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Attributes of God Volume 2 with Study Guide
“We must know God again,” A.W. Tozer writes urgently in his introduction to this second volume of The Attributes of God. “Nothing less than this will save us.” Originally preached as sermons to the Avenue Road congregation in Toronto, this study of ten more attributes of God restores our knowledge of who God is: Self-Existence, Transcendence, Eternalness, Omnipotence, Immutability, Omniscience, Wisdom, Sovereignty, Faithfulness, Love. A study guide has been added for an in depth look at each attribute.
336 pages, Nook
Published August 29, 2011
223 people are currently reading
1681 people want to read
About the author
A.W. Tozer
662 books2,075 followersAiden Wilson Tozer was an American evangelical pastor, speaker, writer, and editor. After coming to Christ at the age of seventeen, Tozer found his way into the Christian & Missionary Alliance denomination where he served for over forty years. In 1950, he was appointed by the denomination's General Council to be the editor of "The Alliance Witness" (now "Alliance Life").
Born into poverty in western Pennsylvania in 1897, Tozer died in May 1963 a self-educated man who had taught himself what he missed in high school and college due to his home situation. Though he wrote many books, two of them, "The Pursuit of God" and "The Knowledge of the Holy" are widely considered to be classics.
A.W. Tozer and his wife, Ada Cecelia Pfautz, had seven children, six boys and one girl.
Born into poverty in western Pennsylvania in 1897, Tozer died in May 1963 a self-educated man who had taught himself what he missed in high school and college due to his home situation. Though he wrote many books, two of them, "The Pursuit of God" and "The Knowledge of the Holy" are widely considered to be classics.
A.W. Tozer and his wife, Ada Cecelia Pfautz, had seven children, six boys and one girl.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
January 6, 2017
When you have Tozer on the Attributes of God you have Tozer at his best. Perhaps you have read his “Knowledge of the Holy” and found it one of the most amazing books you have ever read as I have. This volume, along with the corresponding volume 1, cover the same territory but with a more conversational and devotional approach. It is profound and worth reading even if you have read “Knowledge of the Holy.”
After an Introduction that talks about God’s Character in general, Tozer presents ten of the attributes in ten in-depth chapters. These attributes cover God’s self-existence, transcendence, eternalness, omnipotence, immutability, omniscience, wisdom, sovereignty, faithfulness, and love. There’s not a clunker in the bunch as I found meaning, warmth, and enlightenment in every chapter. You always get the feeling that you were reading a man who knew the Lord in the way you wanted to.
This edition by Moody has over 100 pages of a study guide by David Fessenden that really help readers dig into this volume. Mr. Fessenden is clearly well versed in Tozer’s writings and often quotes his other volumes to illumine the text here.
I highly recommend this volume. It is a true must-have volume!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
After an Introduction that talks about God’s Character in general, Tozer presents ten of the attributes in ten in-depth chapters. These attributes cover God’s self-existence, transcendence, eternalness, omnipotence, immutability, omniscience, wisdom, sovereignty, faithfulness, and love. There’s not a clunker in the bunch as I found meaning, warmth, and enlightenment in every chapter. You always get the feeling that you were reading a man who knew the Lord in the way you wanted to.
This edition by Moody has over 100 pages of a study guide by David Fessenden that really help readers dig into this volume. Mr. Fessenden is clearly well versed in Tozer’s writings and often quotes his other volumes to illumine the text here.
I highly recommend this volume. It is a true must-have volume!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
July 28, 2015
Tozer's Pursuit of God (my review) is one of my all-time favorite books, and this one ranks pretty highly on the list of Christian works as well. The editor has compiled several Tozer sermons examining ten attributes of God. This was a free audio book of the month at Christianaudio.com. I finished this book while in the middle of reading J.D. Grear's (very modern) Gospel Revolution. I find that while Grear intends to draw attention to the infinite magnitude of God in the Gospel, he is largely ignorant of the work of several before him-- like Tozer-- who did a very good job of this. Attributes can be read easily alongside Piper's Desiring God or God's Passion for His Glory, Piper's commentary on Jonathan Edwards' The End for Which God Created the World.
Tozer intends the Christian to marvel at God's infiniteness, something we cannot truly grasp. God is infinite and self-existent, he existed before time and created time. Since God existed before the universe as He created it, He has always enjoyed his triune self. God invites us to enjoy Him in Christ, that's the greatness of the Gospel. Real faith relies on God and His character as revealed in His word, true faith knows what God is like. God is enthusiastic, so we should be too. "God cannot be indifferent about anything."
"The local church will only be as strong as its perception of God," this is a good word. Where God is lifted up and magnified, the church is strengthened. But "our religion is weak because our god is weak," writes Tozer-- noting that supposedly Einstein rejected God because he did not find the God preached in American pulpits to be the same awesome God who must have created the marvelous universe. Tozer writes from his vantage point of mid-20th century America, where he saw churches with "more people and more spirituality but less holiness and less reverence for God." I would say now we have less of each.
God did not make us because we deserved it, but He made us to know Him, enjoy Him, and glorify Him. We have resurrection "because God loves his friends," -- like Abraham, and Moses. As Jesus reminded us, God is God of the living, not the dead. God is the only thing that can ultimately satisfy our never-ending wants.
Tozer writes that "justice" and "righteousness" are indistiguishable in Hebrew, it's the same word. God has always been just and always just as merciful. God is described as merciful many more times in the Old Testament than in the New Testament, something people unfamiliar with Scripture are mistaken about when they claim that God's nature is somehow different in the New Testament. Justification and regeneration are not the same, but one does not occur without the other.
Most Christians are "trying to be happy" but are left with a sense of "remoteness" from God. Tozer remarks on the remoteness, noting that our sin nature makes us feel remote but reminds the reader that God is not geographically or actually far away-- God is everywhere. We should remember that when we pray or when we work.
Tozer takes a tact similar to Augustine in interpreting the Song of Solomon as being symbolic of Jesus. This is problematic for many Hebrew scholars. Also of note, Tozer quotes often from 14th century Julian of Norwich's Revelation of Divine Love. This is probably a bit too mystic for some, but Tozer finds Julian's description of the vastness of God's love to be among the best available in English. It is important to keep in mind that Tozer is writing to Christians, those who are truly God's children in Christ. When he uses the term "we," he is not using it as meaning universally all people.
We cannot comprehend the holiness of God; when God talks about "pure white" we see "dingy gray." Only when we ponder the depth of God's infinite love in the Gospel can we start to be excited about holiness.
I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.
Tozer intends the Christian to marvel at God's infiniteness, something we cannot truly grasp. God is infinite and self-existent, he existed before time and created time. Since God existed before the universe as He created it, He has always enjoyed his triune self. God invites us to enjoy Him in Christ, that's the greatness of the Gospel. Real faith relies on God and His character as revealed in His word, true faith knows what God is like. God is enthusiastic, so we should be too. "God cannot be indifferent about anything."
"The local church will only be as strong as its perception of God," this is a good word. Where God is lifted up and magnified, the church is strengthened. But "our religion is weak because our god is weak," writes Tozer-- noting that supposedly Einstein rejected God because he did not find the God preached in American pulpits to be the same awesome God who must have created the marvelous universe. Tozer writes from his vantage point of mid-20th century America, where he saw churches with "more people and more spirituality but less holiness and less reverence for God." I would say now we have less of each.
God did not make us because we deserved it, but He made us to know Him, enjoy Him, and glorify Him. We have resurrection "because God loves his friends," -- like Abraham, and Moses. As Jesus reminded us, God is God of the living, not the dead. God is the only thing that can ultimately satisfy our never-ending wants.
Tozer writes that "justice" and "righteousness" are indistiguishable in Hebrew, it's the same word. God has always been just and always just as merciful. God is described as merciful many more times in the Old Testament than in the New Testament, something people unfamiliar with Scripture are mistaken about when they claim that God's nature is somehow different in the New Testament. Justification and regeneration are not the same, but one does not occur without the other.
Most Christians are "trying to be happy" but are left with a sense of "remoteness" from God. Tozer remarks on the remoteness, noting that our sin nature makes us feel remote but reminds the reader that God is not geographically or actually far away-- God is everywhere. We should remember that when we pray or when we work.
Tozer takes a tact similar to Augustine in interpreting the Song of Solomon as being symbolic of Jesus. This is problematic for many Hebrew scholars. Also of note, Tozer quotes often from 14th century Julian of Norwich's Revelation of Divine Love. This is probably a bit too mystic for some, but Tozer finds Julian's description of the vastness of God's love to be among the best available in English. It is important to keep in mind that Tozer is writing to Christians, those who are truly God's children in Christ. When he uses the term "we," he is not using it as meaning universally all people.
We cannot comprehend the holiness of God; when God talks about "pure white" we see "dingy gray." Only when we ponder the depth of God's infinite love in the Gospel can we start to be excited about holiness.
I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.
December 29, 2022
Aceasta carte a fost subiectul meu de studiu in anul 2022. Reîncepută pentru a doua oara deoarece prima dată nu m-a prins deloc, pot doar sa îi multumesc lui Dumnezeu ca m-a îndrumat spre ea. Așa cum am auzit spunându-se despre ea- citită și studiată alături de Biblie este revelatoare.
Tozer, prin viața sa devoțională a reușit să-L descopere pe Dumnezeu într-un mod fantastic, așa cum puțini reușesc și se luptă să o facă.
Cartea este o colecție de predici ale lui Tozer despre 20 dintre atributele lui Dumnezeu (imuabilitatea, omnipotența, omniprezența, eternitatea, sfințenia, dragostea etc) explicate atât din punct de vedere biblic, teologic, dar totodată atât de personal și practic- atât pentru mintea, cât și pentru inima omului. E o carte care a adus o schimbare de perspectivă asupra a multor dintre concepțiile pe care le aveam despre Dumnezeu și care m-a ajutat să înțeleg foarte mult despre modul în care Dumnezeu se raportează la noi.
Deși plină de concepte atât de greu de înțeles și concepte care depășesc cu mult mintea omului, deoarece, așa cum spunea el- “Limbajul omenesc se clatină atunci când încercăm să-l folosim pentru a-L descrie pe Dumnezeu.”, el reușește să aducă măcar o licărire de lumină asupra lor.
Merita citită cu pixul în mână și cu caietul de notițe lângă, de meditat la ea și de revenit din nou și din nou pentru că mereu este ceva de învățat din ea. O recomand din toată inima!
martie-decembrie 2022
Tozer, prin viața sa devoțională a reușit să-L descopere pe Dumnezeu într-un mod fantastic, așa cum puțini reușesc și se luptă să o facă.
Cartea este o colecție de predici ale lui Tozer despre 20 dintre atributele lui Dumnezeu (imuabilitatea, omnipotența, omniprezența, eternitatea, sfințenia, dragostea etc) explicate atât din punct de vedere biblic, teologic, dar totodată atât de personal și practic- atât pentru mintea, cât și pentru inima omului. E o carte care a adus o schimbare de perspectivă asupra a multor dintre concepțiile pe care le aveam despre Dumnezeu și care m-a ajutat să înțeleg foarte mult despre modul în care Dumnezeu se raportează la noi.
Deși plină de concepte atât de greu de înțeles și concepte care depășesc cu mult mintea omului, deoarece, așa cum spunea el- “Limbajul omenesc se clatină atunci când încercăm să-l folosim pentru a-L descrie pe Dumnezeu.”, el reușește să aducă măcar o licărire de lumină asupra lor.
Merita citită cu pixul în mână și cu caietul de notițe lângă, de meditat la ea și de revenit din nou și din nou pentru că mereu este ceva de învățat din ea. O recomand din toată inima!
martie-decembrie 2022
December 30, 2013
On this book, I will simply echo my previous review of the former volume. The book is highly practical and engaging. The tone is less formal than Tozer’s “Knowledge of the Holy” and probably better suited to a group book study approach. There is some overlap with “Knowledge of the Holy,” but overall it was an excellent read in its own right.
January 6, 2025
The book is not for me, but I blazed through it anyway. This could have been more concise: omniscience connotes wisdom, for example.
June 5, 2025
Simple, yet profound. The last chapter on God’s love is beautiful. I foresee this as a frequent re-read.
January 14, 2013
This is the 3rd book I've read by A.W. Tozer. I'd say he is one of my favorite Christian authors. I have agreed with everything that I have read. Love that he uses the bible to prove his argument. Very biblical and encouraging book. Needed to refocus my gaze back on God!! Would definitely recommend it! Can't wait to start another book by Tozer!
November 9, 2022
Great read I found it rich with more of what God is like and that His attributes are eternally without end that He did not learn them from another. With these attributes I saw God as He is that we can not do anything about it
February 23, 2011
I love the way Tozier challenges the reader to think about the greatness of God in all His apsects.
May 24, 2022
Wonderful!
May 30, 2023
Tozer can be pretty repetitive BUT his analogies when trying to explain God’s attributes are amazing and will snatch your heart right up in the best way
June 28, 2024
“The church has lost her lofty conception of God and no longer knows what God is like, her religion is thin and anemic, frivolous and worldly and cheap. We've lost the solemnity and have become fearless, we've lost the loftiness and have become coarse and shallow. We've lost the substance and have become entertainers.”
About the Book
Tozer starts the book with the premise that we've lost touch with a lofty conception of God. He reminds us that what we think about God, His attributes, and who He is, is immensely important if we are to worship Him.
Hence, the book is divided into 10 chapters, each focusing on an attribute of God: God's self-existence, transcendence, eternalness, omnipotence, immutability, omniscience, wisdom, sovereignty, faithfulness, and love.
Things that Struck Me as I Read Through
“And when the sun has burnt itself out and the stars have been folded up like a garment, God will still be, for God dwells in an everlasting now that nothing can get to.”
The section on God's Omnipotence challenged me as I read through Tozer's three assertions on God's power:
God Has Power
God Is the Source of All Power
God Gives Power, but Still Retains It
He talks about how, despite being the source of all power, God isn't depleted when He reaches us, answers our prayers, or intervenes in human life.
It emboldened me while simultaneously challenging me on the nature of my prayers. Too often, I'm afraid that I'm making unreasonable requests before God with the faulty assumption that I'm drawing on a God with a limited power supply, but that isn't the God we serve.
“A battery has only so much power in it and if that is slowly given away, the battery gets weaker and weaker. But when God gives power—to angels, archangels, redeemed men, mountains, seas, stars, and planets—He doesn’t relinquish anything. He does not become less than He was before; GOD'S BATTERIES DO NOT RUN DOWN.”
****God's Love
Tozer also speaks on the love of God. I half expected clichés and ignoble aphorisms, but I was surprised by a new take on the love of God—a love which does not seek pity when it died for your sins. It does not say, "I died for you, woe is me, I suffered so much," and guilt-trip you into loving Him. No.
“That’s why I never care for mournful songs that portray Jesus weeping on His own shoulder and saying, ‘Oh, what a hero I was and you don’t appreciate it! Too bad for Me!’ Songs like that are not healthy. They’re written by men who need psychiatric treatment. Jesus Christ never went to His disciples and said, ‘Now look, I died for you. Won’t you remember My sufferings and My tears, and My groans and My blood?’ Never! He said, ‘Mary,’ and Mary turned and said ‘Rabboni’ (John 20:16). He never said, ‘I died for you.’ He simply said, ‘Mary.’ That’s the difference between the New Testament and a lot of religious books. Religious books are often unhealthy, and in an effort to become spiritual, they become more unhealthy still.”
Beloved, be blessed knowing that Christ died for your sins because He loved you. It gave Him pleasure to do the will of His Father.
“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” - Zephaniah 3:17
Tozer shared a little story that captures the essence of how he wants us to imagine God the Father loving us:
“There is a little story about a very young girl who was carrying around a great big lug of a baby on her back. A man came by and said to her, ‘Well honey, that’s quite a burden you have there.’ And she said, ‘That’s not a burden, that’s my little brother!’ Whatever you love isn’t a burden. God is not having any burdens. That’s why I never join in with people that are pitying the Lord. Never! God is happy to do what He did! He is love, and love is joyful.”
Overall
It's been an insightful book, I must say, however tedious it was trudging along. But that's a me-problem, not an author problem per se. 4 stars for me.
I shall take a short break from reading authors like Tozer and catch up on my psych reading soon; there'll be a lot to catch up on.
In any case, cheers and I'll catch you guys later. I'll leave y'all with this quote from the book:
“The basic trouble with the church today is her unworthy concept of God… Our religion is weak because our God is weak… Christianity at any given time is strong or weak depending on her concept of God.”
May 31, 2024
•Gods eternal
Gods omnipotence-he is all powerful. He is the source of all power.
•Gods immutability-from mutable (subject to change)
•God is wise-wisdom is the ability to achieve the most perfect ends by the most perfect means. To judge in view of the final and ultimate ends with perfect precision
•Gods sovereignty-he is in control of everything. He planned everything from the beginning. Man’s free will means that he can and he will and most anytime he wants make any choice he pleases within his human limitations. Man’s free choices can apparently you defy the purposes of Gods free will against the will of God.
How to resolve the apparent contradiction: God is free to make choices any timewherever. Man’s free will means he can make any choice he wants to make even if he makes a choice against the will of God. God is sovereign, free to do as he pleases. One of the things he is pleased to do is give me freedom to do what I please. And when I do what I please I am fulfilling the will of God knowing I’m not contradicting it knowing God in his sovereignty has given me free will and freedom to make a free choice, even if the choice it not the one God has made for me, his sovereignty is fulfilled in my making the choice
•faithfulness in God is the fact that he will never do or be what is not himself
•Gods love-understanding Gods love is like trying to gather up the ocean in your arms.love permeates his essential being and conditions all that he does
Gods omnipotence-he is all powerful. He is the source of all power.
•Gods immutability-from mutable (subject to change)
•God is wise-wisdom is the ability to achieve the most perfect ends by the most perfect means. To judge in view of the final and ultimate ends with perfect precision
•Gods sovereignty-he is in control of everything. He planned everything from the beginning. Man’s free will means that he can and he will and most anytime he wants make any choice he pleases within his human limitations. Man’s free choices can apparently you defy the purposes of Gods free will against the will of God.
How to resolve the apparent contradiction: God is free to make choices any timewherever. Man’s free will means he can make any choice he wants to make even if he makes a choice against the will of God. God is sovereign, free to do as he pleases. One of the things he is pleased to do is give me freedom to do what I please. And when I do what I please I am fulfilling the will of God knowing I’m not contradicting it knowing God in his sovereignty has given me free will and freedom to make a free choice, even if the choice it not the one God has made for me, his sovereignty is fulfilled in my making the choice
•faithfulness in God is the fact that he will never do or be what is not himself
•Gods love-understanding Gods love is like trying to gather up the ocean in your arms.love permeates his essential being and conditions all that he does
June 14, 2024
The attributes of God vol 2 is even better than the last. It was really challenging and encouraging. I feel more convicted about choosing to believe god for who he is and living out of that instead of other habits I get into.
January 9, 2025
Excelente enseñanza
October 19, 2025
I’ve now read volumes 1 & 2. Tozer gives much to consider and ponder for my own life, and much to let go of.
December 5, 2023
Tozer so beautifully and accurately portrays the attributes of God. Often a second volume is not as good as the first, that is not true of this book. Excellent read.
September 11, 2018
Tozer begins this book by essentially asking the question, who is God? He reasons that we are to have faith in God for salvation, but whom are we having faith in? Who is this God? What makes Him special and unique among the myriad of “gods” that have appeared throughout history? I’m not sure that Tozer means that we must know everything there is about God in order to be saved (or to “have faith” in Him), but he makes sense in the fact that if you are a Christian, why wouldn’t you want to know Him better? Would that not give you a deeper understanding of the author of your salvation?
So this is a book for all Christians. This is a book that is full of theological depth. And while we shy away from using that word, “theology,” so often because it denotes an academic discipline that is often viewed as “out of reach” to the layperson, Tozer breaks down this systematic theology subject “Theology Proper” so that it appeases both the layman and the theologian. He also debunks many mythologies that we as Christian often accept as truth but quickly hold little weight when viewed in the light of scripture. So this is a very important book.
I think I made a mistake getting volume 2, as I would have preferred to listen to volume 1 first. But this is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Volume 2 covers such attributes of God as his omniscience, his omnipresence, and his omnipotence. He looks at the God’s self-existence, transcendence, eternalness, immutability, wisdom, sovereignty faithfulness, and love.
Everything about this book is interesting. Each chapter gives you a small peek into who God is. 2000 plus years of people who have written about God have said very much about Him, but it all pales in comparison to the totality of His person. The subject of who God is could fill books and books and books full of information. If since the beginning of time all you did was read books about God, you wouldn’t be even close to fully understanding Him had you read for a million years straight. But that doesn’t mean we should be ignorant. There are certain attributes that no one will ever understand. For example, the self-existence of God cannot be comprehended by humans. But that doesn’t mean it’s not true: it most certainly is. Trying to understand the trinity or omnipresence of God seems like a useless endeavor, but it actually is an essential part of who God is and demands our attention and study.
I think my most favorite chapter is Tozer’s treatment on the wisdom of God. See what Tozer said:
“The point is that it’s got to be God’s wisdom or yours. It’s either God’s way or yours. All that you and I have lived for, hoped for, and dreamed over in our heart of hearts, life, safety, happiness, heaven, immortality, the presence of God, hinges on whether you’re going to accept the ultimate wisdom of the triune God as revealed in the scripture and his providential working in mankind. Or are you going to go your own way? … We go to Church and we pray to give our heart to the Lord… but then things get turbulent and we run and say “Lord let me run this thing!” That’s why we’re so messed up in our Christian lives. We’re not ready to let God run our world for us… The wise God always thinks of your highest good for the longest time. He always does what he does with flawless precision. Seeing the end from the beginning, never making any mistakes and never asking anything from you that you can’t do or don’t have. He never makes any unfair demands, but knows your flesh and treats you with a heart of compassion. Whatever he commands, he gives you the power to obey the command, always. You can trust this kind of God. The problem is we don’t trust this God.”
Another one of my favorite quotes of this book is this gem:
“I wonder if some holy creature who has spent centuries looking at the holy face of God ever listens to our speech; our vain and idle words, the chatter of earth’s busy tribes of men, and the meaningless talk of the pulpits. How strange and how welcomed such talk as this would be, though it would have no more relation to the high truth of it all than a two year old child playing a violin would have a relation to fine music. And yet, any father would smile if, in obedience to his suggestion, his little one took up the violin and tried to play.”
Overall, this is really a refreshing book. Tozer uses some of the greatest analogies that I have ever heard. This really is a must read for all Christian who desire to know more about who God is.
So this is a book for all Christians. This is a book that is full of theological depth. And while we shy away from using that word, “theology,” so often because it denotes an academic discipline that is often viewed as “out of reach” to the layperson, Tozer breaks down this systematic theology subject “Theology Proper” so that it appeases both the layman and the theologian. He also debunks many mythologies that we as Christian often accept as truth but quickly hold little weight when viewed in the light of scripture. So this is a very important book.
I think I made a mistake getting volume 2, as I would have preferred to listen to volume 1 first. But this is insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Volume 2 covers such attributes of God as his omniscience, his omnipresence, and his omnipotence. He looks at the God’s self-existence, transcendence, eternalness, immutability, wisdom, sovereignty faithfulness, and love.
Everything about this book is interesting. Each chapter gives you a small peek into who God is. 2000 plus years of people who have written about God have said very much about Him, but it all pales in comparison to the totality of His person. The subject of who God is could fill books and books and books full of information. If since the beginning of time all you did was read books about God, you wouldn’t be even close to fully understanding Him had you read for a million years straight. But that doesn’t mean we should be ignorant. There are certain attributes that no one will ever understand. For example, the self-existence of God cannot be comprehended by humans. But that doesn’t mean it’s not true: it most certainly is. Trying to understand the trinity or omnipresence of God seems like a useless endeavor, but it actually is an essential part of who God is and demands our attention and study.
I think my most favorite chapter is Tozer’s treatment on the wisdom of God. See what Tozer said:
“The point is that it’s got to be God’s wisdom or yours. It’s either God’s way or yours. All that you and I have lived for, hoped for, and dreamed over in our heart of hearts, life, safety, happiness, heaven, immortality, the presence of God, hinges on whether you’re going to accept the ultimate wisdom of the triune God as revealed in the scripture and his providential working in mankind. Or are you going to go your own way? … We go to Church and we pray to give our heart to the Lord… but then things get turbulent and we run and say “Lord let me run this thing!” That’s why we’re so messed up in our Christian lives. We’re not ready to let God run our world for us… The wise God always thinks of your highest good for the longest time. He always does what he does with flawless precision. Seeing the end from the beginning, never making any mistakes and never asking anything from you that you can’t do or don’t have. He never makes any unfair demands, but knows your flesh and treats you with a heart of compassion. Whatever he commands, he gives you the power to obey the command, always. You can trust this kind of God. The problem is we don’t trust this God.”
Another one of my favorite quotes of this book is this gem:
“I wonder if some holy creature who has spent centuries looking at the holy face of God ever listens to our speech; our vain and idle words, the chatter of earth’s busy tribes of men, and the meaningless talk of the pulpits. How strange and how welcomed such talk as this would be, though it would have no more relation to the high truth of it all than a two year old child playing a violin would have a relation to fine music. And yet, any father would smile if, in obedience to his suggestion, his little one took up the violin and tried to play.”
Overall, this is really a refreshing book. Tozer uses some of the greatest analogies that I have ever heard. This really is a must read for all Christian who desire to know more about who God is.
September 24, 2022
Indescribable God
A very good attempt to describe the Indescribable God.
"The mind is never better employed than when it is seeking to know this great God Almighty."
"God rises transcendently above all that we can understand. The human mind must kneel before the great God Almighty. What God is can never quite be grasped by the mind; it can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit does not reveal what I am trying to tell you about God, then you only know about God."
"I recommend to you Jesus Christ, the unchanging One. I recommend to you God's answer to your questions, God's solution to your problems, God's life for your dying soul, God's cleansing for your sin-cursed spirit, God's rest for your restless mind, and God's resurrection for your dying body. For advocate above, I recommend Him to you. You will find Him to be all He ever was--the very same Jesus."
"Whatever God felt about anything, He still feels. Whatever He thought about anyone, He still thinks. Whatever He approved, He still approves. Whatever He condemned, He still condemns. Today we have what they call the relativity of morals. But remember this God never changes. Holiness and righteousness are conformity to the will of God. And the will of God never changes for moral creatures."
"We wonder why we don't have faith; the answer is, faith is confidence in the character of God and if we don't know what kind of God God is, we can't have faith."
"All things as they move toward God are beautiful, and they are ugly as they move away from Him."
A very good attempt to describe the Indescribable God.
"The mind is never better employed than when it is seeking to know this great God Almighty."
"God rises transcendently above all that we can understand. The human mind must kneel before the great God Almighty. What God is can never quite be grasped by the mind; it can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit does not reveal what I am trying to tell you about God, then you only know about God."
"I recommend to you Jesus Christ, the unchanging One. I recommend to you God's answer to your questions, God's solution to your problems, God's life for your dying soul, God's cleansing for your sin-cursed spirit, God's rest for your restless mind, and God's resurrection for your dying body. For advocate above, I recommend Him to you. You will find Him to be all He ever was--the very same Jesus."
"Whatever God felt about anything, He still feels. Whatever He thought about anyone, He still thinks. Whatever He approved, He still approves. Whatever He condemned, He still condemns. Today we have what they call the relativity of morals. But remember this God never changes. Holiness and righteousness are conformity to the will of God. And the will of God never changes for moral creatures."
"We wonder why we don't have faith; the answer is, faith is confidence in the character of God and if we don't know what kind of God God is, we can't have faith."
"All things as they move toward God are beautiful, and they are ugly as they move away from Him."
July 17, 2020
4.5 stars. Another great Tozer classic. This is the second part to his first Attributes of God two- part book treatment on the subject. Tozer discusses God's self-existence, transcendence, eternalness, omnipotence, immutability, omniscience, wisdom, sovereignty, faithfulness, and love.
This is a great place to start with theology. Tozer's simple, yet unique style is easy to understand. You can understand him perfectly without getting lost or confused.
I'm taking away half a star for repetition. Even though Tozer does tend to be repetitive, and it doesn't bother me, this book seems to have it more than usual. It can be a little annoying to some readers.
If you like the first book, you'll certainly enjoy this one as well. I would recommend to all, especially new believers.
I received a copy of this book from Moody in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
This is a great place to start with theology. Tozer's simple, yet unique style is easy to understand. You can understand him perfectly without getting lost or confused.
I'm taking away half a star for repetition. Even though Tozer does tend to be repetitive, and it doesn't bother me, this book seems to have it more than usual. It can be a little annoying to some readers.
If you like the first book, you'll certainly enjoy this one as well. I would recommend to all, especially new believers.
I received a copy of this book from Moody in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
February 18, 2022
Tozer, dejando ver la humildad que ha adquirido al conocer al Alto y Sublime, no deja de repetir en diferentes ocasiones, lo incapaz que se siente al intentar describir la gloria de Dios desplegada en los atributos que expone en su libro. Tras estas expresiones y las inteligentes ilustraciones que articula para representar de la mejor forma posible lo excelentísimo de Dios, es natural que nos sobrecoja el asombro, la humillación y deseo de conocer más a tal Ser, tan inigualable y jamás pensado.
Hay algunas cosas que me fueron confusas de leer, pero nada al punto de llamarlo herético, sino que sentía que se contradecía en uno punto. De todas maneras, la experiencia de lectura fue muy placentera.
Hay algunas cosas que me fueron confusas de leer, pero nada al punto de llamarlo herético, sino que sentía que se contradecía en uno punto. De todas maneras, la experiencia de lectura fue muy placentera.
January 16, 2023
Just like Volume 1, this book continues to look at the Divine attributes of God. I love studying the attributes of God. To me, Tozer can be a bit deep, but if you really take your time, you can learn a lot from these books! I feel like this book and really both volumes are great reference books where you could go back and look up the specific attribute you want to study further and reread what Tozer had to say about it and learn even more. I did enjoy learning more about the attributes of God, and would recommend this book if you too want to dive deeper into His attributes.
**I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
**I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 20, 2015
An excellent book, absolutely worthy of reading and using in your study of God's attributes and together with Scripture. HOWEVER, Vol. 1 made more of an impact on me, so if you had to choose one to read, I would go with Vol. 1 over Vol. 2. That being said, ideally - read both. I came away with much to ponder and a deeper understanding (and reminder) of the awesomeness of God.
On a personal note: Before reading Tozer, I didn't even realize I had put God in a box... now I can never imagine doing so again, thanks to the gentle (and no-so-gentle) prodding of A.W. Tozer and his studies of God's Attributes - not what God has, but something He IS.
On a personal note: Before reading Tozer, I didn't even realize I had put God in a box... now I can never imagine doing so again, thanks to the gentle (and no-so-gentle) prodding of A.W. Tozer and his studies of God's Attributes - not what God has, but something He IS.
November 27, 2022
I went through this with my Bible study. Tozer has many truths to share about the character of God, and while I don’t think we learned new information necessarily, it did help us to reflect on what we know to be true about God. The book also comes with helpful discussion questions. My only complaint is that this book is based on a sermon series by Tozer—he didn’t actually write this. Someone compiled his sermons into a book, and you can tell. It reads like it is being spoken, and the quality of writing is not as high as Tozer’s other works such as “Knowledge of the Holy.”
March 25, 2009
This is not the best Tozer book (that title may have to go to The Knowledge of the Holy) but it was a solid and edifying read. There are several points where his Arminian presuppositions poke through as he is wrestling with application, but his ability to take majestic truths about God and put them forward plainly and powerfully is unparalleled! The last chapter on The Perfections of God is worth the price of the book!
May 25, 2015
This is the second of Tozer's books I've tried reading. The content is excellent, and so far, I agree with him and think he is teaching truth. However, there is something in the writing style that I just don't enjoy. Perhaps its the style that results from him "writing like for a magazine" which I've heard said about the two Attributes of God books. Ah, well, to some extent, we are each unique.
For a good explanation of who God is, however, these seems an excellent book.
For a good explanation of who God is, however, these seems an excellent book.
April 25, 2023
In volume one and two, A.W. Tozer causes me to see God as never before. I’ve discovered biases and paradigms I had formed due to early life experiences, parental influence, Sunday school lessons, and years of sermons from the pulpit. I’m grateful these classics are still around to introduce God as He is.
I listened to both in audio version and repeated portions multiple times to absorb the full richness of this teaching.
I listened to both in audio version and repeated portions multiple times to absorb the full richness of this teaching.
July 21, 2009
I did this as a small-group study and it is very enlightening, a good companion to volume one. It definitely broadens any limited view you may have of God! Each chapter details a different attribute of God, and there is a study guide section with questions. God is so outside of our limited human minds, the book inspires more reverence for Him. I would recommend for other believers.
April 19, 2015
I didn't get quite as much out of this as I did out of volume 1. Perhaps because some of the foundational ideas are, naturally, repeated between the two books. Also I read this by myself and discussed the first one in a group - thus, perhaps, getting more out of it? All that said, worth reading to expand your mind and awareness of how BIG God is.
March 15, 2018
The two books were very good. I would have liked more scripture passages expounded upon but his use of scripture is solid besides is use for Song of Solomon. God blessed Tozer with the ability to explain the attributes of God so that everyone could understand from the Bible scholar to the highschooler.
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