Book Review of CHRIST FORMED IN YOU

I’m glad Brian Hedges decided to begin publishing. In the computer industry, of which I’m a part, there is the clichéd programmer’s acronym of GIGO – Garbage In, Garbage Out. If you input bad thinking and bad ideas into a computer, you will get the same out. Brian’s new book is rather a product of DWIDWO, Depth & Wisdom In, Depth & Wisdom Out. In his introduction, he lists the contemporary and older authors who have influenced him. As I read his book, I heard the echoes of the men he listed: Paul David Tripp, Tim Keller, David Powlison, John Piper, Don Whitney, Charles Spurgeon, C.S. Lewis, Augustine, John Calvin, and John Owen. The result of Brian’s preparation has produced a surprisingly excellent first outing.

My favorite chapter was Chapter 4 on The Heart. As Scripture pulls no punches in its indictment of the fallen, human heart, neither does Brian. He begins the chapter with the declaration that we all inherit monstrous hearts. Unless our distorted, disordered hearts change, we don’t change. In this chapter, Brian drew on insights from David Powlison about how our hearts are the seat of desires, aspirations, cravings, motivations, and murmurings. The heart is also the seat of worship, and this chapter develops the idea that we worship that which controls us—you worship that which you serve. One thing that made this chapter my favorite was Brian’s listing of “ten affections of the heart that God both requires, and gives.” There are years-worth of reflection (and the scripture references to consult) on the implications of these ten affections and the struggle we have to keep them centered on the Trinity. Even in light of all the competitors, I highly recommend this book. It is available at Amazon for pre-order here: Christ Formed in you @ Amazon

Confession of Bias: I have been a fan of Brian Hedges for awhile having read his Light & Heat blog for more than two years. I don’t know which I’ve enjoyed more: his first book or his blog, which you can read here.