Christian Hedonism?

"In the world ye shall have tribulation".
Doesn't sound like "delight" to me!
In HIS service;
Jim

 

Jules,

I see you are trying to cypher John Piper's "Desiring God"- (I think; it is one of his books anyway). A very interesting thought.

 

I don't think we should search after happiness...we should seek God, and in doing so, we experience the abundant life that was promised - regardless of present circumstances, we have joy.

 

Jesus gives us the formula for happiness in His introduction to the Sermon on the Mount. There is no restriction in God's Word to pursuing happiness provided that happiness is found in the will of God.

 

Amen USN2 and Pastor_B
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.

 

I've read a lot of John Piper and Christian Hedonism seems to be pursuing the pleasure of God in his eyes. I might be wrong so let's talk about it.

thanks for the thread

 

To be honest, I think the term just serves to confuse people. Let's be Christians . . . We all know what that means.

 

A-Men

 

I have been struggling with John Piper's Desiring God for 3 months. Using his criteria, it has not been pleasurable to me, therefore, it must not be good for me.

 

I've read the book... and heard him preach several times. I always leave thinking... HUH? I'm just a country boy, and I can tell that there's alot to what Piper says, but it's difficult to get my brain around sometimes. Doesn't keep me from trying to grow, though! I'll read it again in a year and see if it still puzzles me. Until then, (and forever) God is God, and I am not!!

In His Grip,
joshua

 

One who seeks happiness will never find it. But one who seeks God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength is sure to find joy.

When we know God we have all we need--nothing more and nothing less.

 

amen gb

 

When I consider the alternative to being saved, I am HAPPY!

"Oh happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away".

HankD

 

gb has it pegged.

sing hank, sing!

 

Imagine playing a baskerball game with a trophy as the prize. If you shoot at the trophy you will lose. If you shoot at the goal you can win the prize. In Christianity the goal is Christ and happiness is one of the prizes. If you shoot at the prize you will lose.

 

"Christian Hedonism", is not something that is taught in Scripture. I see that the English dictionary, defines "Hedonism" as "a devotion, especially a self-indulgent one, to pleasure and happiness as a way of life". Surely this is "feelings", something that we cannot really trust to be our guide as a Christian! I do not see in Scripture, that our pursuit should be for "pleasure and happiness". Surely we should be as the apostle Paul was, "to count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ" (Philippians 3:8). This indeed should be the one goal of all who say they are born-again Christians, to have a "one-track-mind" in following Jesus Christ at all costs. Our focus should be Christ, and NOT our self-satisfaction!