What do you plan to be doing 150 years from now? I regularly put this question both to myself and to the congregation I serve. My purpose is to help recalibrate our hearts. The goal of the Christian life is to glorify God, and the endpoint of that life is being with him forever. As we journey toward our eternal hope, however, we often encounter circumstances that provoke questions, doubts, and tears. But God has given us all we need to endure life east of Eden: his powerful Word is sufficient to transform and fuel us on our pilgrimage home.

Behold and Become was written to help Christians understand the power of God’s Word and how to engage with the Scriptures effectively. Its author, Jeremy Kimble (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary), is Associate Professor of Theology at Cedarville University and Director of the Synergy Initiative. His previous books have focused either on the church—That His Spirit May Be Saved (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2013) and 40 Questions About Church Membership (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2017)—or on Scripture—Invitation to Biblical Theology (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2020) and How Can I Get More Out of My Bible Reading? (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021). His newest book combines these areas of interest but is focused particularly on helping readers to behold God through the Scriptures to be increasingly transformed by him.

Kimble’s thesis is clear and powerful. “Scripture, in its very nature, by God’s purpose and grace, in connection with the work of the Holy Spirit, as a way of beholding God’s glory and thereby communing with him, is a means of transformation in the life of an individual” (p. 223). He was prompted to write Behold and Become to fill a gap among books on Scripture: “While many works have been written on the character of Scripture—focusing on the issues of inspiration, inerrancy, infallibility, clarity, sufficiency, necessity, and authority—few focus on the efficacy of Scripture” (p. 13). He therefore not only presents readers with a comprehensively articulated evangelical doctrine of Scripture but also with numerous practical ways to engage Scripture personally. Kimble’s writing is tight, and his style moves from being academic but accessible (in the book’s first half) to applied and practical (in the second half).

In his first four chapters, Kimble lays the biblical and theological foundations for the doctrine of Scripture’s efficacy. In chapter 1, he directs us to the character of God and the way his revelation reveals his glory. God reveals himself in creation, Christ, and the Bible to people made to know and relate to him (p. 19). Scripture is a means of transformation because it displays God’s glory and allows people to commune with him (p. 20). Readers will note the influence of Jonathan Edwards and John Owen on the author’s thought, especially in his discussion of the beatific vision. The destiny that awaits believers is to see God as he is and so to be made like him (1 John 3:1–3). We should think about “gazing at the glory of God in Scripture as a way of seeing God by faith in the present by means of his Word, a king of ‘inaugurated but not consummated’ beatific vision” (p. 34). Our time in the Word must be active as we take each opportunity to “prayerfully, delightfully meditate on the glories of God as displayed in Christ by means of the Spirit for our ongoing transformation” (p. 37).

In chapter 2, Kimble outlines the main attributes of an evangelical doctrine of Scripture—inspired, inerrant, infallible, clear, necessary, sufficient, and authoritative. He writes, “Scripture is meant not merely to inform—though it certainly does that—but to affect, impact, and transform (James 1:22–25). The Holy Spirit works in partnership with God’s authoritative Word to save and sanctify (John 16:8; 17:17; Rom. 8:11–16)” (p. 55). To this end, Kimble encourages Bible readers to work hard at discovering not only a passage’s meaning but its application to their lives.

In chapter 3, Kimble uses biblical theology to show “the interconnectedness and intertextual nature of the Bible” (p. 57). He encourages readers to pay attention to how the prophets and apostles themselves handled Scripture and, in particular, how later biblical authors interpret, refer to, and allude to earlier authors. His conviction is that “attention to these kinds of details shapes us to be certain kinds of readers with certain kinds of habits that form a certain kind of character and view of the world” (p. 72).

In chapter 4, Kimble demonstrates that Scripture is mighty to save, keep, and change God’s people. Following John Feinberg, he defines Scripture’s efficacy as “the power of God’s Word to accomplish God’s purposes in people’s lives” (p. 77). Kimble points to numerous passages from both Old and New Testaments to show Scripture’s self-testimony to its efficacy. The witness of John Calvin and Herman Bavinck testify that this is not a new view. Kimble then spells out the implications for the life of the Christian and the church, showing how Scripture helps us to develop a biblical worldview, habits of mind that aid our renewal, an ability to gaze at Christ’s glory, and persevering faith in God’s promises.

The rest of the book presses deeper into the practical outworking of the doctrine of Scripture for the lives of individuals and families (ch. 5), churches (ch. 6), and church leaders (ch. 7). In chapter 5, Kimble highlights the various ways God’s Word should saturate the Christian’s life. Believers ought to immerse themselves in the Scriptures, reading, hearing, studying, meditating, and praying God’s Word. The more we engage with Scripture, the more we will be transformed. In chapter 6, Kimble shows how Scripture’s power should impact churches. Christians are called to participate in biblical community, listening carefully to Bible preaching and sharing God’s Word with others. In chapter 7, he explores Scripture’s power in the lives of preachers and leaders. He encourages them to devote themselves to “text-driven” teaching and preaching (pp. 196–213), urging them to think of themselves as stewards (pp. 213–17).

I recommend Behold and Become for several reasons. First, Kimble ably demonstrates why the efficacy of the Scriptures matters. It’s not often that an author combines a rigorous biblical and theological articulation of a doctrine with extensive practical application for both individual and church life. Second, Kimble’s love for Christ’s bride is tangible throughout and a needed corrective for those who live in or write from an ivory tower. Third, I appreciate Kimble’s emphasis on the Spirit’s work in enabling believers to behold God and his work of transformation as we engage with the Scriptures. Finally, Kimble helpfully ties Scripture’s power to the gospel, showing that he grasps the gospel’s centrality to Scripture’s message and its biblical status as a matter of first importance (1 Cor 15:1–4).

Furthermore, readers could use this book in a variety of ways. It could easily serve as a textbook for a tertiary-level class on the doctrine of Scripture or a Christian ministry course. It could also work as part of an internship program at a local church or in a small group setting. Kimble’s footnotes give eager learners numerous resources for further study.

Behold and Become encouraged me to pick up my Bible and read, not simply for more information for preaching and teaching, but because the primary pursuit of every Christian should be to “behold, delight, become, and declare” (p. 195). I trust that many will likewise pick up Kimble’s book and return with fresh eyes to behold the beauty and power of our God in his transforming Word.