Those Sanctifying Effects of Suffering
The sermon critiques the idea of 'instant Christianity' and emphasizes the need for spiritual growth, development, and the sanctifying effects of suffering.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that the concept of 'Instant Christianity' undermines the dynamic nature of the Christian faith, which requires ongoing growth and development akin to a living organism. He argues that true faith involves a continuous relationship with God, necessitating spiritual nourishment, exercise, and the acceptance of suffering as a means of sanctification. Tozer critiques the tendency to reduce salvation to a single experience, warning that this leads to spiritual stagnation and disappointment. He highlights the importance of forming right habits, engaging in spiritual training, and actively resisting worldly temptations. Ultimately, Tozer questions whether modern interpretations of faith align with the deeper, sacrificial commitment exemplified by the Apostle Paul.
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Instant Christianity tends to make the faith act terminal and so smothers the desire for spiritual advance. It fails to understand the true nature of the Christian life, which is not static but dynamic and expanding. It overlooks the fact that a new Christian is a living organism as certainly as a new baby is, and must have nourishment and exercise to assure normal growth. It does not consider that the act of faith in Christ sets up a personal relationship between two intelligent moral beings, God and the reconciled man, and no single encounter between God and a creature made in His image could ever be sufficient to establish an intimate friendship between them.
By trying to pack all of salvation into one experience, or two, the advocates of instant Christianity flaunt the law of development which runs through all nature. They ignore the sanctifying effects of suffering, cross carrying and practical obedience. They pass by the need for spiritual training, the necessity of forming right religious habits, and the need to wrestle against the world, the devil and the flesh. Undue preoccupation with the initial act of believing has created in some a psychology of contentment, or at least of non-expectation.
To many it has imparted a mood of disappointment with the Christian faith. God seems too far away, the world is too near, and the flesh too powerful to resist. Others are glad to accept the assurance of automatic blessedness. It relieves them of the need to watch and fight and pray, and sets them free to enjoy this world while waiting for the next. Instant Christianity is twentieth century orthodoxy. I wonder whether the man who wrote Philippians 3:7-16 would recognize it as the faith for which he finally died. I am afraid he would not.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Problem of Instant Christianity
- A. Fails to understand the dynamic nature of the Christian life
- B. Overlooks the need for spiritual growth and development
- C. Ignores the sanctifying effects of suffering and cross carrying
- II. The Nature of the Christian Life
- A. A personal relationship between God and the reconciled man
- B. Requires spiritual training and the formation of right habits
- C. Involves wrestling against the world, the devil, and the flesh
- III. The Consequences of Instant Christianity
- A. Creates a psychology of contentment and non-expectation
- B. Imparts a mood of disappointment with the Christian faith
- C. Relieves individuals of the need to watch, fight, and pray
Key Quotes
“It fails to understand the true nature of the Christian life, which is not static but dynamic and expanding.” — A.W. Tozer
“By trying to pack all of salvation into one experience, or two, the advocates of instant Christianity flaunt the law of development which runs through all nature.” — A.W. Tozer
“I wonder whether the man who wrote Philippians 3:7-16 would recognize it as the faith for which he finally died.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Spiritual growth and development require a personal relationship with God and the formation of right habits.
- Suffering and cross carrying are essential for spiritual growth and development.
- Wrestling against the world, the devil, and the flesh is necessary for spiritual maturity.