The Knowledge of the Holy: A Divine Attribute: Something True About God
[Editor’s Note: This is a 23-Day Series exploring different aspects of God’s nature and personality, using Tozer’s “The Knowledge of the Holy” as a discussion starter. You can read the introduction of the series here.]
Today’s chapter is Tozer’s follow up to his last. If God is incomprehensible in the sense that we cannot fully understand Him but loves to reveal Himself to us, how does He do it? According to Tozer, God reveals to us His attributes. “An attribute, as we can know it, is a mental concept, an intellectual response to God’s self-revelation. It is an answer to a question, the reply God makes to our interrogation concerning Himself.”
This can sound really boring and academic if we let it. But Tozer would be the first to walk us back from this being a study instead of an encounter. Consider some of these quotes from the chapter: “…we might be wise to follow the insight of the enraptured heart rather than the more cautious reasonings of the theological mind…” and “To our questions God has provided answers; not all the answers, certainly, but enough to satisfy our intellects and ravish our hearts.” This study will feed our minds to a certain degree but the aim is to feed our hearts and bring us face to face with God Himself.
Tozer goes on to describe that our study in the attributes of God is not an attempt to dissect God into parts. But the attributes of God are things that God is in his totality. God doesn’t have love, He is the definition of it and we learn what love is by looking at Him. God is both just and merciful, but these are not two parts of God that wrestle with each other. God is both without either attribute winning or loosing at certain points in time.
If these concepts cause you to step back, scratch your head, and look confused, then you’ve been paying attention. Part of trying to know God is realizing that at a certain point we are peering into mystery. These mysteries, far from discouraging or confusing us, should cause us to worship. It should bring us to the place of acknowledging how much bigger than us our God is. And as we love this God that seems so shrouded in mystery, He gives light to our heart to understand Him more.
My take away: This is a journey in encountering all of God. We cannot go on a journey of dissecting God like a dead man on a table to find out what makes Him tick. Instead, we are being called into a relationship with the most unique person in the universe. And those encounters with the answers to our questions should provoke an even greater sense of longing and worship of God in Christ. There is no one like God. That’s what makes Him holy. And its into this journey of mystery and longing and worship that we are now about to embark.
Forgive me for waxing poetic this morning. My hope is your heart gets caught up in this journey and waxes a little poetic about Jesus, too.
How about you? What’s your takeaway for the day? Leave a comment so we can journey together!
The Knowledge of the Holy Series
Day 1: Why We Must Think Rightly About God
Day 3: A Divine Attribute: Something True About God
Day 4: The Holy Trinity
Day 5: The Self Existence of God
Day 6: The Self Sufficiency of God
Day 7: The Eternity of God
Day 8: God’s Infinitude
Day 9: The Immutability of God
Day 10: The Divine Omniscience
Day 11: The Wisdom of God
Day 12: The Omnipotence of God
Day 13: The Divine Transcendence
Day 14: God’s Omnipresence
Day 15: The Faithfulness of God
Day 16: The Goodness of God
Day 17: The Justice of God
Day 18: The Mercy of God
Day 19: The Grace of God
Day 20: The Love of God
Day 21: The Holiness of God
Day 22: The Sovereignty of God
Day 23: The Open Secret
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Cluster Map
Pursuing Glory 
I like how Tozer says God is simple, uncomplex, one with Himself. I had to think on that a moment since I think God is the most complex person existing. To understand it the idea of a cake came to mind. It is the sum total of eggs, butter, sugar, milk, flour, salt, ect, but it is a unity of one. You can not divide up the cake into the ingredients it is composed of.
God is also one simple unity that is composed of all of his attributes. You can not point to God’s love without considering all his other attributes as well. They are all God. People who say “God is love and will never send anyone to Hell” are making an Idol of a god who loves but does not exhibit His other attributes such as justice.