I recently had the opportunity to look at John Piper's book entitled 'Let the Nations Be Glad!' subtitled: 'The Supremacy of God in missions.' In it, Piper had a few things right, but sadly, he misused a number of Scriptures to try to make his own points, and he even twisted some of them. There were a number of things that I found reason to be cautious about Piper's message because he doesn't seem to understand Jesus' message. But there was one thing that stood out to me and it happens to be one of Piper's most popular quotes. I thought you would appreciate seeing a glimpse. I'm not saying that all that Piper says is wrong. But I see a few things that seem to be major because they contradict God's Word and I encourage caution with taking in his message. At any rate, I'll let you read my thoughts and I'll be interested in any feedback you may send : )
your friend and a servant/life-slave of Jesus,
Steven
Luke 14:33
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Hey,
One other thing that stood out to me about Piper is a thinking pattern that he summarized in a sentence that is well known. Piper said: "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him." On the surface, that looks really good. However it contradicts a few verses and I'm concerned that it's a lie with nice glossy finish.
I know that's a great way to start isn't it?... : ) I hope you will hear me out. I have heard some things from Piper that sound pretty good and I have heard some things he says that contradict so many verses in God's Word, including Jesus' message, that I approach with caution. Thank you for allowing me to borrow that book, because it confirmed some reservations I had about his teaching.
I would like to look at Piper's thought from 2 different angles to see how it compares with the Bible.
First off, I would like to ask a few questions. If Piper's statement is true to God's Word, is God somewhat glorified when we are somewhat satisfied in Him? Or even more to the point, is God a little satisfied in us, when we are a little satisfied in Him? The answer to both of those is a clear no. If we are only satisfied in God a little bit, we are not loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength - something else has our heart's interest. Jesus said this: "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Our desire for anything other than God, and to divide our life in sections (between 'God's time' and 'our time') are only excuses to cover our idolatry. Those excuses are everywhere in our culture - that is true. But God isn't going to judge us by how well we did compared to the culture, but how much we followed Him, compared to who He is. (He is even going to judge us for every idle word! ~Mt. 12:36. Yikes! He obviously takes this seriously!)
The lukewarm people in the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22 thought they could stay comfy with the world and God, and He vomited them out of us mouth. If you know much about church history, we are living in the Laodicean (lukewarm) church age, and God is about to vomit hypocrites out of His mouth because He is so tired of their rebellion against Him disguised as serving Him with good lip-service. We all need to be careful, so that we do not fall into the category of those in Mark 7:6-7 ~ "He answered and said to them, 'Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me..." ' " If they don't wake up, they will hear the fearful words of Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" Each of us needs to examine our lives regularly to make sure that we are truly disciples of Jesus, and not pretenders.
Now that we looked at it from that angle, I would still like to look at it in light of a few more verses.
Piper's quote: "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him."
Is God even glorified in us at all when we are satisfied with anything other than Him? I believe the answer from the Scriptures is again, a clear no. I hope you will let me explain. I'm sure these truths are painful, if you haven't seen them this way before, but it is embracing God's truth that sets us free, so let's look at a few verses that might help us to distance ourselves from this world's selfish perspective and see God's standard and calling to each and every human being.
4 passages come to mind and I would like to look at each of them briefly ~ they are:
Luke 14:33, 2nd Corinthians 6:18-7:1, 1st John 2:15-17, and James 4:1-4
Luke 14:33
"So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that He has cannot be My disciple."
> Jesus is clear, if our heart stays attached to anything in this world so that it stops us from following Him and obeying Him with everything we have, then we cannot be His disciple, meaning we rejected the Savior and salvation, and our fruit merely shows it.
2nd Corinthians 6:16-7:1
"And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the Living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.' Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.' 'I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.' Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
> This is just one of many passages where God is calling us to count the cost, to no longer join the world in their passions and entertainment, no longer to talk like them, to desire the things they desire, but instead to come out - to be set apart, to stay with Christ, seperate from the world no matter how much they mock, criticize and slander us. Not to come out of it completely, but not to follow our selfish passions as we did before Christ bought us. This is just one reason Jesus calls us to count the cost.
1st John 2:15-17
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."
> another passage that calls us to count the cost if we want the salvation Jesus offers. This is a far cry different from the world that looks at the 2 paths mentioned in Matthew 7:13-14. The world looks at the narrow gate and the narrow path and the wide gate and the wide path, both marked for Heaven (as John MacArthur notes in his book called 'Hard to Believe'), and they not wanting to give up any of life's comforts or their pet sins, choose the broad way, because it is easy, and it costs nothing. Here in 1st John, God is very clear that if we love the things in this world and our affections are for the appetites and pleasures and trinkets and glitter of this world, then we do not have the love of God. That's not popular in a culture that likes the view that all roads lead to Heaven, but that is what Jesus says. Jesus gave everything to take the punishment for sin, and it will cost us everything if we want to embrace the true eternal treasure of eternal life (Matthew 13:44-46). God is gracious, but if we choose to rebel against Him, preferring lip-service and our selfish desires, He will let us make that choice and endure the consequences forever... That's not what He wants us to do, but He has left the choice up to us. His call to us is to not love the temporary, glittery, empty things the world offers, but to love and serve only One ~ Him and Him alone.
James 4:4 is another clear passage I have learned a lot from, and I think it sums up some things that should cause us to seriously evaluate life and our decisions. It continues to challenge me regularly. I'm also including the few verses in front of it because I think they highlight the message, so here they are:
"Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. pleasure that war in your members?"
> Again, we would be wise to note God's conclusion: Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world puts some distance between him and Jesus?... no, that's now what He says is it? If anyone wants to be a friend of the world, he makes himself an enemy of God. God cannot and will not let any enemies into Heaven. We need to count the cost, just like Jesus warned us. "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it-- lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
Jesus isn't saying to hate our family here or our own life, but in contrast: that our love and passion for following Him would make our physical love for family and our life look like hatred. He doesn't want to be #1 on top of a heap of other passions in our life. He offers us eternal life if we surrender everything, and learn daily what it means to follow Him. He will not take half-baked bargains, or left-overs. It's an all or nothing opportunity and choice. If we choose to humble ourselves and accept His offer, then we will gain eternal life, and grow daily, and we'll be regularly becoming cleaner and cleaner vessels, fit for our Master's use.
Simply put, God has a much bigger army than we do. Let's continue to learn to count the cost, to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him, and continuing to learn to challenge others to study what Jesus really said, so they too can count the cost. And let's continue to watch out for those who are either ignorant of Jesus' words or (even worse) who are lessening His commands and encouraging others to do the same. (Matthew 5:19)
Alright, now these truths could be quite weighty... Any questions? Any thoughts?
Well, I look forward to hearing back from you when you get a chance and it is my sincere hope that this note and study will be an eternal blessing for you!
ttyl, your bro and a servant/life-slave of Jesus, Steven : )
