“In this hour of all-but-universal darkness one cheering gleam appears: Within the fold of conservative Christianity there are to be found increasing numbers of persons whose religious lives are marked by a growing hunger after God Himself. They are eager for spiritual realities and will not be put off with words, nor will they be content with correct “interpretations” of truth. They are athirst for God, and they will not be satisfied till they have drunk deep at the Fountain of Living Water” (A.W. Tozer).
The book this quote was taken from (The Pursuit of God) was originally published in 1949. I am not sure that the cheering gleam that Tozer saw then is still a gleam. The darkness of non-truth has settled in and even among those who love truth there appears to be a lack of desire for God Himself. It is true that orthodoxy can be fastened on by some and many can get excited over a growing number that hold to an orthodox position, but that is still a long distance from hungering for spiritual realities and for God Himself. A person my be orthodox in theology without hungering for God and be satisfied with the doctrines themselves. In that case, it is true that knowledge puffs up (I Corinthians 8:1-3) and the orthodoxy may leave a person in a worse position than before. A person that is orthodox and does not really desire God is a person that is seriously deceived by orthodoxy itself. The Pharisees were quite orthodox in many of their positions and certainly were orthodox within their own views. But they did not hunger for spiritual realities and for God Himself.
It appears that people can actually grow in a state of being deceived by Bible study. While this may sound ludicrous to many if not most, we must understand that the Bible was not given for the purpose that people would gather together and study it in order to gain knowledge. The Bible was given as a revelation of God for the purpose of leading people to a knowledge of and experiential reality with God Himself. Many people are satisfied with pat answers and are content with certain interpretations of Scripture, but the very satisfaction and contentment can lull them to sleep if they are not confronted with God Himself. In other words, orthodoxy can be very dangerous if a person is not confronted with the character and glory of God Himself. God Himself must be the spiritual reality that people pursue and find in their studies. If not, they have not found the true meaning of Scripture.
People who are thirsty for God are not satisfied with programs and entertaining events. They want God and nothing else will satisfy their thirsty souls. They desire truth and reality and will not be satisfied with correct interpretations of Scripture and orthodox notions unless those lead them to the Fountain of Living Water. A thirsty person wants to drink pure water and not teachings about what the water is like. In other words, the orthodox teachings of Christ may satisfy the intellect but that will not satisfy the thirsty soul. While the orthodox teachings are necessary, they are not the goal or the purpose of the teachings. John 17:3 tells us that “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” The text does not say that “This is eternal life, that they may know about You by orthodoxy and correct interpretations.” The text tells us that eternal life is in knowing the true God and Jesus Christ.
Again, we must have orthodoxy and correct interpretations within our churches. But, we must never rest satisfied with those alone. We must teach an orthodoxy that leads us to spiritual realities and a knowing of God Himself. We must teach people that correct interpretation is to lead us to drink from the Fountain of Living Water. Orthodoxy and correct interpretation must lead us to being the temples of God where His glory shines through His people and they know Him and love His glory above all else. What else is this but the panting of the soul like we find in the Psalms. Psalm 42:1 tells us this, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.” That text does not say this: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants after orthodoxy and correct interpretations.” While we must desire orthodoxy and correct interpretations, those must not be terminal desires but instrumental desires. Orthodoxy and interpretations must be instruments that are used in the pursuit of God Himself. We could only wish that seminaries and churches would begin to stress knowing God as the goal of orthodoxy and biblical interpretation. Instead, it appears that they stop before they reach that goal. The problem is that no one can really teach others how to find God since God alone can do that. But we must tell people that we have done all we can do and tell them that they must seek God and He alone can give them drink from the Fountain of Living Water. God alone can open their eyes to eternal realities and feed them with His glory. God alone can give man this. Orthodoxy cannot give this to men; all it can do is point men in the right direction. The problem is that we have become infatuated with the directions and not what the directions point to.
God Loves... Himself 
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