The God who created a good and perfect world, but whose world turned from him, has brought restoration through gift: The Father loved the world and gave the Son, and the Father and the Son pour out the gift of the Spirit into the hearts of humanity bringing about praise, hope, and new creation. Those who are united to the Son by his Spirit then find they have received the glorious gift of God's coming Kingdom. In other words, the Gospel is shaped by giving: God's generosity buys us out of bondage and brings us into all the blessings of belonging. But the good news is not only that God has made us to be recipients of his grace but also participants in the movement of his divine justice and generosity. Living in God's gifts, Christians discover they are free to give themselves. The cross and resurrection of Christ come to shape and define this new life of faith, hope and generosity---a life that is best lived not in isolation but as a community. Throughout the book special attention is given to the relationship between divine generosity and concern for the poor and oppressed. Kapic and Borger encourage readers to not simply discover the immensity of God's grace, but to enter into the flow of divine generosity as God has invited them to become avenues of his great gifts to the world.
God So Loved, He Gave
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Editorial Reviews
From the Back Cover
"A forceful presentation ... vividly inspiring."
--Dallas Willard, author of Divine Conspiracy and Renovation of the Heart
--Dallas Willard, author of Divine Conspiracy and Renovation of the Heart
"This book shows why anyone who grasps the nature of God and of his gospel will live a life poured out in acts of generosity. I'm glad to recommend it.
--Tim Keller, Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City
"An amazing book."
--Jerry Bridges, author of The Pursuit of Holiness
"Charming writing, winsome freshness, and gospel zeal."
--Bryan Chapell, President Covenant Theological Seminary
"A work of rare theological and spiritual perceptiveness. This is practical Christian divinity at its best: intellectually astute, humane, and animated by the gospel's generosity.'
--John Webster, Professor, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Scotland
"A must read. This is a great book ... beautifully written, practical, helpful, and biblically sound."
--John M. Perkins, civil rights activist, Founder and President Emeritus of the Christian Community Development Association, and President of the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation
"A rare combination--a robust, warm-hearted, accessible book that glorifies our generous Triune God and will instruct and inspire readers throughout the church."
--Justin Taylor, Managing Editor, ESV Study Bibl
"A thought-provoking, deeply needed vision of our calling to gospel-living."
--Carolyn Custis James, author of Half the Church
"Here is a rich portrayal of redemption!"
--Bruce K. Waltke, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Regent College, Vancouver BC
"I highly recommend God So Loved, He Gave for every recipient of God's grace who desires to become a participant in divine generosity."
--Howard Dayton, Cofounder, Crown Financial Ministries, Founder, Compass-Finances God's Way
"Kapic leads us into the breathtaking vistas with beauty and wisdom. This book itself is a welcome gift to Christ's body."
--Michael Horton, author of The Christian Faith
"An elegant portrayal of a marvelously generous God."
--Richard J. Mouw, President and Professor of Christian Philosophy, Fuller Theological Seminary
About the Author
Kelly M. Kapic is Professor of Theological Studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. He is the author of Communion with God: The Divine and Human in the Theology of John Owen and editor of The Devoted Life: An Invitation to the Puritan Classics, Overcoming Sin and Temptation, and Communion with the Triune God. Kelly is married to Tabitha, the U.S. National Director of Medair, an international relief and rehabilitation organization. Kelly and Tabitha have two children, Jonathan and Margot.
Justin L. Borger, Kelly's former student at Covenant College, serves as the Generosity Content
Director for the Maclellan Foundation.
Justin L. Borger, Kelly's former student at Covenant College, serves as the Generosity Content
Director for the Maclellan Foundation.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It is rare to recommend a book without any reservations, but Go So Loved, He Gave is that sort of book. I agree with the litany of glowing endorsements that this is a book that should move to the top of your reading list.
With sparkling prose, Kelly M. Kapic (professor of theology at Covenant College) and Justin Borger (Generosity Content Director for the Maclellan Foundation) describe the biblical story through the lens of generosity, articulating a comprehensive vision supported by compelling expositions of particular passages. At the heart of this story is the triune God who owns all things not through holy hoarding, but through acts of holy generosity. Out of his loving generosity, God created the world, but sinful humans abused this gift by selfishly taking, becoming broken and banished instead of enjoying the bliss of belonging. Astonishingly, God addressed this brokenness not by punishing his rebellious creation, but by giving himself so that his creatures can truly belong to him. Belonging to God means participating in his kingdom inaugurated by the work of Jesus, and living within the movements of divine generosity.
At this point in the book, the narrative slows down and deals in more detail with the nature of God the Father's gift of the Son and the Spirit, as well as the process of believing, experiencing, and living within this gift. The authors do so through unrushed, conversational retellings of Gospel stories, which reveal that faith in Jesus is itself a gift from God while at the same time an urgent demand. The Spirit too is a gift uniting us to Christ as a guarantee, seal, and first-fruit of fully experiencing God's gifts in the kingdom and new creation. In the present, we experience God's gift of salvation in Jesus by producing generous fruit, most notably caring for the poor and needy. Eternal life in God's kingdom is experienced as a gift in the present, generating hope in the full and future experience of triune generosity.
What does it mean practically, however, to "enter into the movement of divine generosity" in the present? For one, Kapic and Borger insist that we live God's gift through word and deed, proclaiming the righteousness of God in Christ and living out this righteousness with particular partiality toward the poor. In this way, we improvisationally imitate the form of Jesus' life, who for our sake became poor, giving up his rights to make us rich in righteousness. Cross-shaped generosity is about giving one's whole person, not just a mere ten percent of income as a tithe. As such, enabled by God's continual giving, Christians should be committed to radically generous and hospitable lifestyles with the goal of witnessing to the cross and resurrection through "worshipful communion in the truth" (196), not winning culture wars or political battles. This is the work of the whole Christian community, who has received much in order to give to others. The missional orientation of the early church is evident in the collections for the poor pursued so passionately by Paul and other church leaders. Kapic and Borger observe that these collections certainly served to relieve poverty, but also to unify the church, participate in God's grace, and prefigure future life with the triune God who "in fairness...favors the fatherless and received the rejected" (212). In short, grateful worship, bold proclamation, embracive hospitality, and generous giving are all fitting ways to participate in the drama of divine generosity.
Several elements make God So Love, He Gave a stunning accomplishment. By drawing on authors as diverse as John Calvin, Pope Benedict, Abraham Kuyper, and Walter Brueggemann, the book soars above stifling provincialism and helps readers hear the voice of the universal church. The book is saturated with Scripture, which can be located with an excellent Scripture index, with particular passages utilized not merely as isolated proof texts, but connected to the comprehensive drama of salvation and divine generosity. Each chapter deals with basic theological topics, but these topics are addressed again and again from creative angles and with both deep theological insight and pastoral wisdom. For example, Kapic and Borger recognize that Christians are not called to imitate the exact career of Jesus, but that we are called to follow the form of his life, a process that bears similarities to the improvisation of jazz musicians who riff within a basic beat. In addition, there is an excellent discussion guide at the end, enabling the reader or groups of readers to reflect on this rich material (also available for download on the website).
Of course, it is impossible for a book of this size to cover everything regarding the divine drama of generosity and our participation within this drama. As such, there is a jump from chapter two and the Fall to chapter three and the coming of the Messiah and King Jesus. Although the Old Testament is discussed in relation to prophesies of the King (49-51), the theme of kingdom generosity would have been more complete with an additional chapter on the Old Testament, while providing more rationale for choosing kingdom as an overarching theme rather than covenant or something else. In addition, it would have been fascinating to see further explanation on the role of imagination as briefly mentioned in chapter ten, as well as how the proposal of this book corresponds or contrasts to generous orthodoxy as originally proposed by Brian McLaren (especially since the authors use the phrase "hospitable orthodoxy," 195). Another fitting conversation partner for this book is Eugene Peterson's Practice Resurrection (Eerdmans, 2010), especially given the three chapters on resurrection faith, work and life.
These last few comments are not weaknesses per se, just ways in which the thesis of this book could be elucidated and expanded. As it stands, God So Loved, He Gave is a magnificent work of theology, both in terms of articulating the truth of the gospel and showing its implications for all of life. Not only that, but the book is carefully constructed and beautiful written, making it a joy to read in every possible way. I wholeheartedly recommend that you read this book to discover the drama of divine generosity and how you can participate in the drama today.
With sparkling prose, Kelly M. Kapic (professor of theology at Covenant College) and Justin Borger (Generosity Content Director for the Maclellan Foundation) describe the biblical story through the lens of generosity, articulating a comprehensive vision supported by compelling expositions of particular passages. At the heart of this story is the triune God who owns all things not through holy hoarding, but through acts of holy generosity. Out of his loving generosity, God created the world, but sinful humans abused this gift by selfishly taking, becoming broken and banished instead of enjoying the bliss of belonging. Astonishingly, God addressed this brokenness not by punishing his rebellious creation, but by giving himself so that his creatures can truly belong to him. Belonging to God means participating in his kingdom inaugurated by the work of Jesus, and living within the movements of divine generosity.
At this point in the book, the narrative slows down and deals in more detail with the nature of God the Father's gift of the Son and the Spirit, as well as the process of believing, experiencing, and living within this gift. The authors do so through unrushed, conversational retellings of Gospel stories, which reveal that faith in Jesus is itself a gift from God while at the same time an urgent demand. The Spirit too is a gift uniting us to Christ as a guarantee, seal, and first-fruit of fully experiencing God's gifts in the kingdom and new creation. In the present, we experience God's gift of salvation in Jesus by producing generous fruit, most notably caring for the poor and needy. Eternal life in God's kingdom is experienced as a gift in the present, generating hope in the full and future experience of triune generosity.
What does it mean practically, however, to "enter into the movement of divine generosity" in the present? For one, Kapic and Borger insist that we live God's gift through word and deed, proclaiming the righteousness of God in Christ and living out this righteousness with particular partiality toward the poor. In this way, we improvisationally imitate the form of Jesus' life, who for our sake became poor, giving up his rights to make us rich in righteousness. Cross-shaped generosity is about giving one's whole person, not just a mere ten percent of income as a tithe. As such, enabled by God's continual giving, Christians should be committed to radically generous and hospitable lifestyles with the goal of witnessing to the cross and resurrection through "worshipful communion in the truth" (196), not winning culture wars or political battles. This is the work of the whole Christian community, who has received much in order to give to others. The missional orientation of the early church is evident in the collections for the poor pursued so passionately by Paul and other church leaders. Kapic and Borger observe that these collections certainly served to relieve poverty, but also to unify the church, participate in God's grace, and prefigure future life with the triune God who "in fairness...favors the fatherless and received the rejected" (212). In short, grateful worship, bold proclamation, embracive hospitality, and generous giving are all fitting ways to participate in the drama of divine generosity.
Several elements make God So Love, He Gave a stunning accomplishment. By drawing on authors as diverse as John Calvin, Pope Benedict, Abraham Kuyper, and Walter Brueggemann, the book soars above stifling provincialism and helps readers hear the voice of the universal church. The book is saturated with Scripture, which can be located with an excellent Scripture index, with particular passages utilized not merely as isolated proof texts, but connected to the comprehensive drama of salvation and divine generosity. Each chapter deals with basic theological topics, but these topics are addressed again and again from creative angles and with both deep theological insight and pastoral wisdom. For example, Kapic and Borger recognize that Christians are not called to imitate the exact career of Jesus, but that we are called to follow the form of his life, a process that bears similarities to the improvisation of jazz musicians who riff within a basic beat. In addition, there is an excellent discussion guide at the end, enabling the reader or groups of readers to reflect on this rich material (also available for download on the website).
Of course, it is impossible for a book of this size to cover everything regarding the divine drama of generosity and our participation within this drama. As such, there is a jump from chapter two and the Fall to chapter three and the coming of the Messiah and King Jesus. Although the Old Testament is discussed in relation to prophesies of the King (49-51), the theme of kingdom generosity would have been more complete with an additional chapter on the Old Testament, while providing more rationale for choosing kingdom as an overarching theme rather than covenant or something else. In addition, it would have been fascinating to see further explanation on the role of imagination as briefly mentioned in chapter ten, as well as how the proposal of this book corresponds or contrasts to generous orthodoxy as originally proposed by Brian McLaren (especially since the authors use the phrase "hospitable orthodoxy," 195). Another fitting conversation partner for this book is Eugene Peterson's Practice Resurrection (Eerdmans, 2010), especially given the three chapters on resurrection faith, work and life.
These last few comments are not weaknesses per se, just ways in which the thesis of this book could be elucidated and expanded. As it stands, God So Loved, He Gave is a magnificent work of theology, both in terms of articulating the truth of the gospel and showing its implications for all of life. Not only that, but the book is carefully constructed and beautiful written, making it a joy to read in every possible way. I wholeheartedly recommend that you read this book to discover the drama of divine generosity and how you can participate in the drama today.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
God So Loved, He Gave: Entering the Movement of Divine Generosity is written by Kelly M. Kapic Professor of Christian Studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia along with Justin Borger who serves as the Generosity Content Director for the Maclellan Foundation. The book is broken down into three sections: First, from belonging to bondage, second God Reclaims all by giving all: Son, Spirit and Kingdom, and in the final sections concludes with living in the gifts: cross, resurrection church.
Dr. Jerry Bridges in the endorsing this book notes that this work should be read attentively and prayerfully, and he's spot on with that statement. This is an important book, one that is grounded in the premise that God's generosity in creating the world, and specifically in sending the gift of His Son to do His work in the Cross and Resurrection.
This work is thoroughly grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The authors explain how God created a good and perfect world but that world turned from him and now- the Father loved the world and gave the Son, and the Father and the Son pour out the gift of the Spirit into the hearts of humanity bringing about praise, hope and new creation. The Gospel in this work is never assumed but rather explained in great detail.
As the argument continues to unfold in the book, the reader will get a greater sense of the work of God in creation and in the Word of God. The authors conclude this book by looking at the practical ramifications for all they have said but even then they do not revert to self-help but ground all they say in the Word of God.
This is a book that received glowing endorsements from many men, I highly regard such as Justin Taylor, Dr. Bridges, Dr. Horton, and Dr. Chappell and their endorsements are well deserved. This is a book that will challenge you to see the gift of eternal life and how God calls you in every area of life to live out the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ. I recommend you get this book and be challenged to see the preciousness of the Gospel afresh as a gift from God.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Zondervan book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Dr. Jerry Bridges in the endorsing this book notes that this work should be read attentively and prayerfully, and he's spot on with that statement. This is an important book, one that is grounded in the premise that God's generosity in creating the world, and specifically in sending the gift of His Son to do His work in the Cross and Resurrection.
This work is thoroughly grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The authors explain how God created a good and perfect world but that world turned from him and now- the Father loved the world and gave the Son, and the Father and the Son pour out the gift of the Spirit into the hearts of humanity bringing about praise, hope and new creation. The Gospel in this work is never assumed but rather explained in great detail.
As the argument continues to unfold in the book, the reader will get a greater sense of the work of God in creation and in the Word of God. The authors conclude this book by looking at the practical ramifications for all they have said but even then they do not revert to self-help but ground all they say in the Word of God.
This is a book that received glowing endorsements from many men, I highly regard such as Justin Taylor, Dr. Bridges, Dr. Horton, and Dr. Chappell and their endorsements are well deserved. This is a book that will challenge you to see the gift of eternal life and how God calls you in every area of life to live out the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ. I recommend you get this book and be challenged to see the preciousness of the Gospel afresh as a gift from God.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Zondervan book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A seriously beautiful and rich story of a generous God inviting us to join him
March 22, 2011
By Dave K
Format:Hardcover
We might expect a book about giving to be a guilt-trip and focused on our wallet. This book is neither of these.
It begins "Let me tell you a story...the story about God."
That tells you a lot about this book. It is not a long book, although its 200 pages are closely typed and it is tightly written. Nevertheless, it a big book in other ways. The book sweeps from creation, through the fall to redemption with God himself as the centre of the story. As the main actor in this drama God is thoughtfully and beautifully shown to be God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And the story's major theme is God giving himself in the Son and the Spirit to a people who never deserved such grace.
With this as the big picture the application becomes refreshingly different to many exhortations to generosity you may have heard.
> It is saturated in grace - we are reminded to give because we have first received.
> It is God-centred - you are inspired to grow in generosity, but wonder and thankfulness for the Triune God is the dominant melody.
> It is inviting rather than pushy - as the subtitle suggests, we are invited into God's story and into the relationship between the three persons of the Trinity.
But this God of grace takes you to quite dizzying heights, and things look a bit different from his perspective. Just as God invites you in to join him, he invites you to join him going out in self-giving. Kapic and Berger show that it is the grace of the Triune God which will make generosity so much more radical than it would be otherwise. E.g.
> God didn't just give things, but his person - so how can we respond by just giving a percentage rather than our whole selves?
> We are rich because we have received so much - so how can we not give lavishly?
Personally the most memorable theme was that of belonging. We belong to God because he created us. This was perfect freedom but we rejected belonging to God and chose bondage to sin. God reclaimed us by giving (!) so we can experience the gift of being his slaves.
This book is so rich that I could spend a long time trying to describe its content but I would struggle to do it justice.
If you are wondering about the form: It is theological but I was pleasantly surprised how expositional it was. It would probably be enjoyed by any regular reader of Christian books but may be too demanding for an occasional reader. Finally, it is Reformed Evangelical in its theology but (in-keeping with the theme) Kapic is generous in drawing on a wide range of thinkers.
'God So Loved He Gave' was simultaneously one of the most emotionally moving and intellectually engaging theology books I have read in several years. It engaged me on every level (mind, heart and will) and there are not very many books you can say that about. I highly recommend this beautiful book.
It begins "Let me tell you a story...the story about God."
That tells you a lot about this book. It is not a long book, although its 200 pages are closely typed and it is tightly written. Nevertheless, it a big book in other ways. The book sweeps from creation, through the fall to redemption with God himself as the centre of the story. As the main actor in this drama God is thoughtfully and beautifully shown to be God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And the story's major theme is God giving himself in the Son and the Spirit to a people who never deserved such grace.
With this as the big picture the application becomes refreshingly different to many exhortations to generosity you may have heard.
> It is saturated in grace - we are reminded to give because we have first received.
> It is God-centred - you are inspired to grow in generosity, but wonder and thankfulness for the Triune God is the dominant melody.
> It is inviting rather than pushy - as the subtitle suggests, we are invited into God's story and into the relationship between the three persons of the Trinity.
But this God of grace takes you to quite dizzying heights, and things look a bit different from his perspective. Just as God invites you in to join him, he invites you to join him going out in self-giving. Kapic and Berger show that it is the grace of the Triune God which will make generosity so much more radical than it would be otherwise. E.g.
> God didn't just give things, but his person - so how can we respond by just giving a percentage rather than our whole selves?
> We are rich because we have received so much - so how can we not give lavishly?
Personally the most memorable theme was that of belonging. We belong to God because he created us. This was perfect freedom but we rejected belonging to God and chose bondage to sin. God reclaimed us by giving (!) so we can experience the gift of being his slaves.
This book is so rich that I could spend a long time trying to describe its content but I would struggle to do it justice.
If you are wondering about the form: It is theological but I was pleasantly surprised how expositional it was. It would probably be enjoyed by any regular reader of Christian books but may be too demanding for an occasional reader. Finally, it is Reformed Evangelical in its theology but (in-keeping with the theme) Kapic is generous in drawing on a wide range of thinkers.
'God So Loved He Gave' was simultaneously one of the most emotionally moving and intellectually engaging theology books I have read in several years. It engaged me on every level (mind, heart and will) and there are not very many books you can say that about. I highly recommend this beautiful book.
