Book Review: Living In The Light by John Piper

The Bible tells us that "everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving" (1 Timothy 4:7). We think back to creation when God declared everything good. When man came on the scene, He declared creation very good.

Everything God has made is for our joy and His glory. Unfortunately, due to the fall, sin has corrupted creation and distorted what God has designed. In his latest book, Living in the Light, John Piper looks at three areas of life that has been affected by the fall, which the Christian needs to know how to see these the way God sees them. Those three areas are sex, money, and power. Yes, God has created these three things for His glory and for our joy. Many Christians may not see that, but He has.

Piper addresses where these three things come from and what destructive forces each can have on a Christian if he or she does not look at how God views them. Here is how he defined each one:

Power is a capacity to pursue what you value.

Money is a cultural symbol that can be exchanged in pursuit of what you value.

Sex is one of the pleasures that people value, and the pursuit of it.

Piper stresses that all of these are good gifts God has given, but sin has tainted them. The wickedness of our hearts will turn them into idols. Piper communicates that embracing the gospel and the finished work of Christ will help us see these things in a new light. The regenerative heart seeks to honor God in all areas of life.


If you have read Piper before, you know he write very extravagantly and sometimes can be hard to read. This book is one he write with simplicity and clarity. This is a perfect book on how a Christian should look at sex, money, and power.

Thanks Good Book Company for letting me review this book.