The Pursuit of God

Being a religion major is great. In researching for my senior Religion thesis I get to read guys like Augustine, Edwards, Spurgeon, Lewis, Piper and others- and even get credit for it. Today, I was reading A.W. Tozer again and loving it. I read The Pursuit of God for the first time a couple of years ago when Matthew (my fiance!) gave it to me. Here are some excerpts from the opening chapter:

"The doctrine of justification by faith- a biblical truth, and a blessed relief from sterile legalism and unavailing self-effort- has in our time fallen into evil company and been interrupted by many in such a manner as actually to bar men from the knowledge of God. The whole transaction of religious conversion has been made mechanical and spiritless. Faith may now be exercised without a jar to the moral life and without embarrassment to the Adamic ego. Christ may be 'received' without creating any special love for Him in the soul of the receiver. The man is 'saved,' but he is not hungry or thirsty after God. In fact, he is specifically taught to be satisfied and is encouraged to be content with little...Everything is made center upon our initial act of 'accepting' (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls."

Although first published more than 50 years ago, this indictment perhaps rings more true today than ever. It was Augstine who wrote, "You have formed us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." There is a deep, passionate Christianity which many saints have experienced which I think many today are lacking, including myself. Deep love requires vulnerability and weakness and introspection. It also involves being emotional and passionate, which can be an evil to many in the Reformed circle. Are we too satisfied? Do we hunger after God?

"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, 'Rise up, my love, my fair one and come away." Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. Amen." -A.W. Tozer