Piper states: “God kicks our ass”

During a breakout session at a conference recently, well known, and well respected preacher-author, John Piper, swore while speaking. (link here)

He said that sometimes, “God kicks our ass.”

Oh course Piper later wrote an apology, but in that apology he explained why he thinks he says what he says (swears):

“I regret saying it. I am sitting here trying to figure out why I say things like that every now and then. (emphasis mine)I think it is a mixture of (sinful) audience titillation and (holy) scorn against my own flesh and against the devil, along with the desire to make the battle with Satan and my flesh feel gutsy and real and not middle-class pious. (emphasis mine) There is a significant difference between saying that God disciplines his children and saying that he ‘kicks our ass’ (the phrase used at Passion)—the effect of the first can produce a yawn and leave students with no sense of how real I mean it. I think ‘He kicks our backside’ would have sufficed. And even better might have been some concrete illustrations of the Lord’s firm spanks.”

He continues and concludes, “If I wanted to take the time, and I felt more defensive than I do, I could probably go to the Bible and find language as offensive as that in the mouth of prophets, and even God when dealing with the grossness of evil. But I doubt that the moment in the breakout session called for something that extreme. Sometimes maybe. I hope the Lord turns it for good.” He shows this again in his closing paragraph where he writes “I think if I had it to do over, I would not say it. On the one hand, I don’t like fanning the flames of those who think it is hip and cool to swear for Jesus. That, it seems to me, is immature. On the other hand, I want those hip people to listen to all I say and write, and I hope that the Lord may get a hold of them and draw them out of immaturity and into the fullness of holiness. But it backfires if one becomes unholy to make people holy. I suspect there was too much of the unholy in my heart at that moment.”

I swore while writing a blog post, and Joe wanted me taken off the Christian school’s chapel list.  I also apologized for the post, and took it down at the schools request and informed the school board that I would willingly step down if they so deemed.  I did eventually step down, for them, and because I did not want to be a stumbling block.  So, I wonder if Joe Vondoloski would have the school NOT have John Piper come and speak there knowing that he has sworn, and according to his own statements swears on occassion?

Joe, would you want your 4 year old to sit under John Piper’s ministry?

Oh, and if you’re looking to now get rid of your John Piper books (if indeed you own any) please let me know.  I’d be willing to trade you some of my Puritan writings for them….