Review: John Piper’s “What is Saving Faith”
The premise of this book is that saving faith includes "receiving Jesus as the supreme treasure", or "treasuring Christ". I have no problem with the believer treasuring Christ, as I believe that it is indeed a fruit of the Spirit. As believers, we strive for that goal and long for the day when we will see him face to face and see him as he is.
The problem is when you add this "treasuring Christ" to the definition of saving faith.
Piper begins by attempting to solve the problem of "easy believism". He praises John McArthur's work on lordship salvation - that one must receive Christ as lord in order to be saved.
But that is not traditional reformed theology. It is an Arminian dilemma, for those familiar with the debate.
In Reformed theology, faith is a work in the heart by the Holy Spirit, and it is defined as "sure knowledge" and "hearty trust" (Heidelberg Catechism, 21). That hearty trust includes trust that Jesus is able to take away ALL of my sins, including the days and times when I do NOT treasure him as I should, and do not obey him as I should.
To include either "lordship salvation" or "treasuring Christ" in the very definition of saving faith is to confuse the categories of law and gospel, justification and sanctification. Piper has made a career out of it and it has done great damage to the souls of thousands.
He does not understand Turretin or Calvin on these issues and takes their quotes out of context, but that isn't really the main problem. The main problem is that he misunderstands the scripture.
The problem with adding "treasuring Christ" to the definition of saving faith is that it turns the gaze of the believer onto his own heart, examining whether he "treasures Christ" enough to make it through. This is a departure from orthodoxy. Genuine, saving faith looks to Christ alone. To quote the Heidelberg Catechism again, true faith is sure knowledge - that he is able and willing to save all who come to him, for he is true God and true man and has offered salvation to all; and it is also a hearty trust, that not only to others, but to me also forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness and salvation are freely offered to me. Jesus will receive all who come to him and we bring only our sinful hearts - not our "treasuring" him.
As we grow in faith and love, we will indeed treasure him, but only so far as we believe that he has truly paid it all and has truly given us his perfect righteousness and has cleansed us from sin, if only we accept such benefit with a believing heart (Heidelberg 60).
This faith cannot lead to lawlessness, for faith is the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart and it unites us to Christ. It is impossible for those who are engrafted into Christ to continue to live lawless and thankless lives, but our lives are NOT the definition of saving faith. This is why the "lordship" debate and the "treasuring Christ" debate are not consistent with Reformed theology—for they both in effect deny union with Christ and the irresistible grace of the Holy Spirit.
I would include treasuring Christ in our sanctification, but if it is a criterium of saving faith, then the soul is forever in doubt—for who can say if they treasure him enough?
Will not we then always be doubting and wondering if Christ will receive us as a father? Or as a judge?
And our souls are forever tossed here and there, wondering how much is enough, and whether we have treasured him enough to be saved.
Piper's book is clearly written and his thesis is clearly stated—but it is a departure from Christianity, and once again puts the cause of our salvation in the fickle movements of the human heart.
This is no comfort, and it is not the gospel.
The gospel invites you to come to Christ, believing that he is able to cleanse you from all sin, including the sin of not treasuring him, not believing him as you ought, but knowing for certain that he is able to keep that which you have committed unto him against that day. You are safe in Christ because of HIS love and HIS treasuring, not your own.
This, ironically, is the only foundation of coming to know Christ as our highest treasure. But if you put treasuring Christ as the definition of faith, then faith turns into fear, and the soul continues to ask, “have I treasured him enough?”
The only responses to Piper's theology are despair or pride. Either, "I can never do enough" or "I thank God that I'm not like other men.”
John Piper’s theology is not Reformed, or Biblical, or even a good definition of basic Christianity. His theology is novel and always has been. Novel is not good when it comes to theology.