Reddit mentions of Desiring God, Revised Edition: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist

In the same vein, check out The Holiness of God.

Also, recently coming to terms with the sovereignty of God leads me to believe that you haven't read much Piper. John Piper is one of the greatest Bible teachers alive. His book Desiring God changed my life. Please read it.

Also, Desiring God's website is worth checking every day. Always edifying, soul-nurturing, God-glorifying stuff.

Apologetics: The Reason for God Tim Keller

Spiritual Life: Desiring God John Piper

Theology: Systematic Theology Wayne Grudem

Discipleship: Christ's Call to Discipleship James Montgomery Boice

Politics: Walking in the Way Joe Tull-Not on politics, but it is an ethics book that I think will give you a grasp on the ethical dimensions that affect some political decisions.

Philosophy: The Love of Wisdom Steven Cowan. A CHristian intro to philosophy, but it includes chapters on aesthetics and political philosophy.

Desiring God is, in my opinion, is one of the best modern theology books. Doesn't have any apologetics though, don't know if you're looking more for that or not.

This is why it is called Grace. Grace is something that is given, not earned. It is not deserved or it would be called a reward. I highly recommend reading this book from John Piper called Desiring God. It really dives into this concept.

A trusted source I go to daily is John Piper's ministry, Desiring God. (www.desiringgod.org.) Mr. Piper is theologically sound in my opinion and clearly loves the Lord. He maintains a heaviness about him, almost as if he carries a burden to help others love Christ more dearly.

He and his team reassure me, edify me, provoke me to think deeper, follow more closely, and in general help me cultivate a stronger love for the Lord, daily.

I am currently reading Desiring God by Mr. Piper

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1601423101/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481574814&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=desiring+god&dpPl=1&dpID=41JpAZeSpAL&ref=plSrch

But another one that might be just as applicable would be When I Don't Desire God by the same author.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1433543176/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WYJ2YRD6WW39FQ3SXD0J

"Ask... seek... and knock. And all things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 7:7-12 and Matthew 6:33.)

God bless!

You have reached the very foundational elements of the faith that are a very large part of why I am a christian, or at least remained a christian once i sought out what the bible had to say about these exact questions.

So philosophically or more so existentially, the truth of why or what it all means has to be an open playing field so to speak. Fatalism, Nihilism or forms of Pessimistic thought have some implications that seem unpleasant or off putting to some, but ultimately hold water within their own logical frame work. Just because an idea is initially off putting does not make it wrong. The difference between those schools of thought vs. Christianity is that they are not built on a foundation upward, but rather a foundation is kind of the conclusion drawn out from an evolving argument. Christianity has a much higher burden in terms of it's foundational consistency.

Instead of being the product of reasoning, Christianity is a product of ancient documents ranging in literary style from history, poetry, theology, personal letters, and prophesy. Out of those documents a cohesive understanding of the universe and the existential impact of that understanding form the religion. That means the documents have to be the source and need to have not changed over the years to support new philosophies. (at least if you're rational)

So if Christianity is true, then the best way to test it would be to examine the most accurate understanding of these ancient manuscripts alone. That's everything from fields of archeology, historical and textual criticism to (what we are touching on in this thread) doctrinal and theological cohesiveness. Do these ancient manuscripts actually form a cohesive philosophy, without the aid of reasoning from a foundation outside of the documents? Also the documents examined have to be the most original copies of these documents along with the most accurate understanding of the way the original authors and readers would have understood them?


It's no easy task and definitely not something to exhaust on reedit. I hope i've given you a better understanding of some deep theological ramifications of biblical christianity and the kind of philosophical impact they have on hypothetical questions. I will now answer your questions, and the answers will no doubt seem trite and unhelpful. But i think i've reached the end of what i can say to a stranger on the internet, having no clue what background you have in biblical study and no idea where to start:

>So the point of Christianity is to glorify God? And if you fail to do this you suffer in hell for an eternity? This seems like a rather conceited concept does it not?

yes it does seem like that within the framework of human interaction and affections. So the way this idea works is not something to understand within the framework of human interaction and affections. God is not human and so again, it's an open playing field. The question is, does the answers the bible gives make any sense?

>So god is willing to punish those who have absolutely no control over whether they survive long enough to reach an age where they could even possibly understand Christianity? Or do you mean he will only punish the babies that would have never become christian?

I have no idea if either of those are true but the plausibility that they remotely could be is built off the theology (a study of the nature and character of god) in the bible. The biblical documents do not flinch in their explanations of seemingly paradoxical ideas. Paradoxical ideas crop up everywhere in the search for understanding meaning, morals, or truth in reality, it's up to you to judge what you think about the answers the bible gives.

>So god is responsible for saving you from a punishment he himself created? The way you depict it makes it sound like what you do is irrelevant in regards to being saved, by this reasoning, is there even a point to try and do ethical actions, since regardless of what you do, you are already saved or damned.

I can defiantly say "trying to do ethical actions" has nothing to do with being saved or dammed. And as far as the seeming paradox of god creating the punishment (what exactly this punishment is is debated between christians) that he himself saves you from? The ultimate purpose is that he gets more glory if he did it this way then just created beings already perfect and ready for eternity with him.





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Some book ideas about what I talking about.

Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist answers how God's Glory works for our benefit from the bible.

The Reason for God answers some of the seemingly off-puting or paradoxical ramifications of biblical theology.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

Finally Alive by John Piper

Desiring God by John Piper

I agree. I think to frame it in doing is all wrong. There is action, no doubt. But I think Piper's way of framing this theology is spot on. See also Desiring God

I understand the objection. But I would say that God's self love is not like our self love, for two reasons. One, is that God deserves it far more than we do, and more importantly, God's self love shares that satisfaction with others in a way that we cannot.

I would encourage you to check out John Piper's The Pleasures of God, or even his Desiring God. Dr. Piper explains the concept far better than I ever could.

>Most people won't care about me and my totally humble and kind personality. And as a guy I don't think women gravitate toward that kind of personality. Men who put the need of the others before themselves, who do not promote themselves (aka the beta males).

You've got to ask yourself who are you serving? Are you living for the world, or are you living for God?

It will cost you everything.

Many people won't care about you and your humble, kind personality? Who cares! You are better off without people like them, they are only an encumbrance to you if you are seeking to please them. Seek first the kingdom of God. God doesn't promise us a happy me-me-me kind of life on Earth, He promises us eternal happiness in glory with Him forever and ever. Which life will you live for?

Seek happiness in glorifying God. Desiring God by John Piper is a wonderful book on the topic.