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  DESIRE AND THE END OF THE AGE
  by A.W. Tozer
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Summary: The absence of real yearning for Christ's return is often due
to an emphasis on the utility of the cross and a comfortable life, which
can distract from a personal, emotional relationship with Christ.

Topics: "The Return of Christ", "Yearning for Christ"
Scripture References: Matthew 6:19-21, John 14:3, Romans 8:18, Philippians 3:20, Colossians 3:2, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Hebrews 11:16, 2 Peter 3:12, 1 John 3:2-3, Revelation 22:20

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DESCRIPTION
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A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of a deep, personal yearning for
the return of Christ, contrasting it with a mere intellectual
understanding of eschatology. He argues that the modern church has often
prioritized the utility of the cross over the beauty of Christ Himself,
leading to a contractual relationship with Him rather than a personal
one. This lack of emotional connection results in diminished
anticipation for Christ's return, as many Christians find comfort in
their current lives and material possessions. Tozer warns that this
comfort can dull the desire for heavenly hope, which should be a vibrant
part of a believer's faith. Ultimately, he calls for a rekindling of
love and longing for Christ to restore the power of the advent hope.

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CONTENT
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It is precisely the "yearning" and the "fainting" for the return of
Christ that has distinguished the personal hope from the theological
one. Mere acquaintance with correct doctrine is a poor substitute for
Christ, and familiarity with New Testament eschatology will never take
the place of a love-inflamed desire to look on his face.

If the tender yearning is gone from the advent hope today, there must be
a reason for it; and I think I know what it is, or what they are, for
there are a number of them. One is simply that popular fundamentalist
theology has emphasized the utility of the cross rather than the beauty
of the one who died on it. The saved man's relation to Christ has been
made contractual instead of personal. The "work" of Christ has been
stressed until it has eclipsed the person of Christ. Substitution has
been allowed to supersede identification. What he did for me seems to be
more important than what He is to me. Redemption is seen as an across-
the-counter transaction which we "accept", and the whole thing lacks
emotional content. We must love someone very much to stay awake and long
for his coming, and that may explain the absence of power in the advent
hope even among those who still believe in it.

Another reason for the absence of real yearning for Christ's return is
that Christians are so comfortable in this world that they have little
desire to leave it. For those leaders who set the pace of religion and
determine its content and quality, Christianity has become of late
remarkably lucrative. The streets of gold do not have too great an
appeal for those who find it so easy to pile up gold and silver in the
service of the Lord here on earth. We all want to reserve the hope of
heaven as a kind of insurance against the day of death, but as long as
we are healthy and comfortable, why change a familiar good for something
about which we know very little? So reasons the carnal mind, and so
subtly that we are scarcely aware of it.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/desire-and-the-end-of-the-age/
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