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Living in the Light
Shows us how valuing Christ as the blazing center of our lives enables us to rightly enjoy money, sex and power.
Whether we’re rich or poor, married or single, in a position of great influence or not—all of us face temptation in the areas of money, sex and power. They are the dangerous opportunities of our time—opportunities to destroy our own souls, or to experience the true joy of using them for God’s glory.
John Piper shows us that when we have the blazing glory of Christ at the center of our spiritual solar system, the planets of money, sex and power find their true and beautiful orbits.
This book is for every Christian and will help you to wake up to the all-satisfying glory of God, and discover what you were made for.
Whether we’re rich or poor, married or single, in a position of great influence or not—all of us face temptation in the areas of money, sex and power. They are the dangerous opportunities of our time—opportunities to destroy our own souls, or to experience the true joy of using them for God’s glory.
John Piper shows us that when we have the blazing glory of Christ at the center of our spiritual solar system, the planets of money, sex and power find their true and beautiful orbits.
This book is for every Christian and will help you to wake up to the all-satisfying glory of God, and discover what you were made for.
154 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2016
118 people are currently reading
702 people want to read
About the author
John Piper
609 books4,621 followersJohn Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as senior pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem.
John is the author of more than 50 books and more than 30 years of his preaching and teaching is available free at desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noel, have four sons, one daughter, and twelve grandchildren.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem.
John is the author of more than 50 books and more than 30 years of his preaching and teaching is available free at desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noel, have four sons, one daughter, and twelve grandchildren.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
May 3, 2016
As they said of C.S. Lewis, everything he believed about everything was present in everything he wrote about anything, and this same worldview consistency is true of Piper. This little 150-page gem applies Christian Hedonism to three of the most potent areas of life — money, sex, and power — each a loaded gun, each freighted with as much potential value as they are loaded with dangers of self-destructive harm. Originally prepared as a three-part series of messages delivered in London, the content was refined and edited tightly and published for international print distribution through The Good Book Co in England. Perhaps what most stands out to me is that the book represents the longest and most sustained meditation to date from Piper on what it means to be a God image-er. He’s on to something really profound, and profoundly simple, but he rarely addresses imago Dei directly (two paragraphs in the foreword to Sam Crabtree's book being the longest).
November 13, 2023
Having never read a book authored by John Piper, I decided to finally take the plunge and read this book which had been on my bookshelf for the last several years. Piper strikes me as an intense, sincere believer who is laser-focused on bringing glory to God.
This book addresses, to a degree, the weighty subjects of money, sex, and power. The truth that Piper posits from the beginning of the book is that each of these are actually gifts of God - good gifts of God. In the first chapter, entitled "Definitions & Foundations," he states "if they sink us, it isn't because God gave us bad gifts; it's because something happened inside us to turn gifts of grace into instruments of sin, into altars and incense in the temple of pride." He then goes on in that chapter to give solid definitions of said topics. He concludes after defining them by stating "therefore power, money and sex are all God-given means of showing what you value."
Continuing in that theme, Piper says "we never merely leave God because we value Him little; we always exchange God for what we value more...we look at the Creator and then exchange Him for something He created."
I love that Piper doesn't mince words when it comes to the subject of sin. Too many authors today shy away from addressing the subject as the Bible addresses it. As he continues to lay the groundwork for the rest of the book, he continues in chapter 1 by addressing sin:
"Sin is the deepest, strongest and most pervasive problem of the human race...all that deep, strong, pervasive reality of sin in us defines us until we are born again."
He then hits the nail on the head continuing on addressing the truth about sin. "So we must lay to rest forever the notion that our sin is mainly what we do. It's not: it is mainly who we are - until we are a new creature in Christ."
He continues to show the effect of sin on us before salvation:
"Before Christ, sin is not an alien power in us. Sin is our preference for anything over God. Sin is our disapproval of God. Sin is our exchange of his glory for substitutes. Sin is our suppression of the truth of God. Sin is our heart's hostility to God. It is who we are to the bottom of our hearts. Until Christ."
Before he wraps up that pivotal chapter 1, he continues to develop on this theme of sin, the Christian, and what we value:
"The mark of the true Christian is not that sin never gets the upper hand - not that our desires are flawlessly Godward. The mark of a Christian is that at the root of our lives is this new treasuring of God over all things, as we have met him in Jesus Christ."
He will then go on in the book the give warnings concerning these three areas:
1) The pleasure-destroying dangers of sex
2) The wealth-destroying dangers of money
3) The self-destroying dangers of power
Throughout this short book, these three things are likened to planets that, when in right orbit, function properly and on course. When out of orbit (like planets) all chaos can break loose. Only when the sun (Jesus Christ) is at the center of our lives and these subject orbiting properly around the center, do they function as the good gifts God intended for them to be.
I recommend that Christians read this book. Full of Scripture and good principles.
This book addresses, to a degree, the weighty subjects of money, sex, and power. The truth that Piper posits from the beginning of the book is that each of these are actually gifts of God - good gifts of God. In the first chapter, entitled "Definitions & Foundations," he states "if they sink us, it isn't because God gave us bad gifts; it's because something happened inside us to turn gifts of grace into instruments of sin, into altars and incense in the temple of pride." He then goes on in that chapter to give solid definitions of said topics. He concludes after defining them by stating "therefore power, money and sex are all God-given means of showing what you value."
Continuing in that theme, Piper says "we never merely leave God because we value Him little; we always exchange God for what we value more...we look at the Creator and then exchange Him for something He created."
I love that Piper doesn't mince words when it comes to the subject of sin. Too many authors today shy away from addressing the subject as the Bible addresses it. As he continues to lay the groundwork for the rest of the book, he continues in chapter 1 by addressing sin:
"Sin is the deepest, strongest and most pervasive problem of the human race...all that deep, strong, pervasive reality of sin in us defines us until we are born again."
He then hits the nail on the head continuing on addressing the truth about sin. "So we must lay to rest forever the notion that our sin is mainly what we do. It's not: it is mainly who we are - until we are a new creature in Christ."
He continues to show the effect of sin on us before salvation:
"Before Christ, sin is not an alien power in us. Sin is our preference for anything over God. Sin is our disapproval of God. Sin is our exchange of his glory for substitutes. Sin is our suppression of the truth of God. Sin is our heart's hostility to God. It is who we are to the bottom of our hearts. Until Christ."
Before he wraps up that pivotal chapter 1, he continues to develop on this theme of sin, the Christian, and what we value:
"The mark of the true Christian is not that sin never gets the upper hand - not that our desires are flawlessly Godward. The mark of a Christian is that at the root of our lives is this new treasuring of God over all things, as we have met him in Jesus Christ."
He will then go on in the book the give warnings concerning these three areas:
1) The pleasure-destroying dangers of sex
2) The wealth-destroying dangers of money
3) The self-destroying dangers of power
Throughout this short book, these three things are likened to planets that, when in right orbit, function properly and on course. When out of orbit (like planets) all chaos can break loose. Only when the sun (Jesus Christ) is at the center of our lives and these subject orbiting properly around the center, do they function as the good gifts God intended for them to be.
I recommend that Christians read this book. Full of Scripture and good principles.
May 3, 2016
John Piper. Living in the Light: Money, Sex, & Power. The Good Book Company, 2016. 144 pp. $10.98
Three statements wonderfully capture the essence of this powerful little book:
Money, sex, and power exist for the great aims of God in human history. They are not detours on the path to God-exalting joy. Along with all the rest of God’s good world, they are the path. With them, we can show the supreme worth of God.
Money, sex, and power which began as God’s good gifts to humanity, have become dangerous because all human beings have exchanged the glory of God for images.
Money, sex, and power will be restored to their God-glorifying place by the redemption that God brought into the world through Jesus Christ - the great liberation of creation from all sin and sickness and sorrow.
John Piper, in typical fashion, aims for the heart and soul of people in his newest book, Living in the Light: Money, Sex & Power. Piper demonstrates how money, sex, and power were ruined by the fall. “When God is restored as the supreme value of the heart, money, sex, and power begin to find their God-glorifying place in life. Everything hangs on what we value as supreme.”
Living in the Light may come as a surprise for many readers. Piper argues in a way that may appear counterintuitive but is, in the final analysis profoundly biblical and practical: “Money, sex, and power are three good gifts of God. We can either use them to reveal a heart of darkness, or reveal a heart of light. And in doing so, we will reveal the truth of God’s supreme beauty and worth, or we will portray him as inadequate for our soul's desire.”
So with this context, the author helps readers understand the deep dangers of money, sex, and power when they are not used to glorify God. He helps readers understand the depth of idolatry that occurs when creatures treasure anything apart from the supreme value of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. For instance, “If you see anything as more beautiful, more attractive, more desirable than God, you are in the dark. You are not seeing reality for what it is … Living in the light is seeing God as supremely glorious, supremely beautiful, supremely desirable, and supremely satisfying.”
Living in the Light: Money, Sex, & Power is a short in length but packed with Christ-saturated wisdom. This book should be required reading for every Christian. It will no doubt shake many people and alert them to many dangers and awaken many people to many delights. For the chief issue here is this: Is the Lord Jesus Christ our supreme treasure? Read and digest this incredible book. You’ll be changed, challenged, and motivated to pursue the Triune God with passion delight!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
Three statements wonderfully capture the essence of this powerful little book:
Money, sex, and power exist for the great aims of God in human history. They are not detours on the path to God-exalting joy. Along with all the rest of God’s good world, they are the path. With them, we can show the supreme worth of God.
Money, sex, and power which began as God’s good gifts to humanity, have become dangerous because all human beings have exchanged the glory of God for images.
Money, sex, and power will be restored to their God-glorifying place by the redemption that God brought into the world through Jesus Christ - the great liberation of creation from all sin and sickness and sorrow.
John Piper, in typical fashion, aims for the heart and soul of people in his newest book, Living in the Light: Money, Sex & Power. Piper demonstrates how money, sex, and power were ruined by the fall. “When God is restored as the supreme value of the heart, money, sex, and power begin to find their God-glorifying place in life. Everything hangs on what we value as supreme.”
Living in the Light may come as a surprise for many readers. Piper argues in a way that may appear counterintuitive but is, in the final analysis profoundly biblical and practical: “Money, sex, and power are three good gifts of God. We can either use them to reveal a heart of darkness, or reveal a heart of light. And in doing so, we will reveal the truth of God’s supreme beauty and worth, or we will portray him as inadequate for our soul's desire.”
So with this context, the author helps readers understand the deep dangers of money, sex, and power when they are not used to glorify God. He helps readers understand the depth of idolatry that occurs when creatures treasure anything apart from the supreme value of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. For instance, “If you see anything as more beautiful, more attractive, more desirable than God, you are in the dark. You are not seeing reality for what it is … Living in the light is seeing God as supremely glorious, supremely beautiful, supremely desirable, and supremely satisfying.”
Living in the Light: Money, Sex, & Power is a short in length but packed with Christ-saturated wisdom. This book should be required reading for every Christian. It will no doubt shake many people and alert them to many dangers and awaken many people to many delights. For the chief issue here is this: Is the Lord Jesus Christ our supreme treasure? Read and digest this incredible book. You’ll be changed, challenged, and motivated to pursue the Triune God with passion delight!
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
March 18, 2019
Esperei mais do livro. Quem segue lendo o Piper, vai encontrar um texto bom e previsível.
May 17, 2016
When God's glory is revealed and treasured most, the power of sinful attraction/desires are broken. The brightness of the sun makes the darkness of sin vanish. So when it comes to our desire, the issue is this: Do we see the glory of God?
Vintage John Piper at the center of Living in the Light is what do we value? What do we treasure? Why money, sex and power? Because in these three areas of living, our hearts are revealed. What we value and what we treasure. Usually Piper can be difficult to read in that you may have to read a paragraph twice or more to get what he is applying. You don't want to miss the beauty because of misunderstanding or not grasping the glory.
This book is easy to read and to grasp. He starts with definitions and foundations of money, sex and power. In other words, another foundational reality we have to deal with is that money, sex and power are, from the beginning, gifts of God- good gifts of God. And if they sink us, it isn't because God gave us bad gifts; it's because something happened inside us to turn gifts of grace into instruments of sin, into altars and incense in the temple of pride. So the first thing we need to do is talk about definitions which lead us to see certain foundational realities that are far deeper-and far bigger than the dangerous icebergs or the floating reassure-islands of money
It gets to the root. We also encounter the dangers of money, sex and power. But the good news is the gospel delivers. It not only delivers but teaches us to enjoy the gifts. In his own words-Definitions and foundations. Dangers and how to defeat them. Potentials and how to deploy them. The 3 D's- Define, Defeat, Deploy.
Some of the quotes that I found inspiring.
In our ungodliness, we do what ungodliness does-it suppresses the truth that God is to be treasured as supremely glorious and generous. Our sinful nature hates the light of God's supremacy and runs to the darkness, where we feel supreme.
Sin is any feeling or thought or action that comes form a heart that does not treasure God over all other things. The bottom of sin, the root of all sins, is such a heart-a heart that prefers anything above God; a heart that does not treasure God over everything else, and everyone else.
Before Christ, sin is not an alien power in us. Sin our preference for anything over God. Sin is our disapproval of God. Sin is our exchange of his glory for substitutes. Sin is our suppression of the truth of God. Sin is our heart's hostility to God. It is who we are to the to bottom of our hearts. Until CHRIST.
We need to know the battle we are in and know how to engage it. It is not a book to be read only once but to be reminded of that battle that is worth the stand. To behold the glory of God and treasure him above all else.
A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own
Vintage John Piper at the center of Living in the Light is what do we value? What do we treasure? Why money, sex and power? Because in these three areas of living, our hearts are revealed. What we value and what we treasure. Usually Piper can be difficult to read in that you may have to read a paragraph twice or more to get what he is applying. You don't want to miss the beauty because of misunderstanding or not grasping the glory.
This book is easy to read and to grasp. He starts with definitions and foundations of money, sex and power. In other words, another foundational reality we have to deal with is that money, sex and power are, from the beginning, gifts of God- good gifts of God. And if they sink us, it isn't because God gave us bad gifts; it's because something happened inside us to turn gifts of grace into instruments of sin, into altars and incense in the temple of pride. So the first thing we need to do is talk about definitions which lead us to see certain foundational realities that are far deeper-and far bigger than the dangerous icebergs or the floating reassure-islands of money
It gets to the root. We also encounter the dangers of money, sex and power. But the good news is the gospel delivers. It not only delivers but teaches us to enjoy the gifts. In his own words-Definitions and foundations. Dangers and how to defeat them. Potentials and how to deploy them. The 3 D's- Define, Defeat, Deploy.
Some of the quotes that I found inspiring.
In our ungodliness, we do what ungodliness does-it suppresses the truth that God is to be treasured as supremely glorious and generous. Our sinful nature hates the light of God's supremacy and runs to the darkness, where we feel supreme.
Sin is any feeling or thought or action that comes form a heart that does not treasure God over all other things. The bottom of sin, the root of all sins, is such a heart-a heart that prefers anything above God; a heart that does not treasure God over everything else, and everyone else.
Before Christ, sin is not an alien power in us. Sin our preference for anything over God. Sin is our disapproval of God. Sin is our exchange of his glory for substitutes. Sin is our suppression of the truth of God. Sin is our heart's hostility to God. It is who we are to the to bottom of our hearts. Until CHRIST.
We need to know the battle we are in and know how to engage it. It is not a book to be read only once but to be reminded of that battle that is worth the stand. To behold the glory of God and treasure him above all else.
A complimentary review copy was provided to me by Cross Focused Reviews (A Service of Cross Focused Media, LLC). I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own
June 26, 2018
This book is probably more of a 3.5 star book to me, and I will say from the outset that this clearly is one of Piper's more thrown together books. Comparing this with his classic and more put together works—from Desiring God, to Let the Nations Be Glad, to his devotionals, to even the new series with A Peculiar Glory and such—this book just seems to be some messages he gave, made a little longer, and put into a less glorious book form by a smaller publisher. Does this mean I didn't enjoy it? No, not at all. It just was in a different level than his other works.
So how can it be four stars? Because Piper has some great overall insights about money, sex, and power relate to God's supremacy in our hearts. And he organizes the book really well. First, he talks about how they need to be defined, then how we need to be delivered from them being used wrongly, and then deployed into how they can be used for God's glory. This framework, coupled with how he connected it all with our exchanging of God's glory, is very helpful. And I'll use if for sure in the future.
More could be said about this, but I just encourage you to read the book. It's 150 pages, but very small pages. I read it in one sitting. To me, it wasn't anything too revolutionary. And it did lack some clarity at times. But overall, worth reading. But once again, it clearly wasn't as polished or substantial as Piper's other books.
So how can it be four stars? Because Piper has some great overall insights about money, sex, and power relate to God's supremacy in our hearts. And he organizes the book really well. First, he talks about how they need to be defined, then how we need to be delivered from them being used wrongly, and then deployed into how they can be used for God's glory. This framework, coupled with how he connected it all with our exchanging of God's glory, is very helpful. And I'll use if for sure in the future.
More could be said about this, but I just encourage you to read the book. It's 150 pages, but very small pages. I read it in one sitting. To me, it wasn't anything too revolutionary. And it did lack some clarity at times. But overall, worth reading. But once again, it clearly wasn't as polished or substantial as Piper's other books.
April 19, 2017
I seem to appreciate Piper's writing more with age. I don't know what that indicates, about either myself or Piper. But this short book is excellent. Piper shows off all his strengths: handling biblical passages well, passionately arguing for the truth, and easy communication as well as robust application that makes the reader feel like they are chatting to John over a coffee.
Though I'm sure it's been well documented in other reviews, Piper's thesis is an invaluable contribution to the Christian life and temptations. He shows that while money, sex, and power often represent struggles to faithful and God-honouring lives, they are also glorious gifts to which we must apply our faith and use to honour God in our lives.
Though I'm sure it's been well documented in other reviews, Piper's thesis is an invaluable contribution to the Christian life and temptations. He shows that while money, sex, and power often represent struggles to faithful and God-honouring lives, they are also glorious gifts to which we must apply our faith and use to honour God in our lives.
January 29, 2021
"Money, sex and power. Three precious gifts from God. Three dangers ready to destroy our pleasure, our wealth, our souls. Three beautiful possibilities for worship and love. The difference? Living in the light- the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of jesus Christ- satisfying the soul, setting us free, celebrating God, sending us to serve."
"We can have a heart that treasures this world above God, or a heart that treasures God above this world."
It's a book that reminds us that everything God made is for his Glory.
This good gifts from God to humanity have become dangerous because we have exchanged the glory of God for images.
Money, sex and power exist ultimately to show that God is more to be desired than money, sex and power.
Keep Christ as the blazing center and you will be satisfied; the world will be served; and God will be glorified.
"We can have a heart that treasures this world above God, or a heart that treasures God above this world."
It's a book that reminds us that everything God made is for his Glory.
This good gifts from God to humanity have become dangerous because we have exchanged the glory of God for images.
Money, sex and power exist ultimately to show that God is more to be desired than money, sex and power.
Keep Christ as the blazing center and you will be satisfied; the world will be served; and God will be glorified.
October 6, 2020
Piper's book is delightful but convicting, and therefore hard to read. Still, his treatment of these ubiquitous temptations in light of Christian hedonism is brilliant. May God bless me and all of its readers to prize Christ supremely above money, sex, and power.
December 4, 2022
A great small book of 154 pages. Very biblical in its approach to money. sex and power. Most helpful.
October 10, 2016
This is one of those books I happened to be referred to by my small sister. I like that she is warming up to reading books lately and I have got to say that indeed this was quite a read.
It is amazing how alluring these three things discussed in this book are so notoriously ingrained in our day to day life and affect our value system. I like that John Piper started by defining all the three and ascribing that the thing that cuts across all of them is what value we attach.
They are definitely not easy topics to handle in the 21st century, but neither was is an easy one back in the Babylonian kingdom. The vertical relationship to God through Christ gets messed up and we end up ruining our horizontal relationships.
The concept of knowing where we place our value in terms of how we handle power, money and sex cannot be hidden. It is clear for all to see. It is possible to be poor and content…while not letting all these other things that people hold in high regard affect you. Paul had known early enough that contentment is an open secret.
The day you realize that all you do is to the glory of God through you, and that you cannot do it in your own strength, then that is contentment.
I like how Piper puts it…. “…… I would say that metaphors in general are lesser realities than what they are metaphors of. So a wedding ring is precious.” In terms of what it represents…. He goes on to say…. “But a wedding ring is not as precious as the marriage and the pleasures of the marriage that it signifies. And sexual pleasure in marriage is precious, but not as precious”
Power, Sex and Money are all interconnected in one way or another. One points to another, and we have to be overly careful to tame and return the sun to the center.
A powerful read!
It is amazing how alluring these three things discussed in this book are so notoriously ingrained in our day to day life and affect our value system. I like that John Piper started by defining all the three and ascribing that the thing that cuts across all of them is what value we attach.
They are definitely not easy topics to handle in the 21st century, but neither was is an easy one back in the Babylonian kingdom. The vertical relationship to God through Christ gets messed up and we end up ruining our horizontal relationships.
The concept of knowing where we place our value in terms of how we handle power, money and sex cannot be hidden. It is clear for all to see. It is possible to be poor and content…while not letting all these other things that people hold in high regard affect you. Paul had known early enough that contentment is an open secret.
The day you realize that all you do is to the glory of God through you, and that you cannot do it in your own strength, then that is contentment.
I like how Piper puts it…. “…… I would say that metaphors in general are lesser realities than what they are metaphors of. So a wedding ring is precious.” In terms of what it represents…. He goes on to say…. “But a wedding ring is not as precious as the marriage and the pleasures of the marriage that it signifies. And sexual pleasure in marriage is precious, but not as precious”
Power, Sex and Money are all interconnected in one way or another. One points to another, and we have to be overly careful to tame and return the sun to the center.
A powerful read!
January 6, 2017
Piper does an excellent job separating the dangers presented by tree of the most potent false idols found in our world today. he gives great explanation to the original intent of money, sex, power and the many gifts they hold when used in their intended way, bringing glory to God. I loved the way he presented the glory of God and the support and language he used in stressing the importance of said glory in our lives. great book, challenges one to be introspective, and is rather short as well. i would definitely recommend giving this a quick read.
May 24, 2016
Overall a great read. Chapter 2 was hands down my favorite chapter as he spoke how we the improper exchange gets corrected as we properly behold gods glory. I really enjoyed that section and found it informative and helpful. The writing bogged down a little at times, which seems to happen sometimes with Piper, but I still love reading him for his insight and passion for Christ.
May 16, 2019
One of the most GOD-GLORIFYING books GOD blessed us with. Studies of Romans and Revelation in light of these dangerous things yet blessings nonetheless. Go ahead, read and get transformed by the renewing of your mind. - Romans 12:2
GOD BE GLORIFIED!!
GOD BE GLORIFIED!!
May 23, 2016
worth re-reading
September 20, 2018
Keep Christ as the blazing center, and you will be satisfied; the world will be served; and God will be glorified
May 14, 2016
This book was birthed from conference messages that the author delivered in 2015. Piper states that the main thesis of this book is that money, sex, and power, which began as God’s good gifts to humanity, have become dangerous because all human beings have exchanged the glory of God for images. In addition, money, sex, and power will be restored to their God-glorifying place by the redemption that God brought into the world through Jesus Christ. He approaches his subject with a strategy to define, defeat and deploy. He gives us definitions and foundations, dangers and how to defeat them, potentials and how to deploy them.
In defining money, he tells us that money is the symbolic representation of quantities of value. It becomes a moral issue because of the rightness or wrongness of what we pursue with this gift God has given us. We can pursue good, and we can pursue evil. We can use it to show that we value money more than Christ; or we can use it to show that we value Christ more than money. He tells us that there is no link between having much money and knowing much happiness in this life—or the next.
In defining “sex” he means experiencing erotic stimulation; seeking to get the experience, or seeking to give the experience. He tells us that sex is a good gift from God in all those ways. He writes that our sexual sinning is rooted in the fact that we don’t treasure the glory of God as supremely desirable over all things. Jesus, Peter, Paul, John and the writer to the Hebrews all sound the note of danger that lies ahead for those who do not repent of sexual sin. He tells us that when it comes to our sex lives, the issue is this: Do we see the glory of God? Do we treasure the glory? Are we deeply content?
In defining power, he writes that it is the capacity to get what we want. How we use our power shows where our heart is, what we love, what we treasure most—what we worship. The greatest danger of power is craving it in order to exalt ourselves. He writes that the reason we abuse power is because we do not delight in the glory of God’s right to all power.
Piper tells us that money, sex, and power are three good gifts of God. He also shows that we can use them to reveal a heart of darkness, or reveal a heart of light. He writes that “Living in the light is seeing God as supremely glorious, supremely beautiful, supremely desirable, and supremely satisfying.”
He describes the doctrine of justification, stating that by Christ’s death he took the punishment we deserved, and His perfect life was credited to our account. All the legal barriers between us and God were removed and we now have peace with Him. Hallelujah!
He concludes the book by looking at some examples of what happens to money, sex, and power when we live as those whose sins are forgiven and who live in the light; when we are born again, and the glory of God in Christ has been restored as the greatest treasure and sweetest pleasure of our lives.
There is much of value in this short read from one of our most respected theologians. Highly recommended.
You can watch the original conference messages that were the foundation of the book here.
20 Great Quotes from Living in the Light: Money, Sex and Power by John PiperJohn Piper
1.Everything hangs on what we value as supreme. What is our highest treasure? What is our greatest satisfaction?
2.Money is one cultural symbol that we use to show what we value. It is a means by which we show where our treasure is; who our treasure is. The use of money is an act of worship—either of Christ, or of something else.
3.The way you think and feel and act about money, sex, and power puts your heart’s treasure on display—either God, or something he made.
4.Power, money and sex are all God-given means of showing what you value.
5.Sin is the deepest, strongest and most pervasive problem of the human race.
6.These are the two great heart-conditions in human life: the heart that values God over all, or values something else more.
7.We must lay to rest forever the notion that our sin is mainly what we do. It’s not: it is mainly who we are—until we are a new creature in Christ.
8.Living in darkness means seeing God as minimally desirable, and seeing his creation as maximally desirable.
9.Same-sex relationships stand as a vivid, enacted parable of the disordered sexuality that stems from a disordered relationship with God—specifically, a relationship in which the glories of creation are preferred to the glory of God.
10.Fight sexual sin (and every other sin) with the same seriousness as tearing out an eye and cutting off a hand. Your life depends on it. Eternally.
11.Handling money is like handling a live wire that can electrocute you.
12.Money is a great deceiver (Mark 4 v 19). It can deceive us into thinking and feeling that what we can buy is more satisfying than God.
13.Jesus is telling the disciples that power is given for serving others. The greatest power is in humility and service. Power comes from God by renouncing power in ourselves, and praise comes from God as we renounce the pursuit of praise from others.
14.It is absolute folly to claim a power for ourselves that belongs only to God. It is, strictly speaking, treason. And that is a capital offense.
15.As fallen sinners, we do not see God as glorious, and we do not treasure God above all things. This is why money, sex, and power are so dangerous. They look more attractive than God, because we are spiritually blind to the all-satisfying beauty of God.
16.Treasuring God above all things turns money into the currency of worship and love.
17.Sex is made for the glory of Christ—for the Christ-exalting glory of covenant-keeping faithfulness in marriage, and for the glory of Christ-exalting chastity in singleness.
18.When God grants us power—and he does in many ways—his aim is that he will be glorified by the way that power is used.
19.Money exists so that it will be plain by the way we use it that God is more to be desired than money, while sex exists so that it will be plain that God is more to be desired than sex. Power exists so that it will be plain that admiring and depending on his power is more to be desired than exalting our own.
20.As fallen sinners, money, sex and power are so dangerous because we don’t see God as glorious, and we do not treasure God above all things.
In defining money, he tells us that money is the symbolic representation of quantities of value. It becomes a moral issue because of the rightness or wrongness of what we pursue with this gift God has given us. We can pursue good, and we can pursue evil. We can use it to show that we value money more than Christ; or we can use it to show that we value Christ more than money. He tells us that there is no link between having much money and knowing much happiness in this life—or the next.
In defining “sex” he means experiencing erotic stimulation; seeking to get the experience, or seeking to give the experience. He tells us that sex is a good gift from God in all those ways. He writes that our sexual sinning is rooted in the fact that we don’t treasure the glory of God as supremely desirable over all things. Jesus, Peter, Paul, John and the writer to the Hebrews all sound the note of danger that lies ahead for those who do not repent of sexual sin. He tells us that when it comes to our sex lives, the issue is this: Do we see the glory of God? Do we treasure the glory? Are we deeply content?
In defining power, he writes that it is the capacity to get what we want. How we use our power shows where our heart is, what we love, what we treasure most—what we worship. The greatest danger of power is craving it in order to exalt ourselves. He writes that the reason we abuse power is because we do not delight in the glory of God’s right to all power.
Piper tells us that money, sex, and power are three good gifts of God. He also shows that we can use them to reveal a heart of darkness, or reveal a heart of light. He writes that “Living in the light is seeing God as supremely glorious, supremely beautiful, supremely desirable, and supremely satisfying.”
He describes the doctrine of justification, stating that by Christ’s death he took the punishment we deserved, and His perfect life was credited to our account. All the legal barriers between us and God were removed and we now have peace with Him. Hallelujah!
He concludes the book by looking at some examples of what happens to money, sex, and power when we live as those whose sins are forgiven and who live in the light; when we are born again, and the glory of God in Christ has been restored as the greatest treasure and sweetest pleasure of our lives.
There is much of value in this short read from one of our most respected theologians. Highly recommended.
You can watch the original conference messages that were the foundation of the book here.
20 Great Quotes from Living in the Light: Money, Sex and Power by John PiperJohn Piper
1.Everything hangs on what we value as supreme. What is our highest treasure? What is our greatest satisfaction?
2.Money is one cultural symbol that we use to show what we value. It is a means by which we show where our treasure is; who our treasure is. The use of money is an act of worship—either of Christ, or of something else.
3.The way you think and feel and act about money, sex, and power puts your heart’s treasure on display—either God, or something he made.
4.Power, money and sex are all God-given means of showing what you value.
5.Sin is the deepest, strongest and most pervasive problem of the human race.
6.These are the two great heart-conditions in human life: the heart that values God over all, or values something else more.
7.We must lay to rest forever the notion that our sin is mainly what we do. It’s not: it is mainly who we are—until we are a new creature in Christ.
8.Living in darkness means seeing God as minimally desirable, and seeing his creation as maximally desirable.
9.Same-sex relationships stand as a vivid, enacted parable of the disordered sexuality that stems from a disordered relationship with God—specifically, a relationship in which the glories of creation are preferred to the glory of God.
10.Fight sexual sin (and every other sin) with the same seriousness as tearing out an eye and cutting off a hand. Your life depends on it. Eternally.
11.Handling money is like handling a live wire that can electrocute you.
12.Money is a great deceiver (Mark 4 v 19). It can deceive us into thinking and feeling that what we can buy is more satisfying than God.
13.Jesus is telling the disciples that power is given for serving others. The greatest power is in humility and service. Power comes from God by renouncing power in ourselves, and praise comes from God as we renounce the pursuit of praise from others.
14.It is absolute folly to claim a power for ourselves that belongs only to God. It is, strictly speaking, treason. And that is a capital offense.
15.As fallen sinners, we do not see God as glorious, and we do not treasure God above all things. This is why money, sex, and power are so dangerous. They look more attractive than God, because we are spiritually blind to the all-satisfying beauty of God.
16.Treasuring God above all things turns money into the currency of worship and love.
17.Sex is made for the glory of Christ—for the Christ-exalting glory of covenant-keeping faithfulness in marriage, and for the glory of Christ-exalting chastity in singleness.
18.When God grants us power—and he does in many ways—his aim is that he will be glorified by the way that power is used.
19.Money exists so that it will be plain by the way we use it that God is more to be desired than money, while sex exists so that it will be plain that God is more to be desired than sex. Power exists so that it will be plain that admiring and depending on his power is more to be desired than exalting our own.
20.As fallen sinners, money, sex and power are so dangerous because we don’t see God as glorious, and we do not treasure God above all things.
April 1, 2020
A John Piper sermon that was expanded into a book. The book is typical Piper. The answer to the dangers of money, sex, and power are found in Romans 1 - the exchange of God for created things. We restore these things from darkness to place in which they were created to occupy by seeing that they are all less than God and that they ought to bring us to thankfulness in the person of God. Our only source of true satisfaction, delight, and light is in God Himself. As we see the ways in which Jesus kept money, sex, and power in their right place in His life, it will cause us to worship God all the more. He lived in the light and we are being conformed into His image.
I believe that he is right in his view and I gained from the reading, but it probably could have been said in the original sermon length just as well as in this longer form. 3 stars.
I believe that he is right in his view and I gained from the reading, but it probably could have been said in the original sermon length just as well as in this longer form. 3 stars.
January 3, 2026
Theological, pastoral, but most of all expositional.
There are two disastrous ways of approaching these three areas of our life: abuse them into making them work for our glory or completely reject them as sinful. But God has designed them to make us perfectly satisfied in Him as we dive into the depths of His glory by using money, sex and power like He intended.
There are two disastrous ways of approaching these three areas of our life: abuse them into making them work for our glory or completely reject them as sinful. But God has designed them to make us perfectly satisfied in Him as we dive into the depths of His glory by using money, sex and power like He intended.
September 11, 2019
A gospel-based overview of three areas of life: money, sex, and power. It was a short but punchy book that briefly puts these three things under the microscope of the gospel. It was a helpful read. The book was a good reminder to keep Christ in the center of our lives - then everything else will fall into place.
November 18, 2024
“Keep Christ as the blazing center, and you will be satisfied; the world will be served; and God will be glorified.”
October 25, 2025
Very good, very Piper! It’s an easy listen (free on Spotify) and provides a helpful perspective on these three powerful concepts. Likely nothing new if you listen to Piper very much, but the categorization and clarity of the book of nonetheless helpful.
Read
May 18, 2016Living in the Light by John Piper is a new book published last week by John Piper in which he takes three good gifts that God has given us and demonstrates how we use them for for evil rather than Good. Specifically Piper looks at money, sex, and power and demonstrates that all three of these are good gifts from a good God, but because of our sinfulness we have taken them and exchanged their glory for the glory of God.The book is much more than an exposé on our disordered life, it provides the solution for reordering these lawful pleasures so that they are used to the glory of God- the author of all good pleasures. Those who are looking for a multi-step program to overcome their struggles in these three areas will be disappointed. On the other hand, those who have come to see that the gospel alone can change our hearts will see this book as a glorious treasure guiding us through scripture to rediscover the glory of a glorious God. Don’t mistake the gospel focus for a lighthearted attitude for sin however. Piper makes liberal use of the dire warnings in scripture directed toward those who live a life which elevates the glories of money, sex and power above the glory of God.
In typical Piper fashion, Living in the Light is full of clarifying illustrations which help the reader to understand the power of the gospel. In one such illustration, Piper likens our disordered pursuit of the glory of sex to a projection alarm clock. in which the time is clearly projected on the ceiling in the dark, but when the sun rises and the room is full of light the projection fades leaving just the ceiling to be visible.
"So it is with illicit sex. Its vividness and power to lure us into sin increases where the glory of God shines least brightly.When God’s glory is revealed and treasured most, the power of sinful sexual attraction is broken."
Piper then calls the reader to a life of living in the light of God’s glory. That is to say, constantly keeping the glory of God at the forefront of our mind. This of course begs the question, what is the glory of God? Piper answers this by pointing us to 1 Peter 1.3, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” We keep the glory of God before us by immersing ourselves in the knowledge of God and believing in and embracing His promises. In other words, by hearing and believing the gospel. This is no passive act however, it takes effort and desire. However, Christ will grant both the desire and effort to those who are thirsty for it.
Living in the Light includes a chapter dedicated to each of these three disordered pleasures (money, sex, and power) and he shows how god is the author of each and that they were given to us for our pleasure and to point us to the greater pleasure found in God when used properly. These are followed by two more chapters, on deliverance and deployment. It is here where Piper really shines and directs the reader to participate in a life-long journey of discovering the glory of God and keeping His glory as the locus of all good pleasures.
I was really impressed with Living in the Light. This is a book that we all should read. There isn’t a single person among us who truly lives with the glory of God constantly before us. To one extent or another, we all put the glory of created things before the glory of the creator. This is a book that will aid us all in reordering our affections so that they are set upon the cross of Christ and the fullness of life he offers.
click here to search amazon for the lowest price on Living in the Light
This review first appeared on my blog at www.teleiaphilia.com
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The Good Book publishing company in exchange for an online review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
In typical Piper fashion, Living in the Light is full of clarifying illustrations which help the reader to understand the power of the gospel. In one such illustration, Piper likens our disordered pursuit of the glory of sex to a projection alarm clock. in which the time is clearly projected on the ceiling in the dark, but when the sun rises and the room is full of light the projection fades leaving just the ceiling to be visible.
"So it is with illicit sex. Its vividness and power to lure us into sin increases where the glory of God shines least brightly.When God’s glory is revealed and treasured most, the power of sinful sexual attraction is broken."
Piper then calls the reader to a life of living in the light of God’s glory. That is to say, constantly keeping the glory of God at the forefront of our mind. This of course begs the question, what is the glory of God? Piper answers this by pointing us to 1 Peter 1.3, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” We keep the glory of God before us by immersing ourselves in the knowledge of God and believing in and embracing His promises. In other words, by hearing and believing the gospel. This is no passive act however, it takes effort and desire. However, Christ will grant both the desire and effort to those who are thirsty for it.
Living in the Light includes a chapter dedicated to each of these three disordered pleasures (money, sex, and power) and he shows how god is the author of each and that they were given to us for our pleasure and to point us to the greater pleasure found in God when used properly. These are followed by two more chapters, on deliverance and deployment. It is here where Piper really shines and directs the reader to participate in a life-long journey of discovering the glory of God and keeping His glory as the locus of all good pleasures.
I was really impressed with Living in the Light. This is a book that we all should read. There isn’t a single person among us who truly lives with the glory of God constantly before us. To one extent or another, we all put the glory of created things before the glory of the creator. This is a book that will aid us all in reordering our affections so that they are set upon the cross of Christ and the fullness of life he offers.
click here to search amazon for the lowest price on Living in the Light
This review first appeared on my blog at www.teleiaphilia.com
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The Good Book publishing company in exchange for an online review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
May 4, 2016
In this short booklet John Piper shows some of the dangers of money, sex, and power and talks about how these three things find their proper place in the Christian life. Basically, he argues that we often use money, sex, and power in ways that do not glorify God, but if we do glorify God rightly, then we begin to view and use these things in proper ways. In the first chapter of the book he defines/explains these three terms. In the middle of the book he goes into more detail on them. He concludes the book with a summary chapter tying all three (power, money, sex) together. (As a side, it seemed to me like the topic of sex was discussed more than the other two topics.)
In the chapter on sex we learn that "disordered sexuality" stems from "a disordered relationship with God" (p. 39). However, a proper sexuality stems from a right relationship with God, when he is at the center and sex is not. In the chapter on money, Piper laments how Christians pursue wealth even though it is a danger and will fail us "even before the end" (p. 67). If, however, we are satisfied most in God, then money will find its proper place in the Christian life. The chapter on power was the weakest chapter in my opinion; I didn't quite catch all the details of his logic. The basic message was that we are by nature power addicts and the only way to fix this solution is to be satisfied in God's power.
The book was helpful in that it kept talking about how the Christian needs to have God at the center and must treasure Christ above all so that power, money, and sex have their proper place in life. The general theme of the book was a good one, and I appreciated it.
However, this also was a weakness of the book: the theme of treasuring Christ became the overarching lens to interpret these three topics in Scripture. While on the one hand it is true we must treasure Christ above all; on the other hand there are many more dimensions in Scripture about these things. Having a single lens while approaching power, sex, and money detracted the helpfulness of the book for me in various ways:
--First, I learned early on that Piper's answer to the idols of power, money, and sex would be to treasure Christ above them. Right away I thought, "Ok, but what else does the Bible say about them?" He did note other Bible themes, but they all were subsets of the "treasure" theme.
--Second, this overarching theme led me to question some of Piper's explanations. He came to certain texts with the "treasure Christ above all" grid, which I believe led to some questionable interpretations of Scripture. For example, he said the first commandment means "embrace me as your supreme treasure and be content in me" (p. 60). I'm not sure that's the best way to explain the first commandment. Piper also noted that the essence of sin is not treasuring God/Christ above all (p. 25). Isn't it more biblical to say that the essence of sin is disobeying God's law?
--The third way I thought this book was unhelpful was how the theme of treasuring Christ above power, money, and sex was at times ambiguous and subjective for me. For example, he said that "the mark of the Christian is that at the root of our lives is this new treasuring of God over all things..." (p. 29). This seems a little subjective and ambiguous. Isn't it better to say that the marks of a true Christian include faith, repentance, love, etc.? I also missed a discussion of obedience to God's law in this book, which would have been a clear and objective way to talk about money, sex, and power.
I realize I may be in the minority here; my brothers and sisters in Christ who read this book might not agree with my critiques. In my opinion, it is a three-star book - not horrible, but not excellent. I admit that I haven't read much of Piper's work, so I'm willing to listen if anyone has comments/clarifications. No doubt some people will enjoy this book. If you're looking for a short book that applies the "treasure Christ above all things" to money, sex, and power, you'll appreciate this one! If you want a book that discusses these themes in a broader or biblical-theological way, you may want to pass.
In the chapter on sex we learn that "disordered sexuality" stems from "a disordered relationship with God" (p. 39). However, a proper sexuality stems from a right relationship with God, when he is at the center and sex is not. In the chapter on money, Piper laments how Christians pursue wealth even though it is a danger and will fail us "even before the end" (p. 67). If, however, we are satisfied most in God, then money will find its proper place in the Christian life. The chapter on power was the weakest chapter in my opinion; I didn't quite catch all the details of his logic. The basic message was that we are by nature power addicts and the only way to fix this solution is to be satisfied in God's power.
The book was helpful in that it kept talking about how the Christian needs to have God at the center and must treasure Christ above all so that power, money, and sex have their proper place in life. The general theme of the book was a good one, and I appreciated it.
However, this also was a weakness of the book: the theme of treasuring Christ became the overarching lens to interpret these three topics in Scripture. While on the one hand it is true we must treasure Christ above all; on the other hand there are many more dimensions in Scripture about these things. Having a single lens while approaching power, sex, and money detracted the helpfulness of the book for me in various ways:
--First, I learned early on that Piper's answer to the idols of power, money, and sex would be to treasure Christ above them. Right away I thought, "Ok, but what else does the Bible say about them?" He did note other Bible themes, but they all were subsets of the "treasure" theme.
--Second, this overarching theme led me to question some of Piper's explanations. He came to certain texts with the "treasure Christ above all" grid, which I believe led to some questionable interpretations of Scripture. For example, he said the first commandment means "embrace me as your supreme treasure and be content in me" (p. 60). I'm not sure that's the best way to explain the first commandment. Piper also noted that the essence of sin is not treasuring God/Christ above all (p. 25). Isn't it more biblical to say that the essence of sin is disobeying God's law?
--The third way I thought this book was unhelpful was how the theme of treasuring Christ above power, money, and sex was at times ambiguous and subjective for me. For example, he said that "the mark of the Christian is that at the root of our lives is this new treasuring of God over all things..." (p. 29). This seems a little subjective and ambiguous. Isn't it better to say that the marks of a true Christian include faith, repentance, love, etc.? I also missed a discussion of obedience to God's law in this book, which would have been a clear and objective way to talk about money, sex, and power.
I realize I may be in the minority here; my brothers and sisters in Christ who read this book might not agree with my critiques. In my opinion, it is a three-star book - not horrible, but not excellent. I admit that I haven't read much of Piper's work, so I'm willing to listen if anyone has comments/clarifications. No doubt some people will enjoy this book. If you're looking for a short book that applies the "treasure Christ above all things" to money, sex, and power, you'll appreciate this one! If you want a book that discusses these themes in a broader or biblical-theological way, you may want to pass.
May 10, 2016
Money, sex & power. These three terms more often than not conjure up images of power hungry mafia men or celebrities gone wild. But are money, sex, and power always things and actions that should be viewed as entirely carnal? Perhaps it is our approach to these issues of life that has gone awry. John Piper in his helpful new book titled Living in the Light: Money, Sex & Power, explores the proper biblical approach of how the believer should understand these terms in light of how God intends them to be experienced.
Piper aptly starts off the book in the introduction with a vitally important declaration: “God did not conceive and create money, sex, and power simply to be a temptation. He had good purposes in mind.” But wait you might say. Isn’t for instance money the root of all evil? Doesn’t absolute power corrupt absolutely? Isn’t sex and the desire for sex being dirty minded? These are all valid questions and in part representative of the misunderstanding we have of money, sex, and power mainly due to one underlying reality Piper clearly points out, again in the introduction – “human beings have exchanged the glory of God for images.” It is these images that so often consume us to the point where we misappropriate the use of money, sex, and power for personal gain and selfish desires rather than for the glory of God.
Reorienting ourselves to a correct use and approach to these three realities of life is the overall purpose of why Piper writes this book. Since we have such a problem in our world today with properly dealing with money, keeping sex in its proper context, and the abuse of power, a book such as this which points people to the correct path in their life and in how they deal with money, sex, and power to the glory of God, in building up the body of Christ, and in loving our neighbor is a welcome sight and a welcome read. Even within the realm of Christianity, there are far too many works that glorify the pursuit of money as if the obtaining of it is evidence of God’s favor (i.e. the prosperity gospel), sexual issues plague the church, and power…well we all abuse it at one time or another for personal gain.
The aspect of this book I most appreciated is the focus by Piper on restoration, namely realigning ourselves to how God desires us to understand money, sex, and power. His original intent was for sex to be a beautiful experience between a husband and a wife. Sin marred it. God commanded man to fill the earth and subdue it or better yet to have dominion over the earth. This involves leadership. Sin marred that as well. Money in and of itself is just the means by which we obtain what we need and what we desire in life. Sin marred it to be the pursuit of money and things while many in the world suffer starvation and neglect. There is a better way and Piper concludes this book with some helpful discussion of what God says in His word should be our focus when it comes to money, sex, and power. As Piper is known to do, he focuses on God centered joy. If we seek after God, our dealings when it comes to the subject of this book will be proper focused and aligned.
This is an excellent read and an important book in an day and age when the world around is on the no clue canoe when it comes to a correct system of belief in regards to money, sex, and power. As believers, we can take to heart the encouraging and insightful discussion by John Piper in this book as we assess our lives to ensure we are living to the glory of God with our finances, our leadership roles at home, work, church, or elsewhere, and how we control lustful behavior. I highly recommend this latest effort by John Piper and I encourage you to give it a read and take to heart the godly principles contained in its pages.
I received this book for free from The Good Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Piper aptly starts off the book in the introduction with a vitally important declaration: “God did not conceive and create money, sex, and power simply to be a temptation. He had good purposes in mind.” But wait you might say. Isn’t for instance money the root of all evil? Doesn’t absolute power corrupt absolutely? Isn’t sex and the desire for sex being dirty minded? These are all valid questions and in part representative of the misunderstanding we have of money, sex, and power mainly due to one underlying reality Piper clearly points out, again in the introduction – “human beings have exchanged the glory of God for images.” It is these images that so often consume us to the point where we misappropriate the use of money, sex, and power for personal gain and selfish desires rather than for the glory of God.
Reorienting ourselves to a correct use and approach to these three realities of life is the overall purpose of why Piper writes this book. Since we have such a problem in our world today with properly dealing with money, keeping sex in its proper context, and the abuse of power, a book such as this which points people to the correct path in their life and in how they deal with money, sex, and power to the glory of God, in building up the body of Christ, and in loving our neighbor is a welcome sight and a welcome read. Even within the realm of Christianity, there are far too many works that glorify the pursuit of money as if the obtaining of it is evidence of God’s favor (i.e. the prosperity gospel), sexual issues plague the church, and power…well we all abuse it at one time or another for personal gain.
The aspect of this book I most appreciated is the focus by Piper on restoration, namely realigning ourselves to how God desires us to understand money, sex, and power. His original intent was for sex to be a beautiful experience between a husband and a wife. Sin marred it. God commanded man to fill the earth and subdue it or better yet to have dominion over the earth. This involves leadership. Sin marred that as well. Money in and of itself is just the means by which we obtain what we need and what we desire in life. Sin marred it to be the pursuit of money and things while many in the world suffer starvation and neglect. There is a better way and Piper concludes this book with some helpful discussion of what God says in His word should be our focus when it comes to money, sex, and power. As Piper is known to do, he focuses on God centered joy. If we seek after God, our dealings when it comes to the subject of this book will be proper focused and aligned.
This is an excellent read and an important book in an day and age when the world around is on the no clue canoe when it comes to a correct system of belief in regards to money, sex, and power. As believers, we can take to heart the encouraging and insightful discussion by John Piper in this book as we assess our lives to ensure we are living to the glory of God with our finances, our leadership roles at home, work, church, or elsewhere, and how we control lustful behavior. I highly recommend this latest effort by John Piper and I encourage you to give it a read and take to heart the godly principles contained in its pages.
I received this book for free from The Good Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
April 6, 2020
Mientras leía, recordé que he sufrido tanto de estos males (distorsiones de los regalos de Dios): dinero y sexo desde los 6 años, y poder, periodo corto a mis 29 años.
Secundo la oración del autor cuando dice que su oración es: "que todos sean protegidos de los peligros del dinero, el sexo y el poder, y que utilicemos estos regalos para la gloria de Dios y para el bien, especialmente el bien eterno, de la iglesia".
Como una persona que ha sufrido y sigue luchando contra estos males, es mi oración y ruego que encuentres tu total satisfacción en Dios (el sol), para que así el sexo, el dinero y el poder (los planetas) encuentren su órbita correcta en tus placeres.
Secundo la oración del autor cuando dice que su oración es: "que todos sean protegidos de los peligros del dinero, el sexo y el poder, y que utilicemos estos regalos para la gloria de Dios y para el bien, especialmente el bien eterno, de la iglesia".
Como una persona que ha sufrido y sigue luchando contra estos males, es mi oración y ruego que encuentres tu total satisfacción en Dios (el sol), para que así el sexo, el dinero y el poder (los planetas) encuentren su órbita correcta en tus placeres.
August 5, 2017
Money, sex and power. Piper shows how these three are good gifts of God that he intends us to use to show his supreme worth. However like all suppressors of the truth, we have taken created things and made them into absolutes. We have exchanged the glory of God for images.
Definitely some challenging material, particularly on sex and money. The section on taking Jesus seriously about the dangers of money was particularly good.
Definitely some challenging material, particularly on sex and money. The section on taking Jesus seriously about the dangers of money was particularly good.
January 10, 2018
Siempre es bueno y curioso ver ambas cosas en un mismo autor, ser profundo y accesible para cualquier lector, así es John Piper, en este libro, él no solo habla del Sexo, el Dinero y el Poder, el aborda la razón, la raíz, el ¿Por que? y no solo eso, por su experiencia nos da una solución que deja a kilómetros la consejería moral que se podría dar con respecto a estos temas.
July 31, 2023
An excellent book about the dangers we face as human, the dangers humankind in general has faced for centuries and how we can use these things to glorify God and not ourselves. Highly recommend to anyone teens and up.
September 7, 2017
Felt very technical
The content here is good. It's a good resource. But it's not real readable - it comes across more like a theology textbook than anything else. I haven't read a lot of Piper, so maybe that's par for the course.
The content here is good. It's a good resource. But it's not real readable - it comes across more like a theology textbook than anything else. I haven't read a lot of Piper, so maybe that's par for the course.
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