Psalm 16:11
In The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis writes: "It would be a bold and silly creature that came before its Creator with the boast, 'I'm no beggar. I love you disinterestedly.'" Does that strike you as true? I hope it does. When we give ourselves to God out of nothing more than a sense of duty, we are disinterestedly seeking to live by works. This is why I am a Christian Hedonist. The term isn't very old, it has been popularized and developed by John Piper and Sam Storms in recent years. But the idea isn't new at all - Indeed, since the beginning of time it has been man's pursuit of his own joy that has been the cause of bringing great glory to God, and great sin in one's life. How can both be true? This is a question best answered with a question: Where are you seeking your joy?
Psalm 37:4 commands joy in believers: "Delight yourself in the Lord". Therefore, I believe the best answer to the catechism question, "What is the chief end of man?" is that the chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. Why? Because, as the Psalmist wrote in 16:11, the fullness of joy is found only in God. Every man everywhere will seek his own joy, without exception. Some will seek to find it in money and possessions, others in their careers and success, yet others will attempt to find it in their relationships with others. But the Scriptures are infinitely clear that our pursuit of joy will always fall short when it is found in anything other than Christ.
What does this look like, and how do we get there? Certainly, to talk about finding our joy in Christ is one thing. To do it is quite another. First, what it looks like: " The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field" (Matthew 13:44, emphasis mine). The next question is a bit more difficult, but not impossible: How do we get there? What does it take to find my greatest joy in Christ that I am willing to forsake all others in pursuit of Him? Living by faith. Believing that God is who He says He is, that He will do what He says He will do, and that His promises are for you to cling to and trust forevermore, even when the circumstances of life seem to tell you otherwise. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).
Here's the total package: There is fullness of joy in our lives when we have faith that assures us that we need not live in fear of God, but rather delight in all that He is and has revealed Himself to be in Christ Jesus. We stand on the promise that as adopted sons and daughters of God, we are members of His family and are no longer orphans. When God looks on us, he is 100% irrevocably pleased by what he sees - not because we are who we are, but because of who Jesus is on our behalf. The glorious reality of the gospel sets us free to delight in Him. My righteousness is not an achievement of my own - I no longer need to run the race of life on a treadmill. My righteousness is that which Christ has graciously supplied, and the Father has lovingly given that I can make much of Jesus in all of life. St. Augustine once prayed, "You made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace till they rest in you." Let us rest in Christ together, for the fullness of our joy! Of course, on our own it's impossible. Let's also pray together what Augustine once uttered, "Give me the grace [O Lord] to do as you command, and command me to do what you will!"
]]>his book is built on a single, simple premise: I believe fathers have a God-given responsibility to see to it that their daughters marry well and that their sons become worthy husbands. As such, I believe it is necessary for fathers to model biblical manhood, teach biblical manhood, and hunt for biblical manhood on behalf of their daughters. Similarly, I believe fathers with sons have a responsibility to prepare their sons for marriage. (27)
This is a great read, not only for fathers with daughters, but also for those with sons. Baucham does a masterful job in describing what biblical manhood looks like, and what a father should be looking for in a potential mate for his daughter, or what he should be instilling in, modeling, and teaching his son. With very few examples today of what men are called to be, it is imperative that Christian families understand God's design, purpose, and desire. So, according to Baucham, what must a man be if he is to marry his daughter?
Each of these elements comprises an entire chapter in What He Must Be. Additionally, Baucham provides biblically sound, practical wisdom regarding the father's role, namely that he is to walk his daughter through the process of finding, vetting, courting, and marrying "Mr. Right". Baucham provides ample evidence from the Old and New Testaments of the Scriptures and soundly defeats many critics who suppose much of what the Bible teaches on relationships is "cultural" in nature. What He Must Be is a "must read" for Christian fathers, and would also be a great read for young men and women who are preparing themselves for courtship and marriage.
If for no other reason, I recommend reading Baucham's book for his excellent analysis of the current crisis in marriage and "dating" relationships:
Little thought is given to preparing our sons to be husbands. Thus, they meander through life without the skills or mind-set necessary to play the most important role until one day, having met 'the one,' they pop the question, set a date, and -- in the rarest cases -- go to the pastor to learn everything they need to know about being a priest, prophet, provider, and protector of a household in four one-hour sessions. In the words of that great theologian Dr. Phil, 'How's that workin' for ya?'
As a result, we have families led by men who haven't the foggiest idea what their role is or how to carry it out. We have wives who were created with a God-given need to be led by godly men, a curse from the days in the garden that puts them at odds with this arrangement, and a cultural mandate to fight against male headship. Top this off with children who long for security that can only be found in clear roles and boundaries in the home, and the result is a frustrated family mired by dysfunction. Sound familiar?
Yes, unfortunately it sounds all too familiar as it plays out in the Church across America because many have decided to adapt to the world's systems instead of clinging to the wisdom of God.
]]>