The Sin of Presumption

^{Two sins kill Hope: Despair and Presumption.}

ONE

Presumption means thinking of Heaven as automatic

An incredible number of Christians have somehow deluded themselves into thinking that they, and everyone they care about, are somehow guaranteed to get into heaven.

We see this a lot at funerals. Instead of praying for the soul of the deceased, we just assume they’re in heaven right now. We get the idea that God just gives everybody a pass for all the selfishness, all the neglect, the wasted life and the vices they showed. And we do this largely because it makes us feel totally secure about our own prospects.

This kind of attitude, the attitude of Presumption, is, of course, an attitude which makes the virtue of Hope irrelevant. I mean, why bother working hard for something that’s already in the bag?

But remember this: Heaven isn’t just a kind of club. You don’t just have to worry about whether the bouncer lets you in when it’s your turn in line.

Heaven is a relationship. And no relationship is automatic.