Hi everyone. I listened to this talk with my Mum yesterday, and it complemented what I’ve been reading in John Piper’s book “The dangerous duty of delight – making Gid your greatest desire”. In chapter 5 Piper says “The pursuit of pleasure is an essential motive for every good deed. If you aim to abandon the pursuit of full and lasting pleasure you can not love people or please God”. Jonathan Edwards commented on 1 Cor 13 said “In some sense the most benevolent, generous person in the world seeks his own happiness in doing good to others, because he places his happiness in their good.” Piper “..love will not seek it’s own private comforts and ease at the expense of others….The pursuit of true gain is an essential motive for every good deed….genuine love always relates to God as gain.” Piper then looks at 2 Cor 8:1-4 and says the nature of genuine love can be seen in how the generousity of the Macedonians was not of human origin, but the work of grace in their hearts. Piper then says “Love is the overflow and expansion of joy in God, which gladly meets the needs of others.” This reminded me of how we saw in our “Introducing God” series that God created out of the overflow if his love. Piper also related loving back to the importance of being a cheerful giver, remembering / knowing we have better possessions / rewards in heaven (ref Acts 20:35, Lk 14:14, Jn 12:25, Heb 11:24-26, Heb 12:2, Mt 6:19-20 and Heb 10:34).
Hi everyone. I listened to this talk with my Mum yesterday, and it complemented what I’ve been reading in John Piper’s book “The dangerous duty of delight – making Gid your greatest desire”. In chapter 5 Piper says “The pursuit of pleasure is an essential motive for every good deed. If you aim to abandon the pursuit of full and lasting pleasure you can not love people or please God”. Jonathan Edwards commented on 1 Cor 13 said “In some sense the most benevolent, generous person in the world seeks his own happiness in doing good to others, because he places his happiness in their good.” Piper “..love will not seek it’s own private comforts and ease at the expense of others….The pursuit of true gain is an essential motive for every good deed….genuine love always relates to God as gain.” Piper then looks at 2 Cor 8:1-4 and says the nature of genuine love can be seen in how the generousity of the Macedonians was not of human origin, but the work of grace in their hearts. Piper then says “Love is the overflow and expansion of joy in God, which gladly meets the needs of others.” This reminded me of how we saw in our “Introducing God” series that God created out of the overflow if his love. Piper also related loving back to the importance of being a cheerful giver, remembering / knowing we have better possessions / rewards in heaven (ref Acts 20:35, Lk 14:14, Jn 12:25, Heb 11:24-26, Heb 12:2, Mt 6:19-20 and Heb 10:34).