Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.
God Is the Gospel and over 300,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle – Amazon’s new wireless reading device. Learn more

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
41 used & new from $6.22
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book
Start reading God Is the Gospel on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don’t have a Kindle? Get yours here.
 
  

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself (Hardcover)

by John Piper (Author)
Key Phrases: Jesus Christ, Jonathan Edwards, Holy Spirit (more...)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
List Price: $17.99
Price: $12.23 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $5.76 (32%)
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Want it delivered Thursday, July 16? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
25 new from $8.89 16 used from $6.22
Also Available in: List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
Kindle Edition (Kindle Book) $9.99
Paperback (Import) 3 used & new from $14.73
Audio Download (Audible.com) $14.98 $7.87
Audio CD (Unabridged) $23.98 $18.70 17 used & new from $15.60

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Frequently Bought Together

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself + Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist + The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God's Delight in Being God
Price For All Three: $32.61

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

by Timothy Keller
4.3 out of 5 stars (190)  $15.72
Don't Waste Your Life

Don't Waste Your Life

by John Piper
4.4 out of 5 stars (64)  $10.97
What Jesus Demands from the World

What Jesus Demands from the World

by John Piper
4.7 out of 5 stars (27)  $13.59
The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God's Delight in Being God

The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God's Delight in Being God

by John Piper
4.7 out of 5 stars (38)  $10.19
Taste and See: Savoring the Supremacy of God in All of Life

Taste and See: Savoring the Supremacy of God in All of Life

by John Piper
4.8 out of 5 stars (6)  $10.19
› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

This book is a cry from the heart of John Piper. He is pleading that God himself, as revealed in Christ’s death and resurrection, is the ultimate and greatest gift of the gospel.

None of Christ’s gospel deeds and none of our gospel blessings are good news except as means of seeing and savoring the glory of Christ. Forgiveness is good news because it opens the way to the enjoyment of God himself. Justification is good news because it wins access to the presence and pleasures of God himself. Eternal life is good news because it becomes the everlasting enjoyment of Christ.

All God’s gifts are loving only to the degree that they lead us to God himself. That is what God’s love is: his commitment to do everything necessary (most painfully the death of his only Son) to enthrall us with what is most deeply and durably satisfying—namely, himself.

Saturated with Scripture, centered on the cross, and seriously joyful, this book leads us to satisfaction for the deep hungers of the soul. It touches us at the root of life where practical transformation gets its daily power. It awakens our longing for Christ and opens our eyes to his beauty.

Piper writes for the soul-thirsty who have turned away empty and in desperation from the mirage of methodology. He invites us to slow down and drink from a deeper spring. "This is eternal life," Jesus said, "that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." This is what makes the gospel—and this book—good news.

About the Author
ECPA Gold Medallion winner John Piper is senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis and the head of Desiring God. He has written numerous books on topics that include personal holiness, missions and historical figures.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Crossway Books (September 8, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1581347510
  • ISBN-13: 978-1581347517
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #193,225 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #76 in  Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( P ) > Piper, John

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jesus Christ, Jonathan Edwards, Holy Spirit, New Haven, Yale University Press, Lord Jesus, Son of God, Grand Rapids, New Testament, Christ Jesus, John Owen, Crossway Books, Old Testament, John Piper, John Calvin, God the Father, Don't Desire God, Spirit of Christ, Banner of Truth, William Mounce, John Smith, Mark Valeri, Pastoral Epistles, Son of Man, The Pleasantness of Religion
New!
Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 35 books:
See all 35 books this book cites

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself
89% buy the item featured on this page:
God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself 4.5 out of 5 stars (20)
$12.23
God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself (John Piper Small Group)
4% buy
God Is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself (John Piper Small Group)
$9.99
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
2% buy
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism 4.3 out of 5 stars (190)
$15.72
Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist
2% buy
Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist 4.4 out of 5 stars (119)
$10.19
Explore similar items

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.
(9)
(8)
(5)
(4)
(4)
(3)
(3)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
See all 20 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search
No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more
 

Customer Reviews

20 Reviews
5 star:
 (16)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Reminder to a Protean Evangelical World, November 15, 2005
By Phillip H. Steiger (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
I am not an old man, and I have only been pastoring for a little over a decade, but I am already weary with the evangelical church's thirst for relevance. There is a clear biblical mandate to make disciples, preach the Gospel to every nation, and to become all things to all people, but far too often, the form that takes is one that gives up too much theologically. We are too prone to neglect the core realities of the Gospel of Christ in our pursuit to make it palatable to the rest of the world.

John Piper's God Is the Gospel is a candle in the doctrinal darkness that we seem to be in far too often. Piper's call in this small but thoughtful book is to reestablish God as the center of his good news-God gave us himself because he is the best thing we could be given. Right from the very beginning, the Reformation theology Piper is so famous for is right on the surface and clearly guiding his work. I do not consider myself particularly reformed, but I appreciated deeply the God-centered focus of the book and Piper's willingness to be theologically straightforward.

On the opening page, Piper's focus is clear, "The acid test of biblical God-centeredness-and faithfulness to the gospel-is this: Do you feel more loved because God makes much of you, or because, as the cost of his Son, he enables you to enjoy making much of him forever?" (11). This sentiment sets the tone for the rest of the book. Piper does not deny that we take great joy in our salvation and that God does make much of us, but the purpose and progression of sanctification should lead us to the reality that the greatest joy we can have is making much of him. Not long after this thesis statement, Piper explains what he means with the phrase "God Is the Gospel," "When I say, God Is the Gospel I mean that the highest, best, final, decisive good of the gospel, without which no other gifts would be good, is the glory of God in the face of Christ revealed for our everlasting enjoyment." (13)

Through much of the rest of the book, Piper focuses on this theme of the glory of God revealed in Christ. Though the biblical notion of the "glory of God" can be wide-ranging and difficult to pin-down in an easy to grasp fashion at times, Piper does a wonderful job of explicating the notion and encouraging the reader to take pleasure in God and his glory.

Though it is not an academic work, it is well cited and researched. His ability to be conversant with the Puritans was clear, and I appreciate the way he quoted and handled Edwards. It is good for us pastors and contemporary Christians to be reminded that we have a rich and "relevant" theological history that goes back beyond a couple of decades. The theologian Thomas Oden has written that he has become hesitant to, "trust anyone under `three hundred'," and that he believes "[w]e should be passionately dedicated to unoriginality." I believe Piper would add a hearty "amen!"

If there are any drawbacks to God Is the Gospel, they would be in its chapter and section format. Though I believe that chapters broken into smaller sections can aid a reader, especially a busy reader, there were too many sections within chapters that were too small. At times, there were as many as four sections on a set of opposing pages, and from time to time their proliferation became a hindrance to the flow of the argument.

But ultimately, that is a small matter. I would heartily recommend God Is the Gospel as a wonderful and rich reminder of the core of our lives and the life of the Church: the glory of Christ in his gospel.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars It's All About God!, October 26, 2005
When I sat down to read God Is The Gospel, I have to admit that I was feeling a bit world-weary. I was even dreading to read this book. I didn't want to read anything. I just wanted to wallow in my self-pity. It is sad, but true.

But, I sat down to force myself to read this book. After two pages, I wasn't forcing myself anymore. I felt myself being sucked into a profound theological philosophy. I was reading words that didn't just tell me what I should be doing as a Christian--these words told me why I am a Christian and how wonderful the gift of God is to me. The words I was reading were seeping into my heart and reminding me that I am to savor the glory of Christ.

We are privileged to worship and enjoy God. While we do not deserve the attention and love God gives us, He has done everything to get our attention. He wants to bring us to Him so that we can enjoy Him. He wants us to know Him! He wants us to realize that the gospel is about Him! God is the gospel!

John Piper really hits home with this book and reminds us that it is really all about God. If you are looking for something more filling, something to quench your thirst for truth, then this book is for you. You will walk away with a greater understanding of the gifts God has given us--especially the gift of Himself.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Book That Finally Glorifies God and Not Man!, October 20, 2005
Much of what you read these days coming out of the Christian world if full of glory to men but few books are written anymore that truly honour God first and foremost. You would think even from the number of "study" Bibles that have come out these days that even the Bible was written primarily for men. How mistaken we are.

The gospel, writes John Piper, is all about God and only secondary is it about men. Jesus died as our propitiation (1 John 2:2) but He died to satisfy the wrath of a holy and just God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus did not die to defeat Satan or to ransom mankind from the grasp of the enemy but rather He died in our place of judgment (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). He took our sins (John 1:29) and He bore our punishment (1 Peter 2:21-25). Only His blood satisfies the wrath of God (Romans 5:1-11; 1 Peter 1:17-25) and sanctifies the believer (Hebrews 10:10-14).

And this is just what Piper does in this book. He helps us to see that the gospel is all about God. Evangelism, worship, prayer, Bible reading and study, etc. all are to be done to the glory of God. Our lives are to be to the glory of God (Romans 12:1-2). The gospel is not about making us feel better or to help us have a new outlook on life or to help us find purpose but its about a holy God sending His only begotten Son in the person of Jesus Christ and the perfect Son taking our place on the cross (Galatians 3:10-29) and then God the Spirit drawing men to Christ (John 6:44; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:3-14) and regenerating us by His sovereign grace (Acts 2:38; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 2:11-14; 3:5-7).

The gospel is about God! And this book will help you see that wonderful truth.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, mind-blowing work!
Piper did a wonderful job with this book in taking a hard look at the gospel message and what it means. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Samuel Kordik

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK!!!!
One of the best books i have ever read! Christ-exalting, Gospel-centered! a book i would love to buy as a gift for others and one i'd like to re-read!
Published 4 months ago by C. Ray

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading
John Piper is one of my favorite contemporary authors. Few books have impacted me as deeply as did his Desiring God. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Brian G Hedges

5.0 out of 5 stars God is the Gospel
Every Christian should read this book. It is so simple, yet so profound. In this day of misuse of scripture, with the blending of humanism in many teachings, this tells it like... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Judith P. Hon

5.0 out of 5 stars The Title Says It All
I have read most of John Piper's books and this is my favorite. The title says it all. John does a good job of keeping the main thing the main thing. Read more
Published 11 months ago by David Kastner

2.0 out of 5 stars Good message - boring narrator
I was really excited to listen to this book on CD. Unfortunately, the narrator almost put me to sleep! I don't think he did the message justice, and I think it's too bad.
Published 14 months ago by Connie Mcconnell

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't underestimate the title...
John Piper called this book his most important that he has ever written. With that in mind, I decided to read it. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Seth McBee

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate reason the "good news" is so good: God
God is the Gospel! This is the devastatingly powerful title of an excellent book written by John Piper. Read more
Published 16 months ago by A. B. Seal

5.0 out of 5 stars Read, and Reread this Book: God is the Gospel.
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I encourage every seeker of the true and living God to read this wonderful, God-honoring book. Dr. Piper is at his best. Read more
Published on May 22, 2007 by tc robinson

1.0 out of 5 stars Again, Only a Vertical Faith?
Alas - not unlike one of the earlier reviewers who is bone-weary of those attempting to make the faith 'relevant', I too am equally exhausted, but not by the same complaint... Read more
Published on May 5, 2007 by Michael Hollingshead

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

So You'd Like to...

Create a guide

Look for Similar Items by Category

A Savings Shower

Home Improvement Value Center
Find the right showerhead at the right price in the Home Improvement Value Center, where you can find items up to 50% off.

›Shop the Value Center

  

Big Savings in Books

Bargain Books
Find great titles at fantastic prices in our Bargain Books Store.
 

Get the Cutting Power of a Chain Saw

Shop for chain saws
Whether you're trimming limbs in the yard or removing entire trees, nothing cuts like a chain saw.

›Shop for chain saws

  

Best Books

Best of the Month
See our editors' picks and more of the best new books on our Best of the Month page.
  

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Where's My Stuff?

Shipping & Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue shopping: Top Sellers
Paranoia
Paranoia by Joseph Finder
4.1 out of 5 stars (197)$0.00
 My Soul to Lose
My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent
4.2 out of 5 stars (4)$0.00
 Glenn Beck's Common Sense
Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck
3.7 out of 5 stars (276)$6.59
 Glenn Beck's Common Sense
Glenn Beck's Common Sense by Glenn Beck
3.7 out of 5 stars (276)$6.59

amazon.com Amazon.com Home  |   Directory of All Stores
International Sites:  Canada  |  United Kingdom  |  Germany  |  Japan  |  France  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Build an eCommerce Site  |  Advertise With Us  |  Developer Services  |  Self-Publish with Us
Help  |  View Cart  |  Your Account  |  1-Click Settings
Investor Relations  |  Press Releases  |  Careers at Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates