It’s been about a decade since I last read Tozer (The Purpose of Man: Designed to Worship). What I remember is strong biblical teaching, direct and point-blank statements, and stories that make the author feel down-to-earth and conversational. That’s exactly what I found with The Dynamic Power of Obedience.
In The Dynamic Power of Obedience, Tozer argues that obedience is not peripheral to the Christian life, but it’s the central pulse to everything we do in life. To obey God is to bring Him pleasure, and to refuse obedience is to forfeit intimacy with Him.
A Compilation
This book is a collection of small sections taken from Tozer’s sermons. It’s not drawn from a single sermon series on obedience but compiled from various sermons across different series where obedience surfaced as a central theme. Dr. James L. Snyder, widely regarded as a leading Tozer scholar, has been given access to hundreds of hours of Tozer tapes, which, in turn, have been compiled into this book.
The Setup
The first chapter sets the tone and lays a theological foundation for the rest of the book. Tozer uses the first chapter to focus on the first chapter of the Bible and the creation account. There are questions posed by Tozer, like, “What was God’s purpose in creation?”
Tozer answers this major question: First, God desires to be pleased by His creation, and most importantly, His greatest pleasure is found in the creation of mankind. Then Tozer brings it to the topic of the book. In the first few pages of the Bible, God gives a command to Adam and expects obedience from him.
“He delights in our obedience, and that delight would be negated if we didn’t obey Him willingly on our own volition….The divine purpose of obedience is to bring pleasure to God.”
But Satan’s goal is to take that pleasure from God.
Disobedience carries consequences, and, as Tozer states, it leads to a loss of intimacy with God.
Rather than building a single argument from start to finish, Tozer circles the theme of obedience repeatedly, examining it from every angle. While it can feel a little redundant in parts, each chapter offers fresh perspectives and insights, as Tozer encourages the believer to stay on the path of obedience to God.
The redundancy is most likely due to the book’s construction. Because the book is compiled from sermons spanning different contexts, some themes and illustrations overlap. Readers looking for a tightly structured argument may find it repetitive at times.
Point Blank
As I mentioned earlier, Tozer isn’t afraid to lay it on thick. I mostly appreciate these moments because often it is a hard truth that we need to hear. He never comes off agitated, but urgent and slightly stern.
When speaking on obedience in the church, he says,
“Some churches are theologically sound, and their emphasis rests in the right place. But even if they’re doing such things right, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re living out their faith…are they living out what they preach?”
“We can be orthodox in our doctrine, emphasize the Lord as being all in all, and still maintain an attitude toward the world that is fundamentally unchristian.”
When it comes to addressing the Christian’s personal walk with Christ, he says,
“Salvation without obedience is a self-contradictory impossibility.”
In an age where faith is often reduced to mental ascent, Tozer refuses to separate belief from surrender. For him, obedience isn’t an optional upgrade to Christianity, but it’s evidence that salvation has truly taken root.
I loved his point that receiving salvation is an initial act of obedience. The initial act of believing in Jesus and saying “yes” to following Him is an act of obedience, and it never stops after that.
And in the last section of the book, Tozer looks toward eternity, and says,
“The Lord won’t ask whether you are Arminian or Calvinist, but He will ask, ‘Are you determined to glorify me alone?’”
This was a powerful ending to the book. We so easily get caught up in labels and manmade constructs, when in reality, when it comes down to it, God truly cares about our hearts and walk with Christ.
I could keep going, but there are so many statements that make you pause and consider your walk and how the Church is living out obedience to Christ.
Format
One unique piece of the book that I enjoyed was each chapter ending with a short prayer and a hymn/poem from a variety of writers. I’m not sure if the prayers were pulled from Tozer’s sermons that also made up the content for the book, or something Snyder put in himself. Either way, I liked each chapter ending with the prayer and poem, which provided a moment of reflection.
Timeless
When reviewing a book, I often ask, “who is this book for?” This one does well for a variety of readers, and Tozer addresses that throughout the book.
For the new Christian who just said “yes” to following Jesus, that was the first act of obedience, so keep going!
For the mature believer who needs a gentle (or not-so-gentle) reminder on what obedience looks like, this is for you.
Obedience gets a “bad rap”. People don’t like the word, but Tozer reminds us that it’s a privilege to live in obedience to the Lord.
Lastly, I find it so interesting to read something that was preached decades ago, but still feels so relevant today. Tozer’s words to his generation ring just as true in 2026. In a culture that resists authority and recoils at the word “obedience,” this book gently but firmly reminds us: obedience is not oppression, but rather it is a joy. It is how we glorify God. It is how we remain near to Him.
Thank you to Baker Publishing Group for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review!
by Craig Archer
Craig is a worship pastor at Wallula Christian Church and the creator of Active Theology. He loves coffee dates with his wife, reading, and riding his bike. A few of his favorite things are third wave coffee, vanilla ice cream, and plain t-shirts.
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