Life Is Only a Little While
The sermon warns about the dangers of groundless hope, which can lead to a deadly snare and a fatal delusion, and cautions Christians to be aware of the perils of presumptuous assumptions about their earthly future.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the transient nature of life and the importance of having a grounded hope. He warns against the false hope of long life on earth, which can lead to a dangerous delusion and ultimately betrayal when faced with death. Tozer highlights that even Christians can fall into the trap of presuming a secure earthly future without true assurance. He calls for a realistic understanding of life's brevity and the need for a hope that is anchored in faith rather than mere optimism.
Text
It was John Milton who said that hope springs eternal in the human breast. Indeed hope is such a vital thing that were it to die out of the heart of mankind, the burden of life could not long be sustained.
But precious as this hope may be, it is yet, when it is ill-founded, a dangerous thing. The hope, for instance, which almost all people feel, of long life here on earth, can be for many a deadly snare, a fatal delusion. The average man, when he thinks of his future, suspends reason, falls back on unreasoning hope and creates for himself an expectation of peaceful and unnumbered days yet to come. This blind optimism works all right till the last day, that inevitable last day which comes to all; then it betrays its victim into the pit from which there is no escape.
The perils of groundless hope threaten the Christian too. James sharply rebuked the believers of his day for presumptuously assuming an earthly future they had no real assurance would be theirs, . . .
Sermon Outline
- The Dangers of Groundless Hope
- The Dangers of Ill-Founded Hope
- The Perils of Groundless Hope for Christians
- Presumptuous Assumptions
- The Rebuke of James
Key Quotes
“Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” — A.W. Tozer
“The burden of life could not long be sustained were it to die out of the heart of mankind.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Be aware of the dangers of groundless hope and blind optimism in your life.
- Do not presume an earthly future without real assurance, but instead focus on eternal hope.
- Cultivate a realistic and humble view of life, acknowledging the inevitability of the last day.