AW Tozer & the Pursuit of God: An Assessment of His Theology

[@BlainsTube]

Every time I hear the name "Tozer" or "A.W. Tozer", I get a comforting yet somber feeling in my soul. It's not the man, really. It's a message of his that I discovered about two decades ago. I'll post the quote that struck me so deeply when I first read it. And to this day, I remind myself that this man passed away in "1963". The world was a much different place then. But that makes his point so much the more relevant today. “We Christians must simplify our lives or lose untold treasures on earth and in eternity. Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. The need for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today.”

[@robertwheeler1158]

I think Tozer was an outstanding representative in his day of what the Puritans would have called "experimental divinity." And just this morning I was reading Jesus' Upper Room Discourse, in which He stressed the importance of loving Him and abiding in Him. It is a message the modern church desperately needs to hear.

[@scripturial]

Tozer is a must read (or listen) in my opinion. He has definitely been a strong encouraging influence on my life. Happy to hear his influence popping up in more reformed circles. Although he seems more charismatic (or even pentecostal) than reformed, but that doesn't/didn't lessen the importance and power of the message that he brought (and continues to bring) to the church today. Where you say "he isn''t really interested in trying to comprehend the mysteries of predestination and election," I would argue the issue for Tozer isn't that he doesn't care so much about theology. I would suggest the issue is more that he was quite pragmatic, so he had somewhat of an allergic to the "bench warmer" types who may have their theology "correct" but from looking at them and talking with them, you wouldn't know they were changed by the Holy Spirit.

[@Dave-cf4xq]

An amazing fact about Tozer is that he was self-educated. He never had any formal training.

[@genepietro7692]

Way to go brother; that was an excellent, insightful, and fair review of this wonderful saint and His wonderful testimony in The Pursuit of God. Thank you for the gift. I will share your commentary as an adjunct when I share Tozer's classic The Pursuit of God. In joyful apprehension and pursuit of my God, brother gene ❤

[@geoffmurray754]

This was one of the first Christian books I read alongside Kevin DeYoung's 'Taking God At His Word', J.I. Packer's 'Knowing God' and Michael Reeves' 'The Good God'. I remember being thrilled by The Pursuit of God... I must re-read! Thanks for the reminder to do that.

[@kathypenrod4511]

Knowledge of the Holy was the first book I read by Tozer and it had a big impact on my life.

[@Yesica1993]

I just checked my shelves and that is the one I have, as well. I actually spotted it last night and thought of rereading, since I don't recall it offhand. It's from 1995 so it's been years! I thought I had read Pursuit. But if I did, I no longer have it.

[@LanceWhite-z6j]

Well balanced assessment of a great spiritual writer. Seems to me like not everyone who reads Tozer agrees with all he says, but all who read him appreciate his spiritual depth. He's a top 10 Christian writer in my humble opinion. Thanks for this video.

[@vsaharc]

I believe that "The Pursuit of God" needs to be read once a year by every Christian.

[@Faithful247]

So true man, read it aloud with my wife and we were so edified. Thank God!

[@zachsmith8916]

I love Tozer. The pursuit of God helped me a lot. Tozer’s writings in the Knowledge of the Holy are what caused me to first question the Calvinism I grew up in.

[@PaDutchRunner]

I flirted with the CMA starting in college so this is definitely interesting to hear from a reformed perspective. Thank you!

[@jeffboehm5147]

How incredibly true these things are! Thanks for sharing this! Shame not many will hear this.

[@draymond1]

Solid presentation! Thank you brother!

[@barbaracoppersmith8672]

I appreciated. Coming from the CMA I was familiar with him but I needed the review. Good reminders.

[@rickyblackburn-n9e]

I really appreciate your presentation here. Very helpful.

[@marcwilliams4097]

Great Video. I have found his writings to be sobering. Not a bad thing for my life right now! Thank you for the profile. Love your channel.

[@iKnowlestheTruth]

I appreciated this survey, having read the book years ago, it was good to not only refresh my acquaintance with it, but hear some extra clarifications about the highlighted passages. Thank you for your labors! (PS… New subscriber, thanks to KZbin recommending in my feed! Thanks, KZbin-don’t get to say that often!) 😂

[@gracenotes5379]

Wow, this video really was a breath of fresh air! I appreciated your style and value your insights.

[@anthonym.7653]

PoG and KotH are two of my favs on my shelf.

[@living_the_mac_and_cheese_life]

I recently got his books on Kindle and starting them now.

[@projectdesign4675]

A W Tozer was popular in the revivals of the 70's (we called him A W Bulldozer)..a sizzling conviction of the Holy Spirit in his testimony (life's work).....at the forefront of the revival in the 70's was a white hot seeking of God, exhorted constantly! I haven't heard this type of unction in over 40 years...we got it back then! We knew picking up our cross daily......if we slacked off, the Holy Spirit could bring a soul crushing conviction that could peel the paint off of anything!

[@jeffwatt4684]

Sometimes I wonder how much of my spiritual life is just a jazzed up form of narcissism. 😢

[@JacobSerwinski-fx3on]

Try Jacob Prasch. What we believe about God effects our relationship with God. Not many solid teachers.

[@Yesica1993]

Wow, I had never even heard of, The Root of the Righteous!

[@RevRudd]

I think he lived in Toronto, not Vancouver. Excellent video. I love Tozer and this was great.

[@michealferrell1677]

One ov my first if not the first work that I had read was Tozers Jesus our man in glory

[@brianhunley5302]

He filled the pulpit at my small OPC church in Morgantown wv but it wasn’t OPC at the time. CMA I think. I’m taking the ruling elders class at your church by the way. So I can lead my family better and help where I can.

[@mikevangoch]

Always heard Tozer's reformedness was a small "r" remformed. It's a good measuring stick for much of the Alliance church.

[@Coicoy]

FYI - Bridgestone is from Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan. :) It's a little known fact that bridge-stone comes from Ishibashi (石橋) stone-bridge in Japanese

[@maceawilder]

What are your thoughts on the dating of Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday? The passover isn't until next month in the month of Nisan and yet we are observing these holy days on Easter instead. As a pastor this has grieved my conscience. What is your thoughts?

[@maceawilder]

I have since done my homework and found out that the Jewish dating for Passover is inaccurate and they even celebrate twice each year because they were unsure of the correct date. The Early Church unified the date around the spring equinox so they all could all be of one accord and break away from anti-Christian Judaism in the 4th century as part of the Council of Nicaea. I would still like to hear your thoughts if you have any on the matter.

[@Particularly_John_Gill]

I live 4 miles from the cemetery.

[@michaelclark2458]

I think one of the most important parts you listed here was the talk on programs/methods. I think one of the worst things for the family and the marriages in the church is too many programs. Keeping the Husband and the Wife and the Children all segregated in various programs every night of the week has crept in and usurped the time that should of been for family and God himself.

[@Robert_Sparkman_03]

I've read a few books by Tozer. Pursuit of God and The Purpose of Man. He is a Christian and Missionary Alliance guy I think. Isn't Akron the hamburger capital of the USA? I heard that Swenson's is good. I tried it once. I thought it was decent. I tend to like Culver's better.

[@johndever8481]

Alistair Begg and his defense, with obvious anger, those who question his position. As a member of his church, the spirit has departed.

[@Yesica1993]

I'm assuming he meant that no one can FULLY understand the, "mysteries of election, predestination, and divine sovereignty." Not that we shouldn't try. I know I can barely grasp it all!

[@Caleb-xf5yn]

Scripture reveals its secrets to those who are obedient to it; especially to the commandments of Jesus.

[@christopherjones6758]

I think you have to take Manchen and Tozer in balance of one another - Tozer absolutely wanted sound doctrine in the church - but if it fell into practical scholasticism it was useless - you know all the doctrine (over and against liberalism) but without the relationship it's doesn't do a lot for your actual relationship with God, and by extension extending the kingdom to others.

[@Caleb-xf5yn]

Christianity has been mostly nothing more than FLUFF for several decades. Tozer is seeking intimacy with God. I think every genuine believer also is seeking, because he can't help but keep seeking if indeed Christ is in him. My own discovery of this intimacy came after a severe chastening of just How serious the Lord is about that intimacy with each of us. OBEDIENCE is the best way to reach that intimacy, because that's precisely what He promised. But most don't understand just what that intimacy is about. But for those who get past their religiosity or churchianity, they come to understand what it means to continuously live in His presence and power, and that it has always been there even without our knowing it, waiting for US to awaken to it. That's where real power emanates from. You want to talk about intimacy with the Lord? Think about Paul and Silas who were beaten with rods; put in stocks in some dark hole, praying and singing hymns at midnight. Even after this closeness is 'discovered'; I use that term rather than 'achieved', because the term best describes for me; you don't gain more of God; you merely dig and discover the God who has always been there. That makes one alert and attentive to discover more. If one digs and finds a gold nugget, he's going to keep digging. And to make this discovery is just as deep and penetrating into the soul as the day you were called and convicted. And I could kick myself in the rear for not getting there sooner.

[@ISATŌP1]

To begin to fulfill the teaching of the Christ(not Jesus) we must come to the realization that there has never been a Physical/Mortal Jesus, or a Physical/Mortal Anything, including the form you believe you are, or you believe your "mother, father, children" etc, are.... What is Christ?? Christ is the Conscious Realization that God is Spirit, and Spirit is the Only Presence(not a religious practice), and becomes our Individual Consciousness when Consciousness has been released from it's fear, hate, or love of Mortality/Matter(Error). The Realization of Christ Within is the Dissolving of the Material Illusion. We have nothing to offer this world except our Spiritual Integrity, and this Integrity is our ability to recognize the nothingness of the material/mortal world. The degree to which we can look at the shadow of the material world of death/mortality that is not of Spirit/God and not be disturbed by it is the Path of the Realized Christ. We must live, move, and have our being in this Realization, and in turn walk in the Perfect Kingdom of Heaven/Spirit right here, right now, despite mortal appearances. We are NOT a Christian until we KNOW Christ is Our Identity!!!! God is Infinite, Perfect Spirit, and Spirit is the Only Presence... If I speak of myself(or any material form) I bear witness to a lie.... Therefore, Judge ye no man after the flesh.... Form is not there, only an Inner False Image caused by the Ignorance of our Truth of Being(World Mind Delusion) is there, tempting us to believe mortality, birth, death, illness, disease, separation, race, racism, heterosexuality, homosexuality, religion, gender, trauma, pain, hate, good, evil, form, duality, and any appearance of mortality is where Only the Presence of God/Spirit is. Spirit can Not Create that which can die! We have bound Our Infinite, Perfect, 7th Day, I Consciousness to the: D.O.M.E. Delusion of Mortal Existence....(Ignorance of Truth of Being through the 5 Senses of World Mind) The DOME/DELUSION is the VEIL.... Jesus is the Symbol of the Demonstration of the Realization and Complete Receptivity to Infinite, Perfect Spirit being the only presence, thereby crucifying the Sense mind that is blind to the Christ within itself, while living in the senses of world mind crucifies the Christ within!! Form is not Divine Creation, therefore not under Divine Law.... I and My Father are One! This is the Teaching of the Realized Christ Within...!

[@JosephAragon-z4x]

He was not a calvinist

[@Yesica1993]

This issue of, "Calvinism", is so tiresome. I still don't even know what "Calvinism" is. Every time I see it explained, it's just what Scripture says. That's all. Unless there's some part of it that is some wild idea that I'm not aware of, it's just the same Bible content I have been reading for 38 years now. I wish we could just get rid of the term. All it does is cause problems.

[@peterteo9470]

Are we supposed to be 'CALVINIST' first who happen to be a Believer/Christian, Or a Believer/Christian who happens to subscribed to Calvinist doctrines?