Christ Formed in You: The Power of the Gospel for Personal Change

Written by Brian Hedges Reviewed By Drew Hunter

What is the gospel? What are its implications for everyday life? What is the Christian's responsibility to pursue holiness? What are the biblical motivations for personal change? What are the roles of spiritual disciplines and community in the Christian life? How does all of this relate to the centrality of the gospel? As many continue to ask questions about these and related topics, one may not be surprised to find another book with “gospel” somewhere in the title. Where does this book fit in? While many books zero in on one or two of these questions or related topics, Brian Hedges provides a unique contribution by “bring[ing] these pieces together, presenting a single, unified, gospel-centered vision of how to understand and live the Christian life” (p. 21). In short, the unified vision is that personal change is about becoming like Jesus and that this happens through understanding and applying the gospel to our lives.

Throughout the book, Hedges introduces key aspects of the Christian life and explains them with the goal of relating the topic to the gospel and the goal of becoming like Christ. The first five chapters focus on the foundations of personal change. Chapters 1-2 overview redemptive history and the message of the gospel, demonstrating that the goal of spiritual growth is to become like Christ while the means of spiritual growth is beholding Christ's glory in the gospel. Chapter 3 seeks to unpack the truth of justification by faith, especially with an eye to how it counters a “legalistic approach to the pursuit of transformation” (p. 63). The focus of chapter 4 is regeneration: the deep, inward transformation that is needed (and provided) for spiritual growth. Romans 6 is the focus of chapter 5, which demonstrates that sanctification happens by applying the “gospel resources that are ours through union with Christ” (p. 99).

Chapters 6-9 move forward from “these definitive, once-and-for-all events (justification and definitive sanctification)” to how they “get worked out in the actual pursuit of holiness” (p. 114). After explaining the nature of holiness in chapter 6, the next two chapters walk through the process of killing sin (mortification) and growing in grace (vivification). Hedges takes readers on an autobiographical journey in chapter 9 to discuss the critical topic of Christian motivation. He recounts how the Bible, John Piper, and the Puritans all helped him to understand that “the balanced, biblical reality is that the pursuit of holiness and the quest for joy are not at odds” (p. 166), for “the desire for happiness is the motivation for pursuing holiness” (p. 178). The final chapters connect theology to the practicalities of everyday life with a focus on three means, or tools, that God uses to change us: spiritual disciplines, suffering, and community. With each of these, the emphasis is on how God uses them to make us like Christ (the goal of change) through the gospel (the means of change).

Several strengths of this book stand out. First, Hedges succeeds in his goal of bringing various aspects of Christian growth into a single unified vision. His contribution lies not in saying anything new or moving any particular discussion forward but in bringing many things together in an integrative way. Second, the book is laced with Scripture as well as insights from Christians both past (Luther, Calvin, Edwards, Lewis) and present (Keller, Piper, Lovelace, Ferguson). As such, it will easily become a helpful reference tool for locating important biblical texts and wise quotes on each of the topics discussed. Finally, this is a very clear and carefully written book. Hedges often walks through an outline of upcoming sections, organizes his thought into lists, and steps back to help the reader see where the current topic relates to the others already discussed.

All things considered, therefore, this is a helpful and well-written book. Yet some readers may not find the writing style to be particularly engaging. While strong on content and clarity, the manner of communication is somewhat deficient in elements that make for a great read: striking prose, turns of phrase, and even a sense of wonder at the realities being explained-which would certainly be fitting for a book on the gospel of grace and the miracle of personal transformation.

That aside, the strengths already noted mark this out as a gift to the church. This book would be helpful for any Christian who desires to learn more about several of the most important biblical topics related to growth as a Christian. Since it brings numerous theological and practical topics together, considering all of them in relation to the gospel, this is an excellent book to put in the hands of a new believer. Leaders would also benefit from using this in the process of discipleship, perhaps as a starting-point for further dialogue.


Drew Hunter

Drew Hunter is the teaching pastor of Zionsville Fellowship in Zionsville, Indiana.

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