Knowledge of the Holy

I have been reading the book Knowledge of the Holy written by A. W. Tozer. It is having a major impact on me. It changed my worship experience yesterday at church. How? As we sang I had that book open and reading through the things I had underlined as key to changing how I think about God. Why is what I think about God important? Tozer underscores the answer to that question when he says in Chapter One: "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." (Proverbs 4:23-Keep your heart with all vigilance,for from it flow the springs of life. ESV)

I must admit, that I really interacted with God as though he was the highest order of created being. My God was one of my own creation, what I wanted because I didn't trust that He held my best interests in view. My God was too small. (see Bruce A. Ware's book Their God Is Too Small - I should clarify that I was not and am not an open theist, but the book has application to what I am speaking to here.) Intellectually I assented to the fact that He was not created, but in practice I didn't want to give God control of my life.

As I have been reading this book for the last several days, I have also been listening to John MacArthur as I walk in the evening. The podcast is "Grace to You". Several of the podcasts have dealt with growing in Christian maturity by focusing on the glory of God.

All of these things are leading me to trust in God in a way that I have never done before. I see Jesus in a way that I never saw Him before. As I learn more about Who God really is the miracle of His incarnation in the person of Jesus Christ becomes more amazing. My heart is responding with joy and pride. Pride in my God Who has saved me, not by setting aside penalty for my sins, but by accepting the penalty Himself. I hope these are the first of many responses that may perhaps be described as "joy inexpressible" (1 Peter 1:8). I belong to Him and He is my inheritance.

Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. No one will go to the Father excepth through Jesus. (John 14:6)