In His Image

I received an advance review copy of this book from Netgalley and Crossway.

Having been blessed by Jen Wilkins’ previous books I was excited to read her newest title and I was certainly not disappointed.

The book outlines 10 communicable attributes of God (eg. Gracious, Merciful, Faithful) Truth and for each one explains how God is like this and how we in turn should seek to be like this.

The book is engaging with personal stories but is rooted in scripture and although an excellent read is also incredibly challenging. For example on the chapter on Grace, she states: “ Christians should not have the reputation for being merely fair. We should have the reputation for playing favourites with everyone except ourselves…”- What a challenge!

I would recommend this to anyone who is passionate to know God’s will for their life and who wants to grow in their sanctification. It is not a hard or long read but is definitely a volume which will leave you, challenged and encouraged to grow more like Christ.

In the book "In His Image", Jen Wilkin discusses 10 attributes of God: holy, loving, good, just, merciful, gracious, faithful, patient, truthful, and wise.. The central message of this book is that we should be seeking to reflect our God, even though we will never be able to be perfect as He is. The chapter that resonated the most with me was the chapter that talked about God's love. I found it enlightening to hear about the different types of love mentioned in the Bible (philia - brother/sisterly love between peers, eros - romantic love, storge - parent's love for a child, and agape - the love of God). I also found it very interesting that agape occurs 259 times in the New Testament, while philia is used 54 times, and storge and eros do not occur at all. That chapter really taught me a lot about applying agape love into my own life in order to mirror the love of God.

Unfortunately, I did find the book to be a bit redundant at times, and there were times that it failed to keep my interest. I would recommend this book to a friend because it does have some valuable and interesting points, and the author is very knowledgeable. But overall, it was just okay for me - 3.5 stars.

The subtitle for this book--10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character--aptly describe its content. Jen Wilkin offers an interesting and challenging look at how we are to mirror 10 of God's most revealed traits. However, I disagree with the premise given in the Introduction chapter that this book replaces traditional books about how to know God's will. The Introduction would have the reader believe that being who God wants us to be eliminates the need to carefully consider each decision we make using more traditional decision making steps. Yes, mirroring His image will definitely help us to walk like Jesus. But decisions still need to be weighed and made using more than just our character. I believe this book should delete that introductory premise. It would still be a powerful book about walking like Jesus without offering what I think is a faulty premise.

Wilken's book came at such a needed time in my life, when I was questioning His will for various aspects of my life. Wilken rightly points out the way to know this is by knowing Him and pursing God's communicable attributes in our lives.

"Without meaning to, we can begin to regard our relationship with God primarily as a means toward better decision-making. We can slip into a conception of God as a Dear Abby, a benevolent advice columnist who fields our toughest questions about relationships and circumstances. Because we do not trust our judgment, we ask him who we should marry or which job we should take. We ask him where to spend our money or which neighborhood to move into."

"For the believer wanting to know God's will for her life, the first question to pose is not "What should I do?" but "Who should I be?"

I highlighted so much of this book, because there were so many gems that pointed me to Scripture.

I treated Wilken's book as a daily devotional. At the end of each chapter, she has Scripture for consideration and questions and guided prayer prompts. I've been convicted of areas of my life that need to be committed to Christ. It's given me perspective on avenues that help me answer the question she poses, "Who should I be?" I've also been able to use what I've learned to encourage a friend.

Highly recommend.

I received this book as an advanced review copy from NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions listed above are my own.

We are to be Christlike but what does that mean? Wilkin helps readers understand that this goes beyond the “What should I do?” to “Who should I be?” She reminds us that we can know God's will for our character and godly character will produce godly action.

I like that Wilkin distinguishes the character traits God alone can have, such as his omnipresence and omniscience. What she writes about in this book are the traits we are to exhibit. We are to bear the image of God, not become God. (Loc 139/1557) She explores that God is holy, loving, just, good, merciful, gracious, faithful, truthful, patient, and wise.

My favorite chapter was on justice and on how we are to secure justice for the oppressed. Or maybe it was the chapter on patience. I like how Wilkin related patience and anger. After all, we are to wait upon the Lord. That helped me understand why some people are so angry with God. I also liked her teaching on the abundant life as a life lived in humility.

The chapter that challenged me the most was the one on truth. “Truth is anything that conforms to reality,” she writes. (Loc 1217/1557) Acknowledging that God is truthful is affirming that God defines all objective reality, she says. I am still thinking about all of that.

Included at the end of each chapter are Scripture verses for further meditation, questions for discussion or journaling, and a prayer prompt.

I recommend this book to any Christian desiring to understand what it means to become more Christlike. You'll find good teaching and additional material to help you on your way.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Jen Wilkin is a speaker, writer, and teacher of women's Bible studies. During her seventeen years of teaching, she has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. She and her family are members of the Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas.

Crossway, 176 pages. Note: this book releases May 31, 2018.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Jen Wilkin has a way of making difficult theological concepts understandable and relatable. In His Image explains 10 attributes of God that we can live out in our lives, such as grace, mercy, thanksgiving, and love. I highly recommend this book, along with her other book, None Like Him, as a small group study or devotional. Both books include reflection questions and verses at the end of each chapter.

I really loved this book. It had so many good ways of expressing the various parts of God and his love for His people. it made me rethink some of my previous thoughts and dig dipper into the word through the scriptures/questions/prayers at the end of each chapter. I'm so looking forward to going back through the book and working on those in a journal and really utilizing that resource. I'd recommend In His Image for anyone who is a fan of Jen's previous books (me!) or would just like a resource to go further into the word with the image of God.

In His Image is the companion/sequel book to Jen Wilkin’s None Like Him, one of my favorite reads last year. While None Like Him covered the attributes of God that are solely His (and applying them to ourselves results in sin), In His Image is all about His communicable characteristics: holy, loving, good, just, merciful, gracious, faithful, patient, truthful and wise. These are the traits we are to pursue after.

As expected, Ms. Wilkin did not disappoint. From the beginning, she engages both my mind and heart as she lays out why we need to study who God is. Yes, because He is God and desires us to know Him. But even more precise, He formed us in His image and the more we are like Him, the more we glorify Him. But how are we to become more like Him if we don’t know what He’s like?

Ms. Wilkin presents both the biblical/theological basis and practical applications from knowing God’s character. From the beginning, the author gives an insightful application to the pursuit of these godly characters. Theology, or the study of God, is not just a heady topic, but as explained by this book, could be and should be manifested in our everyday life.

One example is through our decision-making, something even the seasoned believers often struggle with. We have all been guilty of treating God’s will as something elusive and a mystery to be solved. Ms Wlkins has a clearer solution (which is also Dr. John MacArthur’s point in his book, Found: God’s Will),

“For the believer wanting to know God’s will for her life, the first question to pose is not ‘What should I do?’ but ‘Who should I be?’...What does it profit me to make the right choice if I’m still the wrong person?...The hope of the Gospel in our sanctification is not simply that we would make better choices, but that we would become better people....What is God’s will for your life? Put simply, that you would be like Christ.”

Each chapter covers an attribute and comes with a list of Bible verses for mediation, questions to ponder and a prayer suggestion. My favorite chapter is perhaps the one on God being truthful. It’s a great resource for both personal and group study. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher to review, but will buy copies of it to give away to my friends and family. I plan to study the book with my daughters, who enjoyed going through None Like Him with me.

*I received an advanced copy from the publisher through #netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First sentence: If you’ve ever said, “I just want to know God’s will for my life,” this book is for you.

Premise/plot: In His Image isn't your typical what-is-God's-will-for-my-life 'self-help' book. I'm tempted to put in the exclamation: far from it! Wilkin writes:
"God is always more concerned with the decision-maker than he is with the decision itself... For the believer wanting to know God’s will for her life, the first question to pose is not “What should I do?” but “Who should I be?” The Bible plainly answers the question “Who should I be?” with “Be like Jesus Christ, who perfectly images God in human form.”"

We were created in the image of God, and we are called to reflect that image. Wilkin has selected ten characteristics of God that we are called--commanded--to reflect in our lives.

God is holy. We are called to be holy. God is love. We are called to love. God is good. We are called to be good. God is just. We are called to be just--to love justice, to hate injustice. God is merciful. We are called to show mercy. God is gracious. We are called to be gracious. God is faithful. We are called to be faithful. God is patient. We are called to be patient. God is truthful. In fact he is the way, the TRUTH, and the life. We are called to be truthful as well. We are to love truth--treasure it--and hate lies. We are to remember who is incapable of lying and who is the father of lies. God is wise. We are called to be wise. We are called to live with discernment.

The first chapter is of the utmost importance. She writes, "the Bible wants our first thought about God to be that he is holy." She warns, "If we emphasize any of his attributes above or apart from his holiness, we fashion him after our own imagining or for our own ends."

"Holiness permeates the entire Christian profession. It lies at the very center of the gospel. We are not merely saved from depravity; we are saved to holiness. Conversion entails consecration. Growing in holiness means growing in our hatred of sin. But reflecting the character of God involves more than just casting off the garment of our old ways. It entails putting on the garment of our new inheritance. Growing in holiness means growing into being loving, just, good, merciful, gracious, faithful, truthful, patient, and wise."

My thoughts: I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this one. It's a GREAT book on the character of God. It's a great book on how to live the Christian life. Or if you want to get fancy--it is a great book about sanctification.

This book may appear to be just for women--especially for women. It is a book EVERY believer would benefit from reading. This book wisely keeps the Word of God front and center.

We are called to be ambassadors for God, every day we should be striving harder and harder to be like Him. Rather than what should I do? We should be asking how can I be like you?. In this book, we learn how to draw closer to Him, and how to reflect Him in our lives.

This book is great as an independent study, or as a group in a church setting.

In His Image digs deep into some of the major the characteristics of God and how we can and should be reflections of Him to the world. The book looks at God Most Holy, Loving, Good, Just, Merciful, Gracious, Faithful, Patient, Truthful, and Wise. Hopefully this doesn’t come as a shock to you, that even though we are created in His image, we are not (nor will we be) perfectly like Him. As sinners, we are in need of a Savior. While Jesus comes in and changes our hearts, we will still wrestle with sin in our life. That doesn’t mean we should embrace it or brush it under the rug as nothing, but it should be active in our minds to turn from our sins and strive to be more Christ-like.

Jen uses practical, real-life stories to explain deep, theological principles. Just as Jesus spoke in parables, we can begin to understand complex truths we don’t fully understand, when they are explained using stories we do. She also used plenty of scriptures to back up what she was saying. She gave God’s Word the ultimate authority and not merely our life understandings.

One piece that stuck out to me in the book was when Jen talked about our desire for God’s will in our life. How often do we go to God and ask Him “What should I do?” Not saying we should never pray that, but she poses that we should ask the question “Who should I be?” Our desire for God’s will in our lives should be more than just knowing what to physically do in this life, but about transforming our hearts to be more like Christ. She says “without meaning to, we can begin to regard our relationship with God primarily as a means toward decision making.”

I appreciate how the book was written to not only teach, but encourage and correct. First she shares about how God is each of the characteristics for the chapters. Then she shares both how we should and how we shouldn’t live, to be a better image-bearer of Him. She doesn’t pretend to be perfect herself, but instead shares her own flaws and need for Jesus. She also doesn’t shy away from sharing things we probably need to be actively convicted on to change in our lives (ex: patience). God doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but if Jesus has truly changed our hearts, it should change how we act and think in this life. Instead of living for ourselves, our eyes should be focused on God.

I highly recommend this study, and hope that it can be a blessing and encouragement to you as well 🙂

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the author in hopes of an honest review. I was not obligated to give a positive review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.

This is the best book I’ve read in a long time. The goal of the book is to know God and allow him to make us more like Him. Wilkin gently but firmly guides the reader to know more about Gods character and challenges us to desire to reflect that character. Very practical. The application side of the book is fabulous. Wilkin has such a great way of saying it like it is but in a loving way. EVERYTHING is backed by scripture. This is not fluff. It is deep and meaty. I read it slowly so I could chew on every nugget of wisdom. My understanding of who God is has increased tremendously after reading this book. My bible reading has also gotten better with this increased understanding of who God is. Great book.
I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and he publisher in exchange for my honest review. It was so good I bought a copy!

In this book, we are reminded that, as image bearers of God, we are called to reflect characteristics of God. The book discusses ten in-depth - holy, loving, just, good, merciful, patient, graceful, truthful, faithful, and wise - and encourages us with ways we can better reflect God to others. The end of each chapter has questions for reflection and a prayer prompt.

I enjoyed reading more in-depth on each of the ten qualities and receiving insight on what they look like reflected in us. I enjoyed that the opposite of each quality was discussed as well.

Many of us have asked: What is God’s will for my life? What should I do? In her book, Jen Wilkin turns these questions around and asks: Who should I be? Using ten attributes of God, she shows how the Bible is actually very clear about the will of God for our lives. We should look more and more like the One who made us and formed us into His image.

One of the highlights of this book is the reflection section at the end of each chapter. It includes scripture passages and thought provoking questions to help the truths of the book stick. I highly recommend In His Image!

This book makes an audacious claim, that after reading this book, we will never have to ask what God's will is for us in the conventional way. Instead of "What should I do?" ask the better questions: "What should I be?" Knowing what we ought to become would guide all of our questions pertaining to our goals, our future, and our desire to honour God. This simple but highly effective paradigm shift puts us on a whole new path forward as far as seeking God's will is concerned. It is essentially following that narrow way, the kingdom road, the path of God's character. We turn our search for something outside of ourselves into an awareness of an inner need for change. We become less interested in spiritual information and look toward spiritual formation. We follow less in the ways of the world and more in the way of Christ. Ways like being holy to be more like God. Being more loving to grow beyond human limited love toward spiritual freedom that loves beyond limit. We learn about God's goodness that we could aspire to emulate. That light is not just about doing good things. It's about reflecting Christ's goodness. We learn about just law, just discipline, just wrath, and just character. We learn mercy, graciousness, faithfulness, patience, truthfulness, and wisdom, all of these attributes are exactly what we need and all could be found in God. The goal is to become better people ourselves. The way is to reflect Christ's character. Turn away from the world. Turn toward Christ. Move forward to become more and more like Christ each day. The 10 ways that Wilkin has listed can help kickstart our journey to become more like God.


Three Thoughts
First, this book addresses a popular question at a lay level. Written clearly and directed at a general Christian public, she poses the need to change the way we ask questions about God's will. I have read many books on Christian discernment and the ways to find the will of God. Many of these books are weighty and packed with information that might be too daunting for busy people hard-pressed for time. By changing the question, Wilkin frees herself from being compared to the other heavier volumes and more theological treatments about what God's will is.

Second, her point about moving from "doing" to "being" is nothing new but still bears repeating due to the importance and frequency of people asking about it. Many spiritual masters have spoken widely about this. Some even turn it into humourous quips like "Do-Be-Do-Be-Do" or clever phrases like "let's be human BEings instead of human DOings." If something is important, repetition is no problem. The problem lies in our tendency to forget things we have heard and seen.

Third, without practice, this book would vanish into the background while we await another book about God's will. The best questions could be asked. The best answers could be given. Until we learn to apply it ourselves, we will not progress beyond head knowledge. Begin with any of the 10 ways Wilkin has listed. If you could practise even one, that would be massive already. For the more adventurous, there are plenty of inspiration from the Bible to grow more into the image of Christ. Take the fruit of the Spirit; the gifts of the Spirit; and the call to love one another in ways described in 1 Corinthians 13. The Bible would be an invaluable resource. Hopefully, this book would inspire people to dig deeper into the Word themselves, so that they could grow beyond just 10 ways.

A useful book to help guide our constant search to be better people each day.

Jen Wilkin is wife, mother of four kids, and a popular contributor on several Christian websites. She leads women bible studies regularly and calls The Village Church as her spiritual home.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Jen Wilkin is an author I'm starting to love. I love her writing style, her thoughts and how much scripture she includes in her books. In His Image is all about how we can reflect the character of God and not by just one example, but she gives us 10 different ways to do so. This is not a book you want to fly through. This is a book you want to pace yourself with and use a Bible with to take in-depth notes and really grasp the points that Jen shares. I love that this is an interactive one in which she gives the reader verses to read and meditate on, questions to reflect on and a place to write out a personal prayer based on the chapter read. Jen talks about things we should all know, but don't really put too much thought into.

This is a book that would be perfect in a book club setting, but I think this even better as a personal read to really reflect on your personal relationship with God. I totally recommend this gem!

Another great book by Jen Wilkin! She takes us straight to the simplicity of God’s will for our lives, yet touches so deeply on the depths of its treasures. I highly recommend this book.

In His Image

10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character

by Jen Wilkin

Crossway

Christian , Religion & Spirituality

Pub Date 31 May 2018

I am reviewing a copy of In His Image through Crossway and Netgalley:

If you are looking for a book that encourages you to grow closer to the Lord then In His Image is just the book for you.

Jen Wilkin helps us to explore who God is. God is of course Holy. We are encouraged to both chase Holiness and grow in it. We are reminded too that God is love! We are reminded too that God is of course good! God is also Merciful. God is also Gracious. We are reminded too that God is faithful and patient.

Wilkin’s reminds us God is truthful, he is also wise.

I give In His Image five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

A better question for the Christian wanting to know God's will for his/her life, is not what should I do but who should I be?

We are bombarded with what should we do. From our anxieties and fears to our hopes and dreams, we can get our hearts and minds in tizzy when it comes to knowing what God's will is for our life. Knowing God's will comes to not what we can do but who we are. Our example is of Christ on who we can be.

Jen Wilkin is one of my favorite teachers in bible study. She directs her readers to the root of the problem and redirects them to the solution. It does seem like pie in the sky to say Jesus is the solution, but it is more than just saying it, it is directing our hearts to Jesus. We cannot focus our actions without dealing with our hearts. If we are dealing with anger, we must deal with the root of our anger. If we are dealing with addiction, we must deal with the root of addiction. Not dealing with the root, will always lead us in circles and in despair.

The 10 Ways God Calls Us is a call to God's attributions. Starting with his holiness It is from his holiness that all of his attribution are rooted in. His faithfulness his rooted in holiness. Wilkin gives scriptural definitions of God's attributions and how we can emulate them. It is vital that we know his word to know him.

I was reminded of what agape love really means. It is unconditional because it is not met with a need. We can love with an agape love when we do not have the expectations of others meeting our needs. We can love freely. I can love my children but they do not meet my need of food, clothes and intimacy. We do need those to survive, however, it is important to see what the root of love really is. Is it a love based on need or meeting the needs of others. That is what makes love so complex. Loving others and God is part of the will of God and for our joy.

There is so much in this study and I highly recommend Jen Wilkin in general. She is solid bible teacher. She teaches with compassion and truth.

A Special Thank You to Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

This book is a practical and very readable book on ten attributes of God. Shorter chapters make it read like a daily devotional. Though not deep seminary level material, there is a depth to Jens writing that I often find lacking in many Christian books written for primarily a female audience. I felt encouraged and challenged as I read, as my desire is to live a life that reflects Gods character. This is a book that I would not hesitate to gift to a friend. I plan to use it in my book club.

For me, Jen Wilkin's book In His Image was such a beautiful reminder of things my mind knows and my heart forgets. I love the way Wilkin's marries scripture with personal and practical stories that help the reader engage with not only her as an author, but with Christ Himself through Scripture. I would highly recommend this book for groups to discuss together as it is the perfect balance between discussion topics and deep theological dives into the image of God in us.

This is an encouraging, inspiring, and convictIng study on the attributes of God. This book was refreshing. It’s not a Christian “self-help” book, but one that is grounded in Scripture. Jen Wilken writes with conviction and purpose. She includes examples from her own life and the lives of others as practical application, but the heart of this book comes directly from the Scripture she uses to introduce and teach each attribute. The first chapter on God’s holiness is worth the cost of the book. As you read through the chapters describing 10 of the attributes of God and how these apply to our lives, you are invited into a closer walk with Him. At the end of each chapter, there are questions and scripture references for further thought. This book would be great for a weekly study with a group, as well as for individual study.

I highlighted quite a few passages in this book, and I’ll be going back through this again for a slower, thoughtful study.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This is one solid, Biblically based book that every Christian should read! It’s my first Jen Wilkin book and she’s definitely become one of my new favorite authors now!
This book focuses on the question “what is God’s will for my life?” and answers it by digging deeper into 10 attributes of God that we are to be reflecting in our sanctification process.
I wouldn’t label this as a “light read” because it’s certainly not fluff, but it is easy to understand and very easy to draw applications from.
Each chapter finishes with reflection questions and prayer prompts which were both very useful and practical.
I appreciated the many times Jen uses personal examples and stories that make the book even more relatable...like her confession of finding herself caught in a lie while in the midst of writing the chapter about truthfulness!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone!
*I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Jen breaks down the characteristics of God that we as humans are able to emulate. This book is organized in a way that makes sense and makes for an easy read. The reflection questions at the end of each chapter allow you to go deeper.

This is my first exposure to Jen Wilkins, although I've heard a lot about her. She is a solid Bible teacher. Some real life examples, but a lot of exegeting from Scripture. I'd especially recommend this book to a new believer who was wanting to make sure her doctrinal understanding was sound.

This book nails the premise of seeking God’s will. The very fact that we are currently able to breathe in and out means that we are recipients of His mercy. I love how she spoke on justice, mercy, and grace. She said that justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we do not deserve. She called mercy and grace sisters. She talks about God and all His amazing attributes and HOW, we as His children, are to walk in the light of these truths about Him and us as we are made in His Image. I highly recommend this read and look forward to reading more from her in the future.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Jen Wilkin is such an amazing author! Her books have helped countless women realize that they can study theology and that they don't have to be satisfied with fluff Bible studies aimed at making women feel good about themselves. In His Image, along with None Like Him and Women of the Word, is a game changer. There are a lot of great thoughts in here; so much could be underlined or highlighted!

"Sometimes we ask What is God’s will for my life? when we should really be asking Who should I be? The Bible has an answer: Be like the very image of God."

In "In His Image" Wilkin explores ten characteristics of who God is, He is holy, loving, just, good, merciful, gracious, faithful, patient, truthful, and wise. And through her book we can understand who God intends for us to be. Through Christ, we discover how God’s attributes impact how we live Following His will and being conformed to His image will lead us to find freedom and purpose.

This is my third 5-star read by Jen Wilkin and once again she delivered! I have now read all her books and had the opportunity to see her speak. She challenges and inspires me on so many levels. One of her trademark teachings is the idea that so many inspirational and devotional books geared for women are intended to engage them on an emotional level. She says we must be connect with God's Word on an intellectual level because he says we are to love Him with all our heart, soul and MIND. And that is exactly what this book does. It challenged my brain to think and dig deeper. It didn't just pull out a few random verses and create a little devotional to fit them. No, she uses his Word, to show us how we need to reflect His character everyday. I would encourage everyone to pick up this book, as well as her 2 previous works. You won't be disappointed!!

* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *