The Sword of the Spirit
The health of our souls requires a balanced and complete study of the Bible, including challenging passages.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the necessity of engaging with the entirety of Scripture, warning against a superficial approach that only seeks comfort and neglects challenging passages. He argues that spiritual growth requires a balanced diet of both uplifting and difficult texts, as God desires us to mature in our faith. Tozer highlights the importance of reading not just the popular and encouraging parts of the Bible, but also the exhortations and teachings that may be less appealing. He insists that neglecting any part of the Word of God can hinder our spiritual health and understanding. Ultimately, Tozer calls for a holistic approach to Scripture, urging believers to embrace the full counsel of God for their eternal well-being.
Text
Undoubtedly God goes along with us as far as He can in this weak and one-sided treatment of the Holy Scriptures, but He cannot be pleased with this way of doing. Our Heavenly Father takes pleasure in seeing us develop and grow up spiritually. He does not want us to live entirely on a diet of sweet stuff. He gives us for our encouragement Isaiah 41, but He gives us also Matthew 23 and the book of Jude, and He expects us to read it all. The eighth chapter of Romans is one of the most elevating passages in the entire Bible, and its popularity is well deserved; but we need Second Peter as well, and we should not neglect to read it. When reading Paul's epistles, we should not stop with the doctrinal sections but should go on to read and ponder the bracing exhortations that follow.
We should not stop with Romans 11; the rest of the epistle is also important, and if we would treat our souls fairly, we must give it the same attention we gave to the first ten chapters.
Briefly, the health of our souls requires that we take the whole Bible as it stands and let it do its work in us. We cannot afford to be selective with anything so important as the Word of God and our own eternal future.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of a Complete Bible Study
- The Value of Challenging Passages
- The Importance of Reading the Whole Bible
- The Elevating Power of Romans 8
- The Necessity of Reading Second Peter
Key Quotes
“Our Heavenly Father takes pleasure in seeing us develop and grow up spiritually.” — A.W. Tozer
“The health of our souls requires that we take the whole Bible as it stands and let it do its work in us.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should strive to read and study the entire Bible, not just selective passages.
- Reading challenging passages helps us grow spiritually and develop a balanced understanding of God's Word.
- Neglecting to read certain books of the Bible can lead to spiritual stagnation and a lack of understanding of God's will.