Trusting the Completely Trustworthy God
The sermon emphasizes the importance of trusting a completely trustworthy God, and the need for repentance and faith in order to reconcile with Him.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that idolatry is the supreme sin, with unbelief stemming from it, both of which misrepresent the character of God. He argues that a lack of trust in God arises from a flawed understanding of His nature, equating unbelief with a form of idolatry. Tozer reassures that Christianity offers a path back to faith, highlighting that true belief involves recognizing God as a rewarder of those who seek Him. He stresses that repentance is an acknowledgment of past distrust, while faith is a complete surrender to Christ for reconciliation with God. Ultimately, Tozer calls for a return to trust in the completely trustworthy God.
Text
Idolatry is the supreme sin and unbelief is the child of idolatry. Both are libels on the character of the Most High and the Most Holy. He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, wrote the apostle John. A God who lies is a God without character, and where there is no character there can be no confidence. This is the moral logic of unbelief. The unbeliever refuses to trust God because his conception of God is base and ignoble. That he does not burn incense to a graven image does not make him less an idolater, unless we want to make a distinction and say that the idolater worships his false god while the unbeliever refuses to do even that.
The joyous message of Christianity is that there is a way back from this place of unbelief and alienation.
He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. The gospel message declares that the wronged God took the wrong upon Himself in order that the one who committed the wrong might be saved. Repentance is among other things a sincere apology to God for distrusting Him so long, and faith is throwing oneself upon Christ in complete confidence. Thus by faith reconciliation is achieved between God and man.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Sin of Unbelief
- A. Unbelief is the child of idolatry
- B. Unbelief is a libel on the character of God
- II. The Nature of Idolatry
- A. Idolatry is the worship of a false god
- B. Idolatry can be in the heart, not just in actions
- III. The Consequences of Unbelief
- A. Unbelief leads to a lack of confidence in God
- B. Unbelief prevents us from trusting God
- IV. The Gospel Message
- A. The gospel declares God's willingness to forgive
- B. Repentance and faith are necessary for reconciliation
Key Quotes
“He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, wrote the apostle John.” — A.W. Tozer
“He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” — A.W. Tozer
“Repentance is among other things a sincere apology to God for distrusting Him so long, and faith is throwing oneself upon Christ in complete confidence.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must examine our conception of God and ensure it is based on His character as revealed in Scripture.
- Repentance and faith are necessary for reconciliation with God, and we must be willing to apologize for our past unbelief.
- We can trust God completely, knowing that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.