Comments on: On John Piper and Christian Hedonism

By: steve

steve — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 17:22:04 +0000

If you think God is self centered you do not know the Father, as seen in the Son, Christ Jesus. God is God, infinite, all knowing, all wise, all powerful, all sovereign..and suffered much, spilled every drop of his precious blood for each and every one of us… God shows his love in that whilst we were sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.
People who say he is unjust blaspheme his name. He IS JUST AND THE JUSTIFIER, who knew NO sin, but was made sin in order to make us the righteousness of God.

We are talking about a trice holy God!! You people need to study the attributes of God. Those who doubt, or question, who unbelieve, who pull him down, and not lift Him up.. do not know him.

The very one who is holy, righteous, and truth.. you cannot judge God with your finite mind, that cannot comprehend the vastness and magnificence of Him!

Look at cross and see God’s character and how just he is with sin, yet choses to pursue it, and take Gods wrath in order that we may be free. How can you comprehend this mystery of God?!?

John Piper has is so right… the fullness of joy is knowing joy… God is joy… its a gift of the spirit… knowing God , all that he is, and all that he has done, and all that he will do, brings such joy. But when we look upon the cross, and see his sufferings, and that He spoke ‘It is finished’.. how wonderful!! Nothing can seperate us from the love of God, found in Christ Jesus.

By: John Calvin Hall

John Calvin Hall — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:51:54 +0000

Addendum to Post 438

*… the One who DIED for me.

oops! { Aorist, not Present Tense!}

By: John Calvin Hall

John Calvin Hall — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:49:10 +0000

I would agree with this if our inherent sin nature had not corrupted our “compass” for happiness.

If you pursue after happiness rather than obedience to God’s Word, you will invariably find nothing more than destruction.

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

If you want true and lasting joy, then obey God’s Word,

Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

John 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Now, I have a choice. Either believe God’s Word or believe John Piper. Though the decision will not always bring me happiness, it will honor the One who dies for me.

Sorry JP, you lose.

By: Hannah

Hannah — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:02:32 +0000

I just found your blog, and I like this summary a lot. What an interesting concept! Thanks for sharing.

By: Eduardo

Eduardo — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 22:59:00 +0000

Vitali,

I am new to your blog. Found it through my wife who loves your wife’s blogs. Anyway…I started reading yours today, and found this post very interesting.

I am a piper fan. I love his telescope example too. But what I think is the best way to understand God’s seeking His own glory is this: God is the infinite perfection. He is the most valuable treasure. How will He show us His love for us? Well the same way us, as parents will try to do for our own kids…give them what is best for them…So God gives us and shows us the most valuable treasure there is…Himself! God is self-centered because He is the most valuable treasure…Because He loves us…He brings us to Himself through Christ (1 Peter 3:18).

God bless!

By: The Hedonese

The Hedonese — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 05:48:00 +0000

“Pleasure is the measure of our treasure” amen

By: All Things Bright and Beautiful....Creative Flair Chic

All Things Bright and Beautiful....Creative Flair Chic — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:33:00 +0000

I just think he likes bing loved & glorified - kinda like people - I mean we are made in His image & if it makes Him happy - more glory to Him I say!

By: Vitali

Vitali — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:33:00 +0000

Piper gets flak for this quite often. And his answer is very similar to yours - God seeking his own glory does not mean he lacks it but that he wants us to see it more fully, which is for our benefit. Piper used an analogy of a telescope that brings the magnificence of planets and stars closer to us. When God glorifies himself, he makes his glory more apparent to us, which in turns results in our praise and ultimate pleasure.

By: gummie

gummie — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 06:13:00 +0000

There is a debate over God’s “self-centredness” here:

http://theologica.blogspot.com/2007/11/self-centered-god.html

I think a missing element (which is a very basic point) is what do we really mean when we say that God is glorified.

It cannot mean that God becomes more than what he was previously (since by that definition, God will be less than perfect before he was glorified). However, it can and it should mean that the perfections are God are so perceived that it results in Him being more praised and appreciated. That is, if God’s aim is to show forth his perfections that results in praise, there is no incompatiblity of God’s God-centredness with his love for man since his love for man is simply a showing forth of one of God’s chief attributes - namely, love.

By: Huai Tze

Huai Tze — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:00:00 +0000

Thanks for summarising Christian Hedonism! Its useful.. However, I think one important omission in the summary is that the pleasure we seek in God is not just one of many pleasures (i.e. choose chocolate or choose God, both bring pleasure), but is the ultimate, truest and deepest possible satisfaction. As Lewis said, it is not that our desires are too strong, rather they are too weak. Can I suggest rewritting point 4 this way ?

4. When these two things (God seeking his own glory and us seeking pleasure in God) come together, we find the deepest pleasure - God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him