Pete's Blog

I'm worried that having made the previous post and adding the list of Piper links that I've taken away from the seriousness of my blog. I really don't want this blog to be a joke. So, to balance the previous post with my desire for this blog to be civil, sensitive, from my heart, and God centred, I would like to elaborate on why I promote the ministry of John Piper so much in my Christian circles.

Firstly, I am immensely indebted to him for his teaching ministry. Dr. Piper has shown me that there is Truth in the Bible and that some of it needs to be dug out. His passion for going after the unseen and making it plain to lay people such as myself has inspired me. I read the Bible more now because I've seen what God has shown Dr. Piper and I want to see it myself.

Next, I had never so clearly heard anyone say that Jesus is worth dying for. It was radical. I saw it in the Bible, but it wasn't something that Christians were outright saying. It seemed inconsistent until I heard Dr. Piper give the challenge to not waste my life.

Thirdly, Dr. Piper's theology of Christian Hedonism makes me believe that God is indeed personal. If the definition of love is obedience (as some say 1J. 5:2 teaches) then that god would merely be a machine awaiting accurate input. Instead, this God wants to be loved. He wants me to delight myself in Him and that the love of good and joy in doing good would compel me to act.

There's so much more to say, but I'll conclude with this. In all my imaginings about God before I became a Christian, I didn't understand why He created us. Dr. Piper's view of the sovereign God of the Bible who ordains all history for His glory makes sense of my questions. If God were anything less than sovereign, or if He were anything less than focussed on His own glory, He wouldn't be omnipotent, He wouldn't be omniscient. He simply wouldn't be the ultimate, Creator God.

I do evangelism because when I heard the Glorious News of Jesus Christ it brought me to my knees as I cried over my sin and thanked God simultaneously for my forgiveness, and it is my desire to bring that to others. I want to share John Piper's ministry with others because he has brought me so much closer to God that I want everyone to have that opportunity as well.

Labels: Miscellaneous