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| Beware, the water-wheel goes in one direction only... |
A facebook friend, Scott Price, on his post, pointed out the errors of A.W. Tozer in his theology by giving a list of quotes from his writings.
The post is found here: https://www.facebook.com/scott.price3/posts/10206519158485501
The post is found here: https://www.facebook.com/scott.price3/posts/10206519158485501
Many comments have been made in response to that post. I feel that many are as clueless and confused as Mr. Tozer himself in his quotes.
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AW Tozer quotes.... Does this sound like a Bible-believing Christian?
Redemption is an objective fact. It is a work potentially saving, wrought for man, but done independent of and exterior to the individual. Christ’s work on Calvary made atonement for every man, but it did not save any man.”
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
“Universal atonement makes salvation universally available, but it does not make it universally effective toward the individual.”
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
God cannot do our repenting for us. In our efforts to magnify grace we have so preached the truth as to convey the impression that repentance is a work of God. This is a grave mistake, and one which is taking a frightful toll among Christians everywhere. God has commanded all men to repent. It is a work which only they can do.”
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
“before we can be saved we must of our own free will repent toward God and believe in Jesus Christ. This the Bible plainly teaches; this experience abundantly supports. Repentance involves moral reformation. The wrong practices are on man’s part, and only man can correct them. Lying, for instance, is an act of man and one for which he must accept full responsibility. When he repents he will quit lying. God will not quit for him; he will quit for himself.”
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
“The remedy is to see clearly that men are not lost because of what someone did thousands of years ago; they are lost because they sin individually and in person. We will never be judged for Adam’s sin, but for our own. For our own sins we are and must remain fully responsible.”
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
“Faith is a gift of God, to be sure, but whether or not we shall act upon that faith lies altogether within our own power. We may or we may not, as we choose.”
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
(Paths to power – A. W. Tozer – Chapter 2 – God’s Part and Man’s)
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Suffice to say that there are confusion and contradictions in every quote above. What explains such a situation. Mr. Tozer is doubtless a man of God and many have been helped by his ministry. Still, that does not diminish the errors and confusion in any sense. We are dealing with doctrines.
I left this comment in his post:
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A biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology.
All the confusion and contradictions inherent in Mr. Tozer's quotes lie in the simple fact that he, like a multitude calvinistic folks, fails to distinguish the eternal salvation that is monergistic, and the temporal salvation that is synergistic.
The former deals with God's free and sovereign acts to effectually call an elect OUT OF his native state of sin and death and condemnation UNTO that of grace and salvation in Christ Jesus. This is done completely independent of any act of man.
God purposed eternal salvation for the elect, Christ accomplished that same salvation for the same people, and the Holy Spirit applies that same salvation to each individual elect personally at God's own appointed and approved time, when they are still in their native state sin and death.
That's divine sovereignty in salvation. Those whom God has freely bestowed eternal salvation ARE HELD RESPONSIBLE to work out their own salvation through the means ordained by God Himself. In eternal salvation, God does it all Himself, without any means; He alone is responsible.
Human responsibility in the context of redemptive theology applies strictly to God's children alone, i.e. those whom God freely bestowed eternal salvation. They are called to repent and believe in their Saviour Jesus Christ, and to observe all things Christ has commanded them.
Whatever requires man's doing something relates to the temporal salvation of God's children only, they are held responsible by God to act in obedience to the Father's will for their spiritual wellbeing. They were NOT required to do anything to be freely bestowed with the eternal salvation. There is NO possibility of them doing anything before eternal salvation has been freely bestowed upon them.
Do I make sense?
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p/s
What is the salvation that Timothy is VITALLY instrumental of, both for himself, and those under his care? How does it differ from the salvation accomplished by Christ for His people?
If you don't make the distinction, you necessarily end up making Timothy as CO-redemptive with Jesus Christ.
Yes, stick to the Scriptures, BUT rightly divide the Scriptures too.
Don't stick to the sound of Scriptures, BUT seek for the sense of Scriptures.
Instead of dealing with the Scripture and the questions raised, he conveniently denounces it as a relic of hypercalvinism. This reminds me of A.W. Pink's words, "Denunciation is the last resort of a defeated foe," when enemies attacked and denounced his book "The Sovereignty of God" as hypercalvinistic.
And then he gave a few links leading to some reformed stuff. Monumental failure - he can't stick to Scriptures when given the Scriptures. It is like a dog returning to its own vomit.
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There are some interesting exchanges here when I post this article on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/10206496039135227?pnref=story.
Apostle Paul pointed out one of the characteristics of the perilous times of the last days, "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
One friend dismisses the distinction between eternal salvation and temporal salvation as making no sense, and said, "stick to Scriptures."
So I gave him a Scripture and a few leading questions, and an observation.
1Ti 4:16
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
So I gave him a Scripture and a few leading questions, and an observation.
1Ti 4:16
Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
What is the salvation that Timothy is VITALLY instrumental of, both for himself, and those under his care? How does it differ from the salvation accomplished by Christ for His people?
If you don't make the distinction, you necessarily end up making Timothy as CO-redemptive with Jesus Christ.
Yes, stick to the Scriptures, BUT rightly divide the Scriptures too.
Don't stick to the sound of Scriptures, BUT seek for the sense of Scriptures.
Instead of dealing with the Scripture and the questions raised, he conveniently denounces it as a relic of hypercalvinism. This reminds me of A.W. Pink's words, "Denunciation is the last resort of a defeated foe," when enemies attacked and denounced his book "The Sovereignty of God" as hypercalvinistic.
And then he gave a few links leading to some reformed stuff. Monumental failure - he can't stick to Scriptures when given the Scriptures. It is like a dog returning to its own vomit.
=================
There are some interesting exchanges here when I post this article on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/10206496039135227?pnref=story.
Apostle Paul pointed out one of the characteristics of the perilous times of the last days, "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
