United With Christ
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of experiencing a conscious union with Christ, highlighting the role of feelings in understanding God's love.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the vital importance of a conscious and experiential union with Christ, urging believers to feel and recognize this deep connection with the Savior. He distinguishes between a mere theological understanding and a heartfelt experience of this union, advocating for the acknowledgment of 'religious affections' as essential to faith. Tozer highlights that certain divine qualities can only be comprehended through the heart, not the intellect, and references 1 John 3:16 to illustrate God's profound love for humanity. He encourages believers to embrace their feelings as a legitimate aspect of their relationship with God.
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The Spirit of God has impelled me to preach and write much about the believer's conscious union with Christ-a union that must be felt and experienced. I will never be through talking about the union of the soul with the Savior, the conscious union of the believer's heart with Jesus. Remember, I am not talking about a "theological union" only. I am speaking also of a conscious union, a union that is felt and experienced. I have never been ashamed to tell my congregations that I believe in feelings. I surely believe in what Jonathan Edwards termed "religious affections." That is man's perspective.
I am aware also that from God's perspective there are qualities in the Divine Being that can only be known by the heart; never by the intellect!
Long ago John wrote: "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16). So it is best for us to confess that as humans we have difficulty in understanding what God has said when He says that He loves us!
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Introduction to the believer's union with Christ - Importance of conscious experience - Distinction between theological and conscious union
- II points: - Role of feelings in faith - Understanding religious affections - The heart's knowledge of God
- III points: - Scriptural basis for God's love - Experiencing God's love personally - Challenges in comprehending divine love
- IV points: - Implications of union with Christ - Living out the conscious union - Encouragement to seek deeper relationship
Key Quotes
“I am speaking also of a conscious union, a union that is felt and experienced.” — A.W. Tozer
“I have never been ashamed to tell my congregations that I believe in feelings.” — A.W. Tozer
“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Seek to cultivate a deeper emotional connection with Christ in your daily life.
- Reflect on the ways you experience God's love and share those experiences with others.
- Embrace the importance of feelings in your faith journey, allowing them to deepen your relationship with God.