Deep Dive into Desiring God by John Piper - Money: The Currency of Christian Hedonism

The sources analyze money as the critical currency of Christian Hedonism, where an individual's relationship with wealth fundamentally impacts their eternal well-being. The desire to be rich is explicitly warned against, leading to temptation, ruin, and destruction, as the "love of money is the root of all evils." This desire is spiritually destructive because it causes people to settle for weak, fleeting pleasures that ultimately destroy the soul, rather than pursuing the lasting joy found in God. Moreover, the pursuit of earthly wealth is futile because "we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of the world."

The true path to fulfillment is found in embracing "godliness with contentment," which yields great spiritual wealth. Contentment means being satisfied with life's simple necessities, such as food and clothing. This contentment is both possible and good because God provides ultimate peace and security, and the deepest, most satisfying joys come from free gifts like nature and loving relationships, which accumulated money can actually diminish.

This lifestyle enables a "wartime lifestyle," characterized by living unencumbered by nonessentials to maximize effectiveness for the urgent Great Commission. God prospers individuals not for personal luxury, but so they can prove their devotion by using their abundance as conduits of grace to fund the spread of the gospel and alleviate suffering among the unreached.

For those who are already wealthy, instructions emphasize avoiding pride and setting hope on God, not on uncertain riches. They are charged to be "rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share." This active generosity—spending earthly resources for merciful purposes—is the method of "storing up treasure in heaven," thereby confirming one's trust in God and securing the foundation for "that which is truly life."

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

https://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730