The Object of True Faith
True faith is the moral power to trust Christ, not just intellectual ability to visualize unseen things.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that true faith is not merely an intellectual exercise but a moral strength to trust in Christ. He illustrates that, like a child who feels secure on a journey with their father without needing to foresee every event, believers can find peace in their relationship with God. Life is filled with mysteries, yet trusting in Jesus allows us to navigate through them confidently. Tozer finds comfort in the promise of Isaiah, affirming that God will guide and support us through the unknown. Ultimately, he reassures that God has been faithful in this life and will continue to be in the next.
Text
True faith is not the intellectual ability to visualize unseen things to the satisfaction of our imperfect minds; it is rather the moral power to trust Christ. To be contented and unafraid when going on a journey with his father the child need not be able to imagine events; he need but know the father. Our earthly lives are one shining web of golden mystery which we experience without understanding, how much more our life in the Spirit. Jesus Christ is our all in all.
We need but trust Him and He will take care of the rest.
Possibly it is because of my own innate dullness that I have found such deep satisfaction in these words of the prophet: "I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them" (Isa. 42:16). God has not failed me in this world; I can trust Him for the world to come.
Sermon Outline
- I. True Faith Defined
- A. Not intellectual ability to visualize unseen things
- B. Moral power to trust Christ
- II. Trusting God in the Unknown
- A. Our lives are a web of golden mystery
- B. We experience without understanding
- III. Jesus Christ is Our All in All
- A. We need but trust Him
- B. He will take care of the rest
Key Quotes
“Our earthly lives are one shining web of golden mystery which we experience without understanding, how much more our life in the Spirit.” — A.W. Tozer
“Jesus Christ is our all in all.” — A.W. Tozer
“God has not failed me in this world; I can trust Him for the world to come.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We can trust God even when we don't understand everything.
- Our trust in God should be based on who He is, not just what He does.
- God will not forsake us, even in the unknown.