The Dangerous Duty of Delight (by John Piper)

The Dangerous Duty of Delight: The Glorified God and the Satisfied Soul

Preface

* The truth and beauty of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, are breathtaking.

* Well, the human race does in fact crave the experience of awe and wonder. And there is no reality more breathtaking than Jesus Christ. He is not safe, but He is stunning.

* God has put eternity in man's mind and filled the human heart with longing. But we know not what we long from until we see the breathtaking God. This is the cause of universal restlessness.

* "You made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace till they rest in you." - St. Augustine

* The world has an inconsolable longing.

* "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." - C. S. Lewis

* "The steadfast love of the LORD is better than life" (Psalm 63:3, RSV). Infinite delight is a dangerous duty. But you will not regret the pursuit. I call it Christian Hedonism.

Chapter 1 Treating Delight As Duty Is Controversial

* "Christian Hedonism" is a controversial name for an old-fashioned way of life.

* Deuteronomy 28:47-48; Psalm 43:4; Psalm 100:2; Psalm 37:4; Psalm 90:14; Psalm 16:11; Matthew 5:11-12; John 15:1; Hebrews 12:2; Matthew 25:21; James 1:2; 2 Corinthians 6:10; 2 Corinthians 1:24; Philippians 4:4; Romans 5:3; 1 Peter 4:13

* "Delighting in Him, may be the work of our lives" - Richard Baxter, The Saints' Everlasting Rest; This joy would "arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hook." - Matthew Henry

* "The happiness of the creature consists in rejoicing in God, by which also God is magnified and exalted." - Jonathan Edwards

* "The end of the creation is that the creation might glorify [God]. Now what is glorifying God, but a rejoicing at that glory he has displayed."- Jonathan Edwards

* Christian Hedonism insists that joy is not just the spin-off of obedience of God, but part of obedience. ... Because joy is an act of obedience. We are commanded to rejoice in God. If obedience is doing what God commands, then joy is not merely the spin-off of obedience, it is obedience.

* "It is a Christian duty, as you know, for everyone to be as happy as he can." - C. S. Lewis

* Maximum happiness, both qualitatively and quantitatively, is precisely waht we are duty-bound to pursue.

* One wise Christian described the relationship between duty and delight this way:
Suppose a husband asks his wife if he must kiss her good night. Her answer is, "You must, but not that kind of a must." What she means is this: "Unless a spontaneous affection for my person motivates you, your overtures are stripped of all moral value." (E. J. Carnell, Christian Commitment) In other words, if there is no pleasure in the kiss, the duty of kissing has not been done. Delight in her person, expressed in the kiss, is part of the duty, not a by-product of it.

* Let it be crystal clear: We are always talking about joy in God. Even joy in doing good is finally joy in God, because the ultimate good that we always aim at is displaying the glory of God and expanding our own joy in God to others. Any other joy would be qualitatively insufficient for the longing of our souls and quantitatively too short for our eternal need. In God alone is fullness of joy and joy forever.

* "In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever" (Psalm 16:11).

Chapter 2 Glorify God by Enjoying Him Forever

Chapter 3 Affections Are Not Optional

Chapter 4 Pursuing Pleasure Undermines Pride and Self-Pity

Chapter 5 Pursue Your Joy in the Joy of the Beloved

Chapter 6 What Does It Mean for Worship?

Chapter 7 What Does It Mean for Marriage?

Chapter 8 What Does It Mean for Money?

Chapter 9 What Does It Mean for Missions?

Epilogues: A Final Call

Endnotes

Do You Want To Know More?

Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist

The Pleasures of God - the nature of God

Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ - the excellence of Jesus Christ

Let the Nations Be Glad - the power and the price of world evangelization

What's the difference? - the meaning of manhood and womanhood

The Purifying Power of Living by Faith in FUTURE GRACE - the daily battle against unbelief and sin

A Hunger for God - the discipline of prayer and fasting

The Legacy of Sovereign Joy

The Hidden Smile of God

God's Passion for His Glory - the foundational life and thought of Jonathan Edwards

A Godward Life - the dozens of nitty-gritty issues that we face in daily life