Submitting to Christ's Lordship
True Christianity requires a life of obedience to God's commands, not just simple faith.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that true Christianity requires a humble obedience to Christ's teachings, challenging the notion that faith alone, without adherence to His commandments, suffices for salvation. He references Luke 6:46, where Jesus questions why people call Him 'Lord' yet fail to follow His commands. Tozer argues that the belief that one can be a Christian without obedience has diluted the evangelical message and moral standards within the Church. He warns that this misunderstanding of grace leads to erroneous conclusions about the nature of faith and obedience. Ultimately, Tozer calls for a return to a faith that is active and obedient to Christ's lordship.
Text
No one has any right to believe that he is indeed a Christian unless he is humbly seeking to obey the teachings of the One whom he calls Lord. Christ once asked a question (Luke 6:46) that can have no satisfying answer, ?Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,? and do not do what I say??
Right here we do well to anticipate and reply to an objection that will likely arise in the minds of some readers. It goes like this: ?We are saved by accepting Christ, not by keeping His commandments. Christ kept the law for us, died for us and rose again for our justification, and so delivered us from all necessity to keep commandments. Is it not possible, then, to become a Christian by simple faith altogether apart from obedience??
Many honest persons argue in this way, but their honesty cannot save their argument from being erroneous. Theirs is the teaching that has in the last fifty years emasculated the evangelical message and lowered the moral standards of the Church until they are almost indistinguishable from those of the world. It results from a misunderstanding of grace and a narrow and one-sided view of the gospel, and its power to mislead lies in the element of truth it contains. It is arrived at by laying correct premises and then drawing false conclusions from them.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Obedience
- Calling Jesus Lord requires obedience
- Obedience is a necessary condition for being a Christian
Key Quotes
“Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,? and do not do what I say??” — A.W. Tozer
“Many honest persons argue in this way, but their honesty cannot save their argument from being erroneous.” — A.W. Tozer
“It is arrived at by laying correct premises and then drawing false conclusions from them.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must understand that obedience is a necessary condition for being a Christian.
- Our faith must be accompanied by a life of obedience to God's commands.
- We must not misunderstand the nature of grace and the gospel, lest we lower our moral standards.