I have been shaped by John Piper’s writings for some time now. He has helped show me that there is a certain rest that comes from recognizing our sin and our powerlessness to solve the problem of it. It is in the context of our sin that the grace of Christ is allowed to abound and we are set free. To take it one step further, John Piper’s vision of joy in the Christian life continues to inspire, he says, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.” Satisfaction; like a tall glass of water. A beautiful image of the Christian life…
So, I had to chuckle when I saw this Youtube video playing with the idea of our sinfulness, or should I say, John Piper’s sinfulness:
To end this little reflection on sin, I thought I would include this excerpt from Eugene Peterson’s book, The Contemplative Pastor. he writes,
The word sinner is a theological designation. It is essential to insist on this. It is not a moralistic judgement. It is not a word that places humans somewhere along the continuum raging from angel to ape, assessing them as relatively “good” or “bad.” It designates humans in relation to God and sees them separated from God. Sinner means something is awry between humans and God. In that state people may be wicked, unhappy, anxious, and poor. Or, they may be virtuous, happy, and affluent. Those items are not part of the judgement. The theological fact is that humans are not close to God and are not serving God.
Another Piper video posted below. An excellent word on the prosperity gospel and a fine response to my earlier post.
Learn more about John Piper at Desiring God Ministries.
