"I believe that we find the Bible difficult because we try to read it as we would read any other book, and it is not that same as any other book," so writes A. W. Tozer. Christianity today is man-centered, not God-centered. God is made to wait patiently, even respectfully on the whims of men. The image of God currently popular is that of a distracted Father, struggling in a heartbroken desperation to get people to accept a Savior of whom they feel no need, and in whom they have very little interest. To persuade these self-sufficient souls to respond to His generous offer of God will do almost anything, even using salesmanship methods and talking down to them in the chummiest way imaginable. This view of things is, of course, a kind religious romanticism which, while it often uses flattering and sometimes embarrassing terms in praise of God, manages nevertheless to make man the star of the show.
Shakespeare may be enjoyed without penitence; we may understand Plato without believing a word he says; but penitence and humility along with faith and obedience are necessary to a right understanding of the Scriptures.
In natural matters faith follows evidence and is impossible without it, but in the realm of the spirit faith precedes understanding; it does not follow it. The natural man must know in order to believe; the believer must believe in order to know. The faith that saves is not a conclusion drawn from evidence; it is a moral thing, a thing of the spirit, a supernatural infusion of confidence in Jesus Christ, a very gift of God.
The Bible is a supernatural book and can be understood only by supernatural aid." A.W. Tozer: Man: The Dwelling Place of GodHave a blessed Lord's Day.
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