While pastoring for the past fifteen years, Jared Wilson has become known in contemporary evangelicalism for his passionate, gospel-centered writing and teaching. Following Wilson’s well-received publication of Gospel Wakefulness, he writes Gospel Deeps as a “next step” to establishing the need for astonishment, which begins by looking at the astonishing things God has done in and through Christ. Wilson holds up the gospel like a diamond and examines it facet by facet, demonstrating the riches of its implications. This book serves as a valuable contribution to the emerging canon of gospel-centered literature, in the spirit of John Piper’s Pleasures of God and Tim Keller’s emphasis on a “robust gospel,” and continues in the glory-reveling legacy left by Jonathan Edwards, John Owen, and the like. The distinctiveness of Gospel Deeps is found in Wilson’s winsome and frequently ecstatic writing voice, as well as his unique approach to showcasing the gospel’s beauty.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
''Wilson labors to make us appreciate the greatness and grandeur of the gospel and its Christ. Again and again he succeeds.''
J. I. Packer, Board of Governors' Professor of Theology, Regent College; author, Knowing God
''Too many of us treat the gospel as somebody else's news. We know it's what saved us, but we encounter it only as we overhear ourselves rehearsing it to unbelievers. Or, we treat the gospel as some law of supernatural quantum physics holding everything together but too complicated to think about very much. That's a dry, flat, and depressing way to live. This brilliant, winsome book calls us back to the exhilarating bigness of the gospel, in a way that can spark up every day with crucified power. Read this book. It's like a gospel fountain flowing, deep and wide.''
Russell D. Moore, Dean, School of Theology; Senior Vice President for Academic Administration; Professor of Theology and Ethics, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
''This is good leaf, grown with gospel sap, grounded in Bible soil. Drop this fresh bag from Jared in your soul's mug, and give it a good steep. As good as the flavor was in Gospel Wakefulness, it's even better in Gospel Deeps.''
David Mathis, executive editor, desiringGod; elder, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Twin Cities, Minnesota
''If your faith in Christ is shallow, this is not the book for you. But if you are suffering, if you are sinning, if you are broken, and you need a big Savior, Jared Wilson's Gospel Deeps might take you deeper with Christ than you've ever gone before, deeper than you've ever dreamed of going. Enjoy the journey.''
Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., Lead Pastor, Immanuel Church, Nashville, Tennessee
''Jared Wilson's Gospel Deeps is not just another book on the Christian life, it is a book on what gives the Christian life - the gospel. And it isn't a mere summary of the gospel, but a plunge deep into the good news to help the reader understand the gospel's centrality and power in our lives. Gospel Deeps helps us behold and experience the glory and goodness of Jesus Christ in ways we often forget, or may be completely unfamiliar with.''
Joe Thorn, author, Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself; Lead Pastor, Redeemer Fellowship, St. Charles, Illinois
''Those without spiritual eyes will not enjoy Jared's book. How could they? All he does is stare deeply into the person of Jesus Christ and his gospel work. But for those with eyes to see, what treasures await here. Jared gazes upon the gospel from angle after angle, showing how every area of theology points back to the gospel, and reminding us that the knowledge of God is like a spiderweb - where touching any one spot makes the whole thing vibrate. Jared, like the best theologians, worships as he writes and invites readers to join him. And that means this pastor-theologian's pen is a lyrical one. Read slowly, enjoy, savor, and worship.''
Jonathan Leeman, Editorial Director, 9Marks; author, Church and the Surprising Offense of God's Love
''Wilson's Gospel Deeps offers a majestic portrait of the gospel that is far more than a solution to guilt or a one-time gate to forgiveness. It's a path we are to walk each day of our lives, an answer to the moral corruption of our culture and entire cosmos, the power to change us into authentic worshippers of God and lovers of people, and a supernatural power given to the church to bring healing to a broken world. Multifaceted in its reflection of the many spiritual blessings promised to those united with Christ, Gospel Deeps compels us to revel anew in the excellencies of Jesus.
Steve Childers, President and CEO, Global Church Advancement; Associate Professor of Practical Theology, Reformed Seminary Orlando --Review
--This text refers to the
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edition.
Review
“Wilson labors to make us appreciate the greatness and grandeur of the gospel and its Christ. Again and again he succeeds.”
—J. I. Packer, Board of Governors' Professor of Theology, Regent College
“Too many of us treat the gospel as somebody else’s news. We know it’s what saved us, but we encounter it only as we overhear ourselves rehearsing it to unbelievers. Or, we treat the gospel as some law of supernatural quantum physics—holding everything together but too complicated to think about very much. That’s a dry, flat, and depressing way to live. This brilliant, winsome book calls us back to the exhilarating bigness of the gospel, in a way that can spark up every day with crucified power. Read this book. It’s like a gospel fountain flowing, deep and wide.”
—Russell D. Moore, President, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission; author, Tempted and Tried
“This is good leaf, grown with gospel sap, grounded in Bible soil. Drop this fresh bag from Jared in your soul’s mug, and give it a good steep. As good as the flavor was in Gospel Wakefulness, it’s even better in Gospel Deeps.”
—David Mathis, executive editor, desiringGod.org; elder, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Twin Cities, Minnesota
“If your faith in Christ is shallow, this is not the book for you. But if you are suffering, if you are sinning, if you are broken, and you need a big Savior, Jared Wilson’s Gospel Deeps might take you deeper with Christ than you’ve ever gone before, deeper than you’ve ever dreamed of going. Enjoy the journey.”
—Raymond C. Ortlund Jr., Lead Pastor, Immanuel Church, Nashville, Tennessee
“Jared Wilson’s Gospel Deeps is not just another book on the Christian life, it is a book on what gives the Christian life—the gospel. And it isn’t a mere summary of the gospel, but a plunge deep into the good news to help the reader understand the gospel’s centrality and power in our lives. Gospel Deeps helps us behold and experience the glory and goodness of Jesus Christ in ways we often forget, or may be completely unfamiliar with.”
—Joe Thorn, author, Note to Self: The Discipline of Preaching to Yourself; Lead Pastor, Redeemer Fellowship, St. Charles, Illinois
“Those without spiritual eyes will not enjoy Jared’s book. How could they? All he does is stare deeply into the person of Jesus Christ and his gospel work. But for those with eyes to see, what treasures await here. Jared gazes upon the gospel from angle after angle, showing how every area of theology points back to the gospel, and reminding us that the knowledge of God is like a spiderweb—where touching any one spot makes the whole thing vibrate. Jared, like the best theologians, worships as he writes and invites readers to join him. And that means this pastor-theologian’s pen is a lyrical one. Read slowly, enjoy, savor, and worship.”
—Jonathan Leeman, Editorial Director, 9Marks; author, Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love
“Wilson’s Gospel Deeps offers a majestic portrait of the gospel that is far more than a solution to guilt or a one-time gate to forgiveness. It’s a path we are to walk each day of our lives, an answer to the moral corruption of our culture and entire cosmos, the power to change us into authentic worshippers of God and lovers of people, and a supernatural power given to the church to bring healing to a broken world. Multifaceted in its reflection of the many spiritual blessings promised to those united with Christ, Gospel Deeps compels us to revel anew in the excellencies of Jesus.”
—Steve Childers, President and CEO, Global Church Advancement; Associate Professor of Practical Theology, Reformed Seminary Orlando
“The gospel of Jesus Christ offers to us spiritual riches that exceed our wildest imaginations. Gospel Deeps is a delightful ledger of sorts to these riches. As one of the top writers in the church today, Jared Wilson labors hard to surface great gospel truth with clarity and brilliance, and in language that carries with it a steady overtone of delight. He says it well: ‘If Christ is true then boredom is a sin.’ Yes! And because Christ is true, and because Jared knows it, I dare you to find a boring page in this book.”
—Tony Reinke, Content Strategist, Desiring God Ministries; author, Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books
“First of all, a given: Jared Wilson is one of the finest and brightest young pastors and gospel thinkers in America. Second, a nongiven: Jared is still growing. What excites me most about Gospel Deeps is that it represents the trajectory of a heart that is continuing to come alive to the implications of the gospel. In this book, Jared is not just our gifted teacher, but also our worship leader. He bids us join him in putting our roots deeper and deeper into the garden of God’s grace. Thank you, my brother, for theology as doxology.”
—Scotty Smith, Founding Pastor, Christ Community Church, Franklin, Tennessee; author, The Reign of Grace, Restoring Broken Things, and Everyday Prayers: 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith
“If you have assumed that doctrine must be dull, cool, or cerebral, Gospel Deeps will disabuse you of that notion. If you think that passionate adoration and deep dogmas—sovereign election, double imputation, inaugurated eschatology—don’t belong together, Gospel Deeps will surprise you by its blend of worshipful warmth with theological profundity. If you are beginning to realize that growing up in Christ does not mean getting beyond the gospel but going more deeply into it, exploring the implications of Jesus’s sacrificial death and resurrection on our behalf, Gospel Deeps will energize your pursuit of holiness by fortifying your assurance of the Father’s unwavering love and glad acceptance. If you thirst to know the triune God who saves you, Gospel Deeps will lead you into the Word by which he reveals himself and invites us into communion with himself. Plunge into these deeps!”
—Dennis E. Johnson, Professor of Practical Theology, Westminster Seminary California
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Customer Reviews
I say that it is risky because it is not immediately practical. There are not 10 steps to "going deep in the gospel". There is no immediately practical advice for living out the Christian life.
Neither does this book make any shockingly new insights; it is not revolutionary in that sense. The point of the book is not to help you change your church, reconsider your theology, or inspire you with newfound truth.
All Jared Wilson does in Gospel Deeps is hold up an infinitely precious jewel, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and call us to marvel along with him. That's risky. Honestly, it reminds me of the preaching ministry of John Piper. It's taking the gamble that God is beautiful enough to captivate our affections and change every facet of our lives merely by meditating upon and reorienting our hearts around that which we are beholding. Wilson takes this same wager and it pays off.
But Aren't These "Gospel" Books Getting Monotonous?
That question is dealt with, in part, in the book itself. Wilson rightly says, "The further into the gospel we go, then, the bigger it gets. There is no way for us to wear it out". In one sense it is like an onion. When you peel off a layer it only reveals a deeper layer. Therefore, we never exhaust the gospel. Each time we think we've come to grips with the implications of who God is in His gospel we eventually discover that Christ is deeper still.
What happens, though, if you never peel back the layers of the onion? What if you only camp out on the ABC's of the gospel (forgiveness and a ticket to heaven) but never really plumb the depths of the gospel? Not only will this "hinder our worship", as Wilson says, but it will inevitably lead us to get bored with what we think is the exhausted gospel.
That is why this book--and many of the other "gospel" books--are not monotonous. At least they are not monotonous in as much as they peel back a layer or look at another facet of the gospel diamond. I imagine that if we kept churning out books that focused on the same facet of the gospel it might beginning feeling monotonous. But I would even say the each facet of the gospel is inexhaustible. And each facet could be plumbed for all of eternity. That seems to be what Wilson is doing in this book. He is holding up a diamond and turning it ever so slowly with each chapter and then drawing us in to worship.
My Take
Personally, I loved the book. There were some chapters that were absolutely life-shaping. My favorite chapter by far was the chapter on gospel joy. It was something that I needed to be reminded of and an aspect of the gospel that I needed to camp out on and just chew for awhile.
The writing is phenomenal, as to be expected from Jared Wilson. He uses humor and wit quite well. He can jab you in the throat with convicting statements and then a few paragraphs later have you laughing about it and reveling in the forgiveness we have in Christ. He is also very artistic. At times the more casual reader might be taken aback by some of the loaded sentences. If you like reading C.S. Lewis you'll like reading Jared Wilson. There is enough in this book, though, that even if you trip up over a Narnia reference you'll still thoroughly enjoy and be shaped by the book.
Gospel Deeps was a risky book. But I'm glad that Jared Wilson took the risk. He's right. Jesus is precious enough that you can just reflect on His awesomeness for 200 pages and still want more. I wish more preachers, myself included, understood this. Just telling people for 45 minutes how amazing Jesus and His gospel truly are, is abundantly practical.
Of course, following Jesus doesn't mean a life void of suffering, and Wilson presents some biblical ideas of why God allows suffering. However, the key to this chapter is resting in Jesus in the midst of our suffering more than about trying to find a reason for our suffering.
A couple other highlights are Wilson's chapter on the atonement and a discussion of the attributes of Christ being always present in the incarnate Christ.
While there was some areas that I was in disagreement with Wilson (he holds to a deterministic view of God's providence), I still found myself impacted by his deep love of Jesus and his authenticity in sharing some intimate details of his spiritual journey. GOSPEL DEEPS is a celebration of "the excellencies of Christ," and a focus on Christ's character and nature is much needed by believers and the Body of Christ as a whole.
I received this book for free for review from Crossway Books, and the opinions contained in this review are completely my own
God is big, weighty, thick, immense. This is no cliche, although we could make it one. God is so big that to dwell on his immensity long enough could lead one into terror. In the display of his glory God is beyond overwhelming. We sense God's bigness in his interaction with [us]. (p. 11)
Wilson begins by roundly condemning the evangelical propensity to put the gospel in a box that "gets our sins forgiven and gives us a ticket to heaven" but "end[s] up missing its depth" (p. 19). He cries out "Woe to the flatteners of what is hyperspatial, multidimensional, intra-Trinitarian, and eternal in ways awesomer than `one year after another'" (p. 30).
Wilson then moves forward taking each chapter to unpack one multifaceted diamond edge of the gospel. He moves from the gospel's threefold vision (1 Peter 2) to the God focus of the gospel to Christian hedonism ("The heart of God is vast, his grace is free, his gospel is exhilarating. Uncross your arms and unpurse your lips" p. 91) to our adoption (I loved pp. 154-55). It reminded me of riding a roller-coaster for the first time--slowly climbing that first hill. Then the drop takes your breath away. You think Nothing could be more wonderfully terrible than that and then you take that dropped, hair-pin turn, 360 almost slamming into a perfectly placed stone wall but you survive.
Wilson is quickly becoming one of my favorites writers. He writes plainly so that just about anyone could pick up this book and grasp it but there's also a depth to his words. He moves seamless in out of biblical & literary allusions and pop culture references. None of these are forced or pressured rather they enhance the topic at hand.
I can't recommend Gospel Deeps enough. I'm planning on re-reading it later this year just to digest everything a bit more completely. If you know someone who loves the gospel Gospel Deeps is your book. If you know someone who doesn't love the gospel enough Gospel Deeps is your book. Pretty much anyone who loves the gospel or doesn't should read this book. It will point you to Jesus and teach you to love him more. Can you ask for anything more?
