meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Ask Pastor John

Are We Satisfied ‘in God’ or ‘by God’?

Ask Pastor John

Desiring God

Christianity, Pastor, John Piper, Theology, Ask, Religion & Spirituality/christianity, Desiring God, 163859, Religion & Spirituality, Questions

4.94.1K Ratings

🗓️ 1 December 2014

⏱️ 11 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We are satisfied in God rather than by God if God is the object of our satisfaction, not simply the provider of it.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

But guess, listen, or dawn, right, then to ask this, Pastor John, when you say God is most

0:09.2

glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him, could you substitute the word by for

0:15.2

in?

0:16.2

It seems easier to understand if you say God is most glorified by us when we are most

0:21.5

satisfied by Him.

0:23.6

So what do you think about this change up in words, Pastor John?

0:27.0

Oh my, I love words.

0:29.2

And they are so slippery.

0:31.8

And so connotations and denotations are so different.

0:38.9

But here we go, Don, let me give a try to why I, after thinking through the possibility

0:45.1

of going through your suggestion, God is most glorified by us when we are most satisfied

0:51.9

by Him.

0:53.0

I am going to stay with in and I've got reasons in, in, in both halves.

0:59.3

I think it communicates what I want to communicate better than by.

1:04.8

So let me try to explain.

1:08.0

First, it might be helpful just to make sure everybody knows what I mean by that sentence.

1:13.0

God is most glorified in us when we're most satisfied in Him.

1:16.5

I don't mean that there aren't any other ways to glorify God than being satisfied in

1:22.3

Him.

1:23.3

I mean that if that is missing, then He's not glorified most.

1:29.9

Something very important is missing.

1:32.8

And I don't mean God doesn't get glory from the lives of unbelievers in certain ways

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Desiring God, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Desiring God and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.