Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2, NASB1995).
In 1972, I was talking to a fellow Jesus Freak (a former hippie now following Jesus), and I noticed that he had a book written by A.W. Tozer.
I had never heard of A.W. Tozer.
The title of the book was The Pursuit of God, and when I asked about the book and the author, my friend said, “You mean that you have never heard of Tozer books? You can’t be a good Christian without reading Tozer books.”
“HHHHMMMHHM,” I thought. “So Tozer books are the key to success as a believer. I better read them all.”
Such was life in the book world of hippies and new believers in the 60s and 70s. We didn’t have podcasts, blogs, or reels. The internet didn’t exist. We had to find helpful books the old-fashioned way — someone recommending a book.
And, as new believers, with few books on spiritual maturity actually available in the 60s and 70s, if we read one with impact, we would tell everyone, “You can’t be a good Christian if you don’t read this book.”
Of course, we knew it wasn’t true, but this hyperbole had to suffice then for what exists as social media puffery today.
I did read all twelve of the Tozer books.
Especially significant for me was his book The Pursuit of God. It changed my life and helped me form a passion for Jesus. I began to believe that …
You can’t be a good Christian without learning to fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.
Below are a few Tozer quotes from his book The Pursuit of God.
Faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God.
To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love.
The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence.
The believing man does not claim to understand. He falls to his knees and whispers, “God.” The man of earth kneels also, but not to worship. He kneels to examine, to search, to find the cause and the how of things.
I could go on as A.W. Tozer is known for the pithy quotes. I testify that Tozer’s view of seeking the presence of God by faith has undergirded my walk with Jesus since the 1970s.
The genius of A.W. Tozer is amplified by knowing that he didn’t graduate from high school or have a Bible College or Seminary degree. His writings reflect his personal relationship with God, which allows his writings to have a multi-generational impact.
Recently, a friend sent me a text saying that he had begun reading Tozer books. He said, “It has taken only a few pages to realize how fruitful this will be.”
Amen!
You can’t be a good Christian without reading Tozer books.