Because man is born a rebel, he is unaware that he is one. His constant assertion of self, as far as he thinks of it at all, appears to him a perfectly normal thing. He is willing to share himself, sometimes even to sacrifice himself for a desired end, but never to dethrone himself. No matter how far down the scale of social acceptance he may slide, he is still in his own eyes a king on a throne, and no one, not even God, can take that throne from him.” ~ A.W. Tozer, “The Knowledge of the Holy”
We don’t just sin – we rule. That’s essentially what Tozer so poignantly tells us above.
Even when life humbles us, even when we’re bruised or broken, there’s still a little throne set up inside us. We might try negotiating with God, or try compromising with Him, and we may even feel like we’re serving Him. But dethroning ourselves? That’s an entirely different matter.
I’m often willing to share the throne… I’ll let God advise me, assist me, or rescue me. But reign? Something in me still wants the crown. And here’s what I’ve come to learn – even when I have the genuine desire, I can’t step down by my own willpower. Self cannot defeat self. Only the Holy Spirit can loosen my grip, bend my knee, and teach my heart what it means to truly honor Jesus as King. And not as consultant, not as co-ruler, but LORD.
This is something that I must remind myself not just daily, but sometimes several times throughout the day! Ever pray for God’s will about something, but quietly hoping that His will for that specific matter is also your will? I might as well be telling God, “This is what I want, and You should want this for me too.”
In one of his sermons, Alistair Begg said, “God created man in His image. And man has tried to return the favor ever since.” That would be a lot funnier if it wasn’t so true.
The invitation of the gospel isn’t just forgiveness. It’s abdication. And strangely enough, when I finally step down, I discover freedom and rest that I never found while ruling my small, fragile kingdom.
So… Come, Holy Spirit. Take the throne I keep defending, and make my heart glad to surrender. Amen.
Former Blackout Artist 