Is Christian Hedonism a False Doctrine?

In his bestselling book, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (1986), John Piper teaches one of the doctrines that he is most well-known for namely, Christian Hedonism. Hedonism is the pursuit of pleasure, often sensual and self-indulgent in nature. It is the ethical theory that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life. In his book, Desiring God, Piper sets out his idea of Christian Hedonism. This is the book that introduced Piper’s novel philosophy to the Christian world, summed up in his phrase, ‘God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.’ The book has been called a 20th-century classic that changes lives. Some reviewers have declared the book, next to the Bible, is the most life-changing book they have ever read. However, is this a good and biblical idea, and is John Piper right to teach such things?

At the 1997 Passion Conference, Piper explained his philosophy to thousands of young people. He enthusiastically declared: ‘If this is true, that God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him… then the vocation of your life is to pursue your pleasure. I call it Christian Hedonism.’ He insists he is a Christian Hedonist ‘not for any philosophical or theoretical reason, but because God commands it’ (Desiring God, p25).

Piper is one of those preachers that is very clever at mixing truth with error. He does this in such a way that it is hard to notice at first reading. Piper frequently uses Scripture out of context to support his Christian Hedonism, a doctrine that combines the philosophy of hedonism with his Christian Faith. Piper misuses Scripture to create a new commandment, ‘Delight yourself in the Lord’, from Psalm 37:4. However, this is not what the Scripture teaches. Piper teaches that “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.” God does not always give us the so-called delights of our hearts. God does not always give us what our heart desires. Our hearts are corrupted by sin and the Bible teaches us that the heart is wicked, sinful, and corrupt (Jer. 17:9). Our hearts need to be transformed and renewed, not delighting in whatever they desire. What the Scripture actually teaches is that our desires ought to be centered and focused on the things of God, which will bring us delight as we obey God from the heart.

It must be said, without hesitation and on solid Biblical grounds, that Dr. Piper is wrong. He preaches a false gospel of justification by faith-plus-works, and a philosophy of so-called Christian living that is rooted in ungodly secular philosophy and denies the Biblical doctrine of the sanctification of the believer by the indwelling Spirit of God. Here is why I believe this to be the case.

John Piper does not believe in justification by faith alone. Piper teaches a false Gospel of faith plus works. Dr. John W. Robbins, founder of The Trinity Foundation was one of the first to publicly speak out against Piper. In the summer of 2002, Dr. Robbins published an essay titled Pied Piper, in which he demonstrated from Piper's own writings that he explicitly denies the one true Gospel of justification by faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone, and explicitly asserts the damnable false gospel of justification by faith plus works. You can read his essay online here is the link. In 2017 The Trinity Foundation published an updated expose' of Piper, "John Piper on Final Justification by Works."

In 2009, Piper invited Douglas Wilson, a leading advocate of Federal Vision theology, to speak at his annual Desiring God National Conference. Federal Vision theology teaches that an individual is regenerated by water baptism, remains in a covenant relationship with God through church membership and regular partaking of the Eucharist, and is ultimately justified not by faith in Christ alone but by his own law-keeping at the Last Judgment. Piper defended his decision to invite Wilson as a speaker, and his subsequent appearances at other conferences with Wilson, by asserting that Douglas Wilson "has the Gospel right."

On page 69 of his book Christian Hedonism? A Biblical examination of John Piper's teaching, E. S. Williams writes the following, “We must conclude that John Piper's hedonism is a heretical doctrine that presents a false gospel that has no place in the Christian Church. Like all heresies it ultimately destroys those who follow it. It is a doctrine which turns people from the true Gospel of salvation in Christ to become pleasure seekers who indulge in counterfeit worship.”

The real challenge of the Christian life is not to "desire" God and "enjoy" Him in pseudo-spiritual, hedonistic pleasure. Rather it is to "walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10). We should be on our guard "lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" (Colossians 2:8).

The message of our Lord is without compromise and easy to understand: "if any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). We must strive to keep His Word, and walk even as He walked (1 John 2:5-6). Our faith must express itself in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Our calling in this world is to be "holy and without blame before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4), and in the next to serve Him forever (Revelation 22:3-4).”

With all this being said, I will leave it up to you to decide if John Piper is a man that ought to be avoided at all costs or not. Personally, I would say that Piper teaches some good doctrine, but he also teaches some errors. I have no doubt that John Piper is a saved man and is a Christian. However his teaching called Christian Hedonism is not a doctrine supported by Scripture. Christian Hedonism is a belief that God is most glorified when people are most satisfied in him. It's based on the idea that God created people with a natural desire to be happy. Although it is true that God created people to be naturally happy, it is not true that God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him. God is most glorified when we obey Him and walk in faithfulness to Him.