Question 35.
If I just substitute the word “joy” for “pleasure” doesn’t Christian Hedonism become biblical?
Answer 35.
To test this hypothesis, compare the original published defining claims of Christian Hedonism to the same claim re-written as it would appear if “pleasure” and “happiness” were replaced by the word “joy.”
|
Original Claim |
Same Claim Made for “Joy” |
| “Christian Hedonism answers: 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 cannot love people or please God.” (Piper, Dangerous Duty, page 39) | Christian Hedonism answers: the pursuit of joy is an essential motive for every good deed. If you aim to abandon the pursuit of full and lasting joy, you cannot love people or please God. |
| Christian hedonism says more, namely, that we should pursue happiness with all our might. (Piper, quoted from www.desiringgod.org on May 29, 2003) | Christian hedonism says more, namely, that we should pursue joy with all our might. |
| “The radical implication is that pursuing pleasure in God is our highest calling.” (Piper, page 21, The Dangerous Duty of Delight) | The radical implication is that pursuing joy in God is our highest calling. |
| “Christian Hedonism does not put us above God when it makes the joy of worship its goal.” (Piper, Desiring God, page 85, 1996) | “Christian Hedonism does not put us above God when it makes the joy of worship its goal.” |
| “I came to see that it is unbiblical and arrogant to try to worship God for any other reason than the pleasure to be had in him.” (Piper, Desiring God, page 16, 1996 edition) | I came to see that it is unbiblical and arrogant to try to worship God for any other reason than the joy to be had in him. |
| “Unless a man be born again into a Christian Hedonist he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John Piper, Desiring God, page 55) | “Unless a man be born again into a Christian Hedonist he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John Piper, Desiring God, page 55) |
| “Could it be that today the most straightforward biblical command for conversion is not, ‘Believe in the Lord,’ but, ‘Delight yourself in the Lord’?” (John Piper, Desiring God, page 55) | “Could it be that today the most straightforward biblical command for conversion is not, ‘Believe in the Lord,’ but, ‘Delight yourself in the Lord’?” (John Piper, Desiring God, page 55) |
| “The pursuit of joy in God is not optional. It is not an ‘extra’ that a person might grow into after he comes to faith. Until your heart has hit upon this pursuit, your ‘faith’ cannot please God. It is not saving faith.” (John Piper, Desiring God, page 69) | “The pursuit of joy in God is not optional. It is not an ‘extra’ that a person might grow into after he comes to faith. Until your heart has hit upon this pursuit, your ‘faith’ cannot please God. It is not saving faith.” (John Piper, Desiring God, page 69) |
| “Christian hedonism says more, namely, that we should pursue happiness with all our might. The desire to be happy is a proper motive for every good deed, and if you abandon pursuit of your own joy you cannot please God.” (quoted from www.desiringgod.org on May 29, 2003) | Christian hedonism says more, namely, that we should pursue joy with all our might. The desire to be filled with joy is a proper motive for every good deed, and if you abandon pursuit of your own joy you cannot please God. |
As it becomes clear from the above side-by-side comparison, all that happens by swapping the word “joy” in the place of pleasure is that one unprovable presumptive set of claims is replaced by another set of assumptions. In some instances, the claim does not change one bit. With every claim, there is not one concrete Bible verse by which to uphold and establish the claim. Christian Hedonism, whether it elevates joy or pleasure, is improper when it places “our pursuits” of joy and pleasure with all our might ahead of God’s commandment for men to instead pursue love “with all our strength.”
Now, it is true that joy is a fruit of the Spirit, whereas “pleasure” and “happiness” are not. By that single measure, the “pursuit of joy with all our might” appears closer to the standard of being biblical than did the expression “pursue pleasure with all our might”. Still, neither expression quite meets that standard.
As always, it is necessary to point out that several times the Word does tell us to be thankful to God for His gifts and His mercy and therefore to rejoice. Rejoicing as it is presented to us in the Bible is usually a mechanism of praising God, outwardly demonstrating our appreciation to God. The “pursuit of joy” as Christian Hedonism authors this odd precept, defines it as a taking in of pleasure, an attainment and internalizing of pleasurable feelings for the benefit of the rejoicer. So in the eyes of Christian Hedonism, pursuing joy is more focused on experiencing the joy as a pleasurable event and less focused on the act of praise as a way of showing gratitude. This is the very key to understanding why Christian Hedonism so often phrases it as one’s own “pursuit” instead of simply agreeing with Scripture that men ought to rejoice as a way to praise God for His works.
The Bible’s command to rejoice as a way of praising God is Godward directed. The Christian Hedonist command to pursue joy is a man-directed craving for good feelings and pleasurable sensations in God.
The “pursuit of joy” is still not an actual precept or literal command of Scripture. By way of comparison the expression “pursue love” and “love God with all your strength” are genuine commands, literal precepts, and overt statutes of the Word (1 Corinthians 14:1, 1 Timothy 6:11, Mark 12:28-31).
“Pursue love with all your strength” meets the standard of “being biblical” while “pursue joy with all your strength” remains speculative, a presumption which ought not to be imposed on man as if it were a command from God the Almighty.
