Quest for Joy
Quest for Joy
By John Piper
Did you now that God commands us to be glad? "Delight yourself in the
Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).
1. God created us for His glory
"Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the
earth...whom I created for my glory (Isaiah 43:6-7). God made us to
magnify his greatness--the way telescopes magnify starts. He created us
to put his goodness and truth and beauty and wisdom and justice on
display. The greatest display of God's glory comes from deep delight in
all that he is. This means that God gets the praise and we get the
pleasure. God created us so that he is most glorified in us when we are
most satisfied in him.
2. Every human should live for God's glory
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for
the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). If God made us for his glory,
it is clear that we should live for his glory. Our duty comes from his
design. So our first obligation is to show God's value by being
satisfied with all that he is for us. This is the essence of loving God
(Matthew 22:37) and trusting him (1 John 5:3-4) and being thankful to him
(Psalm 100:2-4). It is the root of all true obedience, especially
loving others (Colossians 1:4-5).
3. All of us have failed to glorify God as we should
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans
3:23). What does it mean to "fall short of the glory of God?" It means
that none of us has trusted and treasured God the way we should. We have
not been satisfied with his greatness and walked in his ways. We have
sought our satisfaction in other things, and treated them as more
valuable than God, which is the essence of idolatry (Romans 1:21-23).
Since sin came into the world we have all been deeply resistant to having
God as our all-satisfying treasure (Ephesians 2:3). This is an appalling
offense to the greatness of God (Jeremiah 2:12-13).
4. All of us are subject to God's just condemnation
"The wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23). We have all
belittled the glory of God. How? By preferring other things above him.
By our ingratitude, distrust and disobedience. So God is just in
shutting us out from the enjoyment of his glory forever. "They will
suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the
presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might" (2 Thessalonians
1:9).
The word "hell" is used in the New Testament twelve times--eleven
times by Jesus himself. It is not a myth created by dismal and angry
preachers. It is a solemn warning from the Son of God who died to
deliver sinners from its curse. We ignore it at great risk.
If the Bible stopped here in its analysis of the human condition,
we would be doomed to a hopeless future. However, this is not where it
stops...
5. God sent his only son Jesus to provide eternal life and joy
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance;
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15).
The good news is that Christ died for sinners like us. And he rose
physically from the dead to validate the saving power of his death and to
open the gates of eternal life and joy (1 Corinthians 15:20). This means
God can acquit guilty sinners and still be just (Romans 3:25-26). "For
Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to
bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Coming home to God is where all deep
and lasting satisfaction is found.
6. The benefits purchased by the death of Christ belong to those who
repent and trust him
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped
out" (Acts 3:19). "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved"
(Acts 16:31). "Repent" means to turn from all the deceitful promises of
sin. "Faith" means being satisfied with all that God promises to be for
us in Jesus. "He who believes in me," Jesus says, "shall never thirst"
(John 6:35). We do not earn our salvation. We cannot merit it (Romans
4:4-5). It is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a free
gift (Romans 3:24). We will have it if we cherish it enough to receive
it and treasure it above all things (Matthew 13:44). When we do that
God's aim in creation is accomplished: HE is glorified in us and we are
satisfied in him--forever.
Does this make sense to you?
Do you desire the kind of gladness that comes from being
satisfied with all that God is for you in Jesus? If so, then God is at
work in your life.
What should you do?
Turn from the deceitful promises of sin. Call upon Jesus to save
you from the guilt and punishment and bondage. "All who call upon the
name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). Start banking your hope
on all that God is for you in Jesus. Break the power of sins' promises
by faith in the superior satisfaction of God's promises. Begin reading
the Bible to find his precious and very great promises, which can set you
free (2 Peter 1:3-4). Find a Bible-believing church and begin to worship
and grow together with other people who treasure Christ above all things
(Philippians 3:7).
The best news in the world is that there is no necessary conflict
between our happiness and God's holiness. Being satisfied with all that
God is for us in Jesus magnifies him as a great Treasure.
"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me
with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand"
(Psalm 16:11).
For more information, see
Desiring God Ministries
Go back to Contend for the Faith.
This page hosted by
Get your own Free Home Page