Serious Repentance and Restitution
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of thorough repentance, restitution, and putting oneself in the way of God's blessing in order to experience a deeper spiritual life.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the necessity of serious repentance and restitution for a transformed Christian life. He urges believers to actively seek God's blessings through prayer and devotion, rather than waiting passively for grace. Tozer highlights the importance of thorough repentance, warning against hasty confessions that lead to shallow spirituality. He also stresses the need for restitution, encouraging individuals to settle debts and reconcile relationships to restore integrity and peace. Ultimately, Tozer calls for a deep, sincere approach to repentance and a commitment to making things right with others.
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. . . Well, here are some suggestions which anyone can follow and which, I am convinced, will result in a wonderfully improved Christian life. . . .
3. Put yourself in the way of the blessing. It is a mistake to look for grace to visit us as a kind of benign magic, or to expect God's help to come as a windfall apart from conditions known and met. There are plainly marked paths which lead straight to the green pastures; let us walk in them. To desire revival, for instance, and at the same time to neglect prayer and devotion is to wish one way and walk another.
4. Do a thorough job of repenting. Do not hurry to get it over with. Hasty repentance means shallow spiritual experience and lack of certainty in the whole life. Let godly sorrow do her healing work. Until we allow the consciousness of sin to wound us, we will never develop a fear of evil. It is our wretched habit of tolerating sin that keeps us in our half-dead condition.
5. Make restitution whenever possible. If you owe a debt, pay it, or at least have a frank understanding with your creditor about your intention to pay, so your honesty will be above question. If you have quarreled with anyone, go as far as you can in an effort to achieve reconciliation. As fully as possible make the crooked things straight.
Sermon Outline
- The Necessity of Repentance
- The Importance of Restitution
- The Path to Blessing
- Put yourself in the way of the blessing
- Conditions known and met are necessary for God's help
- Strive for reconciliation in quarrels
Key Quotes
“To desire revival, for instance, and at the same time to neglect prayer and devotion is to wish one way and walk another.” — A.W. Tozer
“It is our wretched habit of tolerating sin that keeps us in our half-dead condition.” — A.W. Tozer
“As fully as possible make the crooked things straight.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Make a conscious effort to put yourself in the way of God's blessing by meeting known conditions.
- Do not rush through repentance, but allow godly sorrow to do its healing work.
- Strive for restitution and reconciliation in your relationships.