Exalt God Above All

Anyone who might feel reluctant to surrender his will to
the will of another should remember Jesus’ words, “Whoever commits sin
is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). We must of necessity be servant to
someone, either to God or to sin.

The sinner prides himself on his independence, completely
overlooking the fact that he is the weak slave of the sins that rule his
members. The man who surrenders to Christ exchanges a cruel slave
driver for a kind and gentle Master whose yoke is easy and whose burden
is light.

I hope it is clear that there is a logic behind God’s
claim to preeminence. That place is His by every right in earth or
heaven. While we take to ourselves the place that is His, the whole
course of our lives is out of joint. Nothing will or can restore order
till our hearts make the great decision: God shall be exalted above.

“Those who honor Me I will honor” (1 Sam. 2:30), God said
once to a priest of Israel, and that ancient law of the kingdom stands
today unchanged by the passing of time or the changes of dispensation.
The whole Bible and every page of history proclaim the perpetuation of
that law.

“If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor,” (John
12:26), Jesus said, tying in the old with the new and revealing the
essential unity of His ways with men.

Sometimes the best way to see a thing is to look at its
opposite. Eli and his sons are placed in the priesthood with the
stipulation that they honor God in their lives and ministrations. They
fail to do this, and God sends Samuel to announce the consequences.

Unknown to Eli, this law of reciprocal honor has been all
the while secretly working, and now the time has come for judgment to
fall. Hophni and Phineas, the degenerate priests, fall in battle; the
wife of Hophni dies in childbirth; Israel flees before her enemies; the
ark of God is captured by the Philistines; and the old man Eli falls
backward and dies of a broken neck. Thus stark, utter tragedy followed
upon Eli’s failure to honor God.

Now over against this set almost any Bible character who
honestly tried to glorify God in his earthly walk. See how God winked at
weakness and overlooked failures as He poured upon His servants grace
and blessing untold. Let it be Abraham, Jacob, David, Daniel, Elijah or
whom you will; honor followed honor as harvest the seed.

The man of God set his heart to exalt God above all; God
accepted his intention as fact and acted accordingly. Not perfection,
but holy intention made the difference.

In our Lord Jesus Christ this law was seen in simple
perfection. In His lowly manhood He humbled Himself and gladly gave all
glory to His Father in heaven. He sought not His own honor but the honor
of God who sent Him.

“If I honor Myself,” He said on one occasion, “My honor is
nothing. It is My Father who honors Me” (John 8:54). So far had the
Pharisees departed from this law that they could not understand one who
honored God at his own expense. “I honor My Father,” Jesus said to them,
“and you dishonor Me” (v. 49).

Another saying of Jesus, and a most disturbing one, was
put in the form of a question. “How can you believe, who receive honor
from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only
God?” (John 5:44). If I understand this correctly, Christ taught here
the alarming doctrine that the desire for honor among men made belief
impossible.

Is this sin at the root of religious unbelief? I believe
it may be. The whole course of life is upset by failure to put God where
He belongs. We exalt ourselves instead of God, and the curse follows.

In our desire after God let us keep always in mind that
God also has desire, and His desire is toward the sons of men, and more
particularly toward those sons of men who will make the once-for-all
decision to exalt Him over all. Such as these are precious to God above
all treasures of earth or sea.

In them God finds a theater where He can display His
exceeding kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. With them God can walk
unhindered; toward them He can act like the God He is.

In speaking thus I have one fear: that I may convince the
mind before God can win the heart. For this God-above-all position is
one not easy to take. The mind may approve it while not having the
consent of the will to put it into effect.

Though the imagination races ahead to honor God, the will
may lag behind, and the man must make the decision before the heart can
know any real satisfaction. God wants the whole person, and He will not
rest till He gets us in entirety.

Let us pray over this in detail, throwing ourselves at
God’s feet and meaning everything we say. Let’s ask God today to be
exalted over our possessions, our friendships, our comforts, our
reputations. Let’s ask Him to take His proper place of honor above our
ambitions, our likes and dislikes, our family, our health and even life
itself.

No one who prays thus in sincerity need wait long for
tokens of divine acceptance. God will unveil His glory before His
servant’s eyes, and He will place all His treasures at the disposal of
such a one, for He knows that His honor is safe in consecrated hands.

A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) was pastor of Southside Alliance
Church in Chicago for 31 years. He also was the author of more than 40
books, including Faith Beyond Reason; Man: The Dwelling Place of God and The Knowledge of the Holy. Adapted from The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer, copyright © 1993. Published by Christian Publications. Used by permission.