TOZER PING"Man, The Dwelling Place of God"
From the writings of A. W. Tozer
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Posted on 08/15/2007 9:03:14 PM PDT by Choose Ye This Day
Man: The Dwelling Place of God
DEEP INSIDE EVERY MAN there is a private sanctum where dwells the mysterious essence of his being. This far-in reality is that in the man which is what it is of itself, without reference to any other part of the man's complex nature. It is the man's "I Am," a gift from the I AM who created him.
The I AM which is God is underived and selfexistent; the "I Am" which is man is derived from God and dependent every moment upon His creative fiat for its continued existence. One is the Creator, high over all, ancient of days, dwelling in light unapproachable. The other is a creature and, though privileged beyond all others, is still but a creature, a pensioner on God's bounty and a suppliant before His throne.
The deep-in human entity of which we speak is called in the Scriptures the spirit of man. "For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God" (I Cor. 2:11) . As God's self-knowledge lies in the eternal Spirit, so man's selfknowledge is by his own spirit, and his knowledge of God is by the direct impression of the Spirit of God upon the spirit of man.
The importance of all this cannot be overestimated as we think and study and pray. It reveals the essential spirituality of mankind. It denies that man is a creature having a spirit and declares that he is a spirit having a body. That which makes him a human being is not his body but his spirit, in which the image of God originally lay.
One of the most liberating declarations in the New Testament is this: "The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23, 24) . Here the nature of worship is shown to be wholly spiritual. True religion is removed from diet and days, from garments and ceremonies, and placed where it belongs-in the union of the spirit of man with the Spirit of God.
From man's standpoint the most tragic loss suffered in the Fall was the vacating of this inner sanctum by the Spirit of God. At the far-in hidden center of man's being is a bush fitted to be the dwelling place of the Triune God. There God planned to rest and glow with moral and spiritual fire. Man by his sin forfeited this indescribably wonderful privilege and must now dwell there alone. For so intimately private is the place that no creature can intrude; no one can enter but Christ; and He will enter only by the invitation of faith. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Rev. 3:20).
By the mysterious operation of the Spirit in the new birth, that which is called by Peter "the divine nature" enters the deep-in core of the believer's heart and establishes residence there. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his," for "the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Rom. 8:9, 16). Such a one is a true Christian, and only such. Baptism, confirmation, the receiving of the sacraments, church membership-these mean nothing unless the supreme act of God in regeneration also takes place. Religious externals may have a meaning for the God-inhabited soul; for any others they are not only useless but may actually become snares, deceiving them into a false and perilous sense of security.
"Keep thy heart with all diligence" is more than a wise saying; it is a solemn charge laid upon us by the One who cares most about us. To it we should give the most careful heed lest at any time we should let it slip.
I absolutely agree with this. I think we fool ourselves at time by thinking we "know" so much about God and His doctrines, but we have only learned these truths intellectually.
I believe we can truly only come to know God by means of His Spirit, touching ours. It's not what we know or understand or can memorize and verbalize, but what He allows us to feel as he touches our hearts.
What do you think?
And if we learn only by the Spirit, then (1) how do we invite the Spirit into our life, and (2) how do we know when we are receiving or feeling the Spirit?
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Ping to Quix
How do we worship God "in spirit"? Is it possible to worship Him in any other way?
Will do, thanks.
(1) how do we invite the Spirit into our life, and (2) how do we know when we are receiving or feeling the Spirit?
2) When GOD’S voice inside of me says “Get to know who I AM”.
By chance I then find a book on my bookshelf I had forgotten about, tried to read a few years ago and just couldn’t quite understand at the time.
The book is “The Knowledge of the Holy” by A.W. Tozer. Now this is the second time on FR there has been a thread on Tozer. I believe GOD through the Holy Spirit is talking to me.
“The Knowledge of the Holy”?
http://www.heavendwellers.com/hdt_knowledge_of_the_holy.htm
I haven’t read that, but I’ll have to. Tozer’s writing is so clear, and his insights are keen, I always benefit from reading his works.
Perhaps when I’m done with “Man, the Dwelling Place of God” I’ll post chapters from “Knowledge of the Holy” on here.
I think many FReepers can benefit from Tozer’s wisdom.
Inside my spirit I praise GOD, HIS creations and miracle's and I see something everyday.
Everywhere I am HE is. I feel HE and I have our own relationship and I stand in awe at HIS Majesty of all things, some I understand some I don’t.
Thanks.
TOZER PING TOZER PINGOops, I forgot to put the Ping List in the Ping.
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