Piper's thesis is that the chief end of man is to glorify God BY enjoying Him forever. This is based on the conviction that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. The call to Christian Hedonism is thus a call to abandon the short-term, low-yield pleasures of the world for the magnificent joys of knowing God in whom is fullness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for ever more.
Don't be misled by negative reviews about this book. Piper does not seek "to create Christians that are nothing more than self-seeking clones that ignore the Biblical concepts of humilty," nor does he attempt "to make God into some type of tool that Christians can use for their enjoyment." Rather, he claims that people have already made a god out of what they derive the most enjoyment from. If you get more joy out of golf than out of God, you are worshiping an idol. The reason God commands (yes COMMANDS) us to enjoy Him (Psalm 37:4; Psalm 100:2; and dozens of other texts) is because this brings Him praise and honor. My wife is not honored by my taking her out to dinner if it is motivated by a desire to do my duty rather than by a spontaenous affection for her that delights in her presence. She is honored when I pursue her joy because it makes me happy to see her happy. That is true Hedonism.
This book is a radical call to deny yourself the fleeting pleasures of sin and to embrace the risk-taking lifestyle that has marked martyrs and missionaries across the ages. It is not a health/wealth/prosperity book, but a weighty Bible-saturated book of practical theology that is designed to produce saints who can be satisfied in God even though they suffer for the sake of Christ and the nations.
I have met John Piper (though he would not remember me) and corresponded with him more than once. I've listened to dozens of sermons, have heard him in person on numerous occasions and have read almost every book he has written. He is one of the most humble men I know. He gives every penny of his book royalties away and lives a simple life, pastoring a church in downtown Minneapolis. He has no love for money and no desire for glory for himself. His life is authentic and so is his message. Read this book and learn afresh the joy of following Jesus!
John Piper wants us to go away from his book repeating the slogan: "Delight is our Duty." If that strikes you as odd, well, perhaps this book is just what you need. Because as R. C. Sproul says, this book is "...a modern manual of true spirituality" as it gets to how we put our faith into practice.
Dr. Piper is the pastor of the Bethlehem Baptist church in Minneapolis. A graduate of Wheaton College and Fuller Theological Seminary and a noted author of several previous books, he comes to us with excellent credentials for speaking to the whole church from what we might say is a conservative-to-moderate point of view. Piper insists that there is no dividing line between duty and delight-in fact he claims that we have to find the delight in life as much as we can-it is the way that we ac God's creatures thank and bless our Creator.
His chapter headings can tell you a bit about where he will take you. The first one is "How I Became a Christian Hedonist." Does that sound shocking? Then read on, by all means, and find out what Dr. Piper is actually confessing, that our "chief end" is to glorify God BY enjoying God forever. If you think that joy and faith are not compatible, that such a view might trivialize the seriousness of faith, then by all means, challenge yourself by reading more of Dr. Piper's argument-that we are to take our faith very seriously but not to take ourselves so seriously.
Do you find your faith to be more burdensome than joyful, more stress producing than restorative, more critical and less appreciative? Then please...run to buy this book and read it from cover to cover while highlighting it in yellow and putting its ideas to work in your home, your workplace and your neighborhood. Oh yes, and in your church, too. We'll all be glad you did!
