Hudson Taylor
at the end of a life full of suffering and trial, said,
"I never made a sacrifice"
How so? i pondered for a while,, and this what bible said
- that "abuse suffered for the Christ is greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt (Heb 11:26)
- that they can be happier in giving than receiving (Acts 20:35)
- that they should count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus their Lord (Phillippians 3:8)
- that the aim of all of Jesus' commandments is that their joy might be full (John 15:11)
- that if they delight themselves in the Lord he will give them the desire of their heart (Psalm 37:4)
- that there is great gain in godliness with contentment (1 Timothy 6:6)
- and that they joy of the Lord is their strength (Nehemiah 8:11)
God loves a cheerful giver. Disinterested performance of duty displeases God. He wills that we Delight in doing good and that we do it with the confidence that our obedience secures and increases our joy in God.
Good things are not promised merely as the result of obedience but is an incentive for it.
"Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return: and your reward will be great". (Luke 6:35) We should never be motivated by worldy aggrandizement ("expecting nothing in return") but we are given strength to suffer loss in service of love by the promise of a future reward.
Therefore No to the very heart that ripped out of worship by the notion that it can be performed as a mere duty. (that we should do good works disinterestedly regarding the prize and as a result receive eternal reward)There are two possible attitudes in genuine worship:
Delight in God; or
Repentance for the lack of it.
"Without faith it is impossible to please Him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him" (Heb 11:6)
You cannot please God if you do not come to him as a rewarder. Therefore, worship which pleases God is the hedonistic pursuit of God in whose presence is fullness of joy and in whose hands are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)
Jonathan Edwards believed that God glorifies Himself toward the creatures in two ways.
1. By appearing to their understanding.
2. In communicating Himself to their hearts, and in their rejoicing and delighting in, and enjoying, the manifestations which He makes of Himself...
GOD is glorified not only by His glory's being seen, but by its being rejoiced in. (and not necessarily only but MUST through sufferings)
He that testifies his idea of God's glory [doesnt] glorify God so much as he that hestifies also his approbation of it and his delight in it.
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Articles/ByDate/1995/1538_Christian_Hedonism/
Thank you John Piper for feeding through your conviction in Holy Spirit. Boy, how i want to die in a really uncomfortable place, saying "I never made a sacrifice". More and more, God I want a good death.
And God, this life, this beautiful, undeserving life that you have given me. I am just overwhelmed to live it. Teach me the wisdom how to live this life. I come to you, as a rewarder. May your reward be my motivation to live and welcome sufferings. Ultimately, my reward is you, YOu yourself. Oh God be glorified in me and my life. How or what, i do not know,
I dont even have a burning passion to do your work for I fear even your work might become a stumbling block to receive You.
I just want you.
I want all of you. Every facet of you.
I want to drink your love and breathe your grace even to my dying hour of suffering.
Oh God, please take me to that place.
Amen.
