of sins and a spiritual rebirth. People in the rut may never have had that at all. . . . People in the circular grave, who are getting older without getting holier, may have been abandoned to the devil because of two things--some fleshly sins (1 Corinthians 5) or grave irreverence at the communion table (1 Corinthians 11).
Protestants are altogether too much inclined to take things for granted. We laugh at those on the other side of the ecclesiastical fence because they bow and scrape and kowtow in the presence of the church. But we lack reverence--not because we are free in the gospel, but because God is absent, and we have no sense of His presence. We sometimes come to the communion table in a moral and spiritual state totally unfit for receiving communion, and yet we take it. Paul said, "We are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world."
Sermon Outline
- I. The Problem of the Rut
- A. People in the rut may not have been truly converted
- B. True conversion requires radical repentance, a changed life, and spiritual rebirth
- II. Causes of the Rut
- A. Fleshly sins (1 Corinthians 5)
- B. Grave irreverence at the communion table (1 Corinthians 11)
- III. The Absence of Reverence
- A. Protestants often lack reverence due to a lack of sense of God's presence
- B. Coming to the communion table in an unfit state
Key Quotes
“People in the rut never know when the last leaves are falling for them.” — A.W. Tozer
“We are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Examine yourself to see if you have been truly converted and are making progress in your faith.
- Make sure you are in a state of repentance and reverence before receiving communion.
- Recognize the importance of discipline in the church and its purpose to prevent condemnation.