Superstitious Shadows
Faith honors God by accepting the biblical revelation of His character, while superstition degrades God's reputation by believing unworthy things.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that true faith honors God by accepting His revealed character, while superstition degrades His reputation by believing in unworthy notions. He argues that even genuine Christians may harbor superstitions that distort their understanding of God, leading to erroneous beliefs. Tozer warns that these misconceptions, if uncorrected by Scripture and the Holy Spirit, can compound into serious sin against God. He challenges the audience to examine their beliefs and rid themselves of any superstitious elements that dishonor the divine. Ultimately, he calls for a faith rooted in truth rather than fancy.
Text
Faith honors God by accepting the biblical revelation of the divine character. Faith lets God be what He says He is and adjusts its concepts accordingly. Superstition degrades the reputation of God by believing things unworthy of Him. One rests upon fact and the other upon fancy.
As I said before, there is probably a streak of superstition in everyone, even in the genuine Christian. Any notions we may have of God that have not been corrected and purified by the Word and the Spirit are likely to have some element of error in them, and the religious beliefs resulting from them will of necessity contain a certain amount of superstition. The Christian who flares indignant at such a statement as this and denies that it describes him is not therefore free from superstition; he merely compounds his faults by adding bigotry and anger to the rest.
But if superstition dishonors God, is it not an evil thing and is not the Christian who harbors it guilty of serious sin against the Majesty in the heavens? . . .
Sermon Outline
- Faith and Superstition
- The Nature of Superstition
- Consequences of Superstition
- Superstition dishonors God
- The Christian who harbors superstition is guilty of sin
Key Quotes
“Faith lets God be what He says He is and adjusts its concepts accordingly.” — A.W. Tozer
“Any notions we may have of God that have not been corrected and purified by the Word and the Spirit are likely to have some element of error in them,” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Be willing to adjust your concepts of God based on the biblical revelation.
- Allow the Word and the Spirit to correct and purify your notions of God.
- Recognize that harboring superstition is a serious sin against God.