Shallow Faith by Tozer (Part II)
The book, “The Dangers of Shallow Faith” was a present from my wife on my 50th birthday last August … knowing how Tozer was a favorite author and how his insights can be blamed for shaping some of my thoughts in the early days. I plunged into it dutifully only to discover it was not as enjoyable as it used to be … to read again the familiar words of the sage who died in 1963 and who wrote in a style I was well accustomed to.
My other present was a lovely wristwatch, from my brother which I gave to my son having developed a phobia for wristwatches and expensive mobile devices following being abruptly relieved of them in the past by armed Lagos urchins.
In Part I of this article (see link) I summarized some of the thoughts that made Tozer, as far back as the fifties, one of the less popular amongst the preachers of his time. As I read “The Dangers…” I wondered - was Tozer fake or was I or were we just different … is there one true church(not denomination) or different genres ? I find I am browsing through this book at a much faster pace as I stumbled on the chapter … The Process of backsliding, and finally come to the conclusion – this book must have been written to kill the remaining joy I was salvaging on my jubilee. Then as I take a pause only to read one of another favorite preacher’s blogs – Zambia’s Conrad Mbewe … I find a very offensive title … Beware of Nigerian Religious Junk . You may open the link only if you are not too sensitive. I am too nervous to comment on this article but will at least want the bolder to read it.
Back to Tozer … he says there are stages to backsliding …and it’s all about the heart, the heart and the heart. First the heart is fickle …true our ability to change our mind is our hope but this is also our undoing. Though many make an initial step toward God, most did not last, simply because serving Jesus Christ is contrary to the human nature and by nature we do not persevere. Then the heart is evil … Michele Obama was right when she recently said the Presidency does not change you but brings out who you really are. Tozer reminds us that the Bible says the heart is evil and the natural constitution of a human being is against being good as God defines it.
So what happens in the backsliding heart. It begins with losing interest in the things of God, then it graduates to losing interest in communion with God…justifying a rest from evangelism …becoming easily bored with things of God (demanding more theatrics from preachers who will gain any attention) and then having a critical spirit … then of course our spontaneous cheerful and generous giving declines. God help me … I think I have read enough …after all, it is my diamond jubilee celebration month - I must find something more cheerful to do as I look forward to dinner with family … I think I will listen to some worship music or maybe watch Joel Osteen.
The human mind is so constituted that it must consider something, so it compromises by considering other people’s ways. Pharisees knew the sins of everybody but themselves. Wickedness conspires to prevent all but the very few from considering their own ways … and loving to preach of others…(always prevented from seeing ourselves)
Tozer writes of the law of consequence and the main characteristic of spiritual lethargy to think we will no more deal with consequences … distorting the truth … “I am living by grace”. Many make terrible choices without consideration for the future to gain a temporal acclaim or relief. Today we face the consequences of yesterday’s choices … tomorrow we will find the consequence of todays.
So …what causes backsliding. The prime sources of danger are the unmortified flesh, the world with new tricks every day and Satanic guile. Victories can spoil us even as defeats can destroy us. The adoring crowd that thinks you are worthy of great acclaim today may turn their backs on you tomorrow. Focus must be on God and pleasing Him always.
… Hag 1:7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.
Lord, help me to come up higher.
