Deep Dive into Desiring God by John Piper - Love: The Labor of Christian Hedonism

The theological concept of Christian Hedonism posits that humanity’s chief purpose is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever, making the pursuit of profound and lasting pleasure mandatory for all genuine worship and love. This pleasure is not selfish indulgence, but the deep, satisfying joy found exclusively in God.

This framework critiques "disinterested benevolence," arguing that approaching God without desiring the reward of His fellowship is actually evil, as it belittles His all-sufficiency. Instead, delighting in God, or Vertical Christian Hedonism, is the only way to honor Him, as His presence holds "fullness of joy."

This delight serves as the engine for genuine altruism, known as Horizontal Christian Hedonism. Love is precisely defined as the overflow of joy in God that gladly meets the needs of others. The pursuit of joy is an essential motive for every good deed, evidenced by the fact that God loves a "cheerful giver," meaning one who finds pleasure and gladness in the act of benevolence.

True love is more than just deeds; it requires right motives and feelings, such as rejoicing in the truth and hoping all things. This authentic love seeks its own happiness not in private, confined goods, but in the common good and the spiritual flourishing of the beloved. When a person finds their joy doubled in the joy of another, their love is perfected.

While love involves great sacrifice and suffering, Christian Hedonism insists that the ultimate gain of joy always outweighs the pain. Biblical examples, such as Moses looking to the reward and Jesus enduring the cross "for the joy that was set before him," demonstrate that costly self-denial is always a strategic choice for superior, lasting satisfaction. The central challenge is not that people seek pleasure, but that they are "far too easily pleased" by fleeting worldly comforts instead of the unsurpassed joy found in loving God and others.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

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