Joe Rigney - The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts

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We are probably familiar with the proverb about the overly pious fellow, the one who is so heavenly minded he is no earthly good. And we have seen the opposite so many times that we dont even need a proverb for itthe carnal thinker who is so earthly minded he is no heavenly good. And no earthly good either, as it turns out. The hardest thing to achieve on this subject is balance , but it is a difficult feat that Rigney has accomplished. Buy this book. Make it one of your earthly possessions. Read it to find out what that is supposed to mean.

Douglas Wilson, Senior Fellow of Theology, New St. Andrews College; Pastor, Christ Church, Moscow, Idaho

Reading this will be a sweet moment of profound liberation for many. With wisdom and verve, Rigney shows how we can worship our Creator through the enjoyment of his creation. This is going to make a lot of Christians happier in Christand more attractively Christlike.

Michael Reeves, Director of Union and Senior Lecturer, Wales Evangelical School of Theology; author, Delighting in the Trinity; The Unquenchable Flame; and Rejoicing in Christ

This book makes me want to watch the Olympics while eating a pumpkin crunch cake, rejoicing in the God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. But part of me is a little wary of the indulgent pecan crunchiness and astonishing athletic feats. What if my heart gets lost in these things? If youre familiar with that hesitation, this book is for you. We were made to take in all the fullness of the intergalactic glory of the triune God. This book is a trustworthy guide to help your gaze follow along the scattered beams up to the sun.

Gloria Furman, pastors wife, Redeemer Church of Dubai; mother of four; author, Glimpses of Grace and Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full

It is not easy to understand how I can love God with all my heart, but also love the world he has made. Gods Word encourages us to love the creation (Psalm 19), but also to love not the world (1 John 2:1517). Rigney is really helpful to those wrestling with this kind of question, and he helps us with a lively and engaging style. This book clarifies and builds upon John Pipers Christian Hedonism. I heartily recommend it.

John M. Frame, J. D. Trimble Chair of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando

THE
THINGS
OF
EARTH

Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts

JOE RIGNEY

Foreword by John Piper

The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts

Copyright 2015 by Joe Rigney

Published by Crossway
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Erik Maldre

First printing 2015

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway. 2011 Text Edition.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-4473-6
ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-4476-7
PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-4474-3
Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-4475-0

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Rigney, Joe, 1982

The things of earth : treasuring God by enjoying his gifts / Joe Rigney ; foreword by John Piper.

1 online resource

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN 978-1-4335-4474-3 (pdf) ISBN 978-1-4335-4475-0 (mobi) ISBN 978-1-4335-4476-7 (epub) ISBN (invalid) 978-1-4335-4473-6 (tp)

1. HedonismReligious aspectsChristianity.
2. PleasureReligious aspectsChristianity.
3. HappinessReligious aspectsChristianity.
4. GratitudeReligious aspectsChristianity.
5. God (Christianity)Worship and love.
6. Piper, John, 1946 I. Title.

BR115.H43

233dc23 2014037510

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

To my wife, Jen
You are a constant reminder that
the things of earth grow strangely bright
in the light of his glory and grace.

If there is an evangelical Christian alive today who has thought and written more biblically, more deeply, more creatively, or more practically about the proper enjoyment of creation and culture, I dont know who it is. When I say biblically, I mean that Joe thinks and writes under the authority of Gods Word and with a view to answering all serious objections that arise from the Bible. I also mean that he writes as a persuaded Christian Hedonistthat is, with the pervasive conviction that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

But like all good students, he is not merely swallowing the teachings of Christian Hedonism; he is digesting them so that they turn into energies and insights beyond his teachers. The fact that he asked me to write this foreword, and that I agreed to do it, is a sign that those insights are not contradictory, but complementary, to the teachers efforts.

Joe has discerned that a strength of Christian Hedonism can also turn into a weakness. The strength is that Christian Hedonism, as I have tried to develop it, has a strong ascetic tendency (as the Bible does!). For example, I often add these words: God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him, especially in those times when we embrace suffering for his sake with joy. Joy in affliction is a clearer witness that we treasure Christ more than comfort, than joy in comfortable, sunny days.

I also stress that it is more blessed to give than to receive and that giving is often painful. I have tried to make the tone of my ministry sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (2 Cor. 6:10). The very heart of Christian Hedonism, textually, is found in Philippians 1:1923, where Christ is most magnified in our dying, because we treasure Christ so supremely that we call dying gainbecause in it we get more of Christ. And we treasure Christ in our living by counting everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord (Phil. 3:8). The saltiness of the Christian life is tasted most keenly when, in the midst of being reviled and persecuted, we rejoice and are glad because our reward in heaven is great (Matt. 5:1113).

The weakness of this emphasis is that little space is devoted to magnifying Christ in the right enjoyment of creation and culture. Little emphasis is given to Pauls words: God created [foods] to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving (1 Tim. 4:34). Or his words that God richly provides us with everything to enjoy (1 Tim. 6:17).