A.W. Tozer - The Crucified Life: How to Live Out a Deeper Christian Experience

A. W. TOZER

Compiled and Edited by James L. Snyder

HOW TO LIVE OUT A DEEPER
CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE

Published by Regal
From Gospel Light
Ventura, California, U.S.A.
www.regalbooks.com
Printed in the U.S.A.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated are taken from the King James Version. Authorized King James Version.

Other version used is NIVScripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved

2011 James L. Snyder.
All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tozer, A. W. (Aiden Wilson), 1897-1963.
The crucified life / A. W. Tozer; compiled and edited by James L. Snyder.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-8307-5922-4 (trade paper)
1. Christian lifeChristian and Missionary Alliance authors.
I. Snyder, James L. II. Title.
BV4501.3.T697 2011
248.4899dc23
2011025860

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Some dates are so pivotal that they change the whole course of history. Unfortunately, many of those dates lie comfortably in the shadows of obscurity. One such date in the life of A. W. Tozer has eluded me.

As the story is told, Tozer, a pastor at the time, was visiting one of his favorite bookstores in downtown Chicago. As he was perusing the shelves of used books that were so familiar to him, he ran across an old book that he had never seen before. He purchased the book and took it home, and his life was never the same.

The name of the book was Spiritual Counsel, and its author, Franois Fnelon, struck a warm cord in Tozers own heart. Although Tozer allowed others to borrow many books in his personal library, he never allowed this one particular book to leave his possession to the day he died. He talked about the book so much that people began to inquire about it. As far as Tozer could determine, the book was out of print, and no other copies were available. One man was so interested in the book that, though Tozer did not allow him to take it out of his library, he did allow him to come and type out chapter after chapter. Such was the prominence that Tozer gave to this book. Much to Tozers delight, the book was eventually republished in an updated and expanded edition titled Christian Perfection.

When you read Fnelons book, you soon recognize a heartbeat that was also shared by Tozer. No two people were more alike in the spiritual realm. In fact, Fnelons work so inspired Tozer that if you listen carefully to his sermons, you can hear the words of Franois Fnelon peek through on many occasions. Tozer, of course, was familiar with the works of other great writesA. B. Simpson, John Wesley and Andrew Murray to name a fewbut something about Franois Fnelon stirred the depths of his heart and his passion for God.

Fnelons book introduced Tozer to a whole line of Christian mysticsa word not highly acceptable in evangelistic circles during Tozers time (or even during our own)and he went on to introduce these mystics to the evangelical church of his time. Tozer was not so much interested in literature as he was in pursuing God, and if an author could open up his heart to more of God, he was interested in that person. As you read this book, you will find many of these old saints of God that stirred Tozers imagination popping in and out, enriching the message that was so important to him.

During his younger years, Tozer was primarily an evangelist. Although he was also a pastor of a local church, he spent much of his time going around the country preaching in conferences and at churches and camp meetings. His primary message at the time was evangelistic. However, after he encountered Franois Fnelon, his message began to change. When we come to Tozer in this book, we are coming to a man who is aflame with the message of the crucified life.

Now, what did Tozer mean by the crucified life? This entire book is an answer to that question, but here we can simply say that it is the life Christ ransomed on the cross, redeemed from the judgment of sin, and made a worthy and acceptable sacrifice unto God. This represents a quality of life that is far above anything that is natural. It is altogether spiritual, which is a result of a dynamic inspiration from on high.

Another term that was not common among the evangelicals of Tozers day was spiritual perfection. This term came from Franois Fnelon, and it embodied the passion of Tozers heart. Tozer was quick to point out that he wanted nothing whatsoever to do with anything that did not have biblical authorityand he also threw out anything that was extra-biblical. However, spiritual perfection was a term that Tozer found to be biblical, as Paul writes in Philippians 3:12: Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. This should be the great passion of the Christians heartto press forward unto what the apostle Paul called perfection.

There were many things about the crucified life that interested Tozer. It was a life that was absolutely and irreconcilably incompatible with the world. It breathed the rarefied air of heaven while walking on earth. To the believer, it meant the absolute death of ego and the resurgence of Christ in his or her life. Emphatically, Tozer taught that Christ did not die on the cross just to save people from hell; rather, He died on the cross so that all could become one with Christ. That concept was so personally important to Tozer that anything that came between him and that unity with Christ had to be courageously dealt with and done away with, regardless of the cost.

The message of the crucified life was not a new concept. Tozer himself noted that all of the great Christians of the past wrote about this idea in some fashion. It was the unifying factor among a wide diversity of Christians down through the ages. The legacy of the church fathers, of the reformers, the revivalists, the Christian mystics and the hymnists all resonated on this one message. And while they might disagree on many points, in this one area there was a unique unity among them. The emphasis of the crucified life was to press forwardregardless of the difficulties and in spite of the costto the state of spiritual perfection.

Tozer often confessed he would have preferred to simply talk about God all the timeabout how wonderful God is and how wonderful it is to be on our way to heaven, enjoying the blessings of the Lord day by day. He would have preferred to preach such positive sermons. But the Spirit stirred him to keep pressing the deep things of God. There was more to the Christian life than just being saved from the past and from ones sins. There was more to the Christian life than having a happy time on ones way to heaven.