“Christian hedonism”—sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? How could someone be a Christian and a hedonist?

A Christian is someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ, that is, a disciple of Christ. To be a disciple of Christ, one must put aside personal agendas to embrace and support Christ’s agenda. Jesus expressed the devotion that he expects from his followers in Matthew 16:24: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (NIV). Jesus expects his disciples to live devoted solely to him and therefore focused on doing his will. Furthermore, Christ’s followers are called to suffer for living in obedience to him (1 Peter 2:21).

A hedonist is someone who worships pleasure, comfort, and conveniences. Hedonists live focused on personal happiness. They do not want to suffer nor do they want to subordinate their will to anyone else—not even to God.

Based on the description above, the term Christian hedonist is indeed an oxymoron. If a person is a true Christian, life is about obedience to the will of God; and if a person is a hedonist, life is about obedience to his or her own will. So from a biblical worldview, Christian hedonists do not exist. A person can be a Christian or a hedonist, but not both.

Nevertheless, there are many professing Christians who are hedonists. They pretend to be followers of Christ, but in reality they simply follow their own will.

In the above text (James 4:2–4), James addressed people who professed to be Christians but in reality were hedonists. These people wanted God to give them money so they could spend it on their pleasures. James wrote a stern rebuke concerning this. He said that people who seek money to spend on their pleasures have the wrong motive. Such people are enemies of God.

The only proper way to view money is to recognize that all money belongs to God. People are simply stewards of God’s resources. It is our responsibility, therefore, to seek to steward God’s resources according to his will and not according to our will.

Here is your business tip. Don’t do business with or hire anyone who is focused on using money for his or her personal pleasure, happiness, comfort, and convenience. Such a person is a hedonist—even if he or she professes to be a Christian. Hedonists are enemies of God. You cannot expect the favor and blessings of God on yourself and/or your organization if you have people in the organization who are enemies of God.