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How Does God Change Us?: "Real Change for Real Sinners" (Concise Edition)
“Abide in my love.” —John 15:9
As followers of Christ, we long to grow in godliness, but we often find ourselves stuck. Sin runs deep, we continue to fail, and we are easily tempted to give up. It doesn’t have to be that way.
In How Does God Change Us?, Dane Ortlund explains how those united to Jesus Christ do not need to look anywhere but to Christ himself for real growth. We change by going deeper into the same truths that saved us in the first place. With timeless counsel from historical Christian figures, Ortlund shows you how to get traction in your spiritual walk, experience real change, and live out your invincible identity in Christ.
As followers of Christ, we long to grow in godliness, but we often find ourselves stuck. Sin runs deep, we continue to fail, and we are easily tempted to give up. It doesn’t have to be that way.
In How Does God Change Us?, Dane Ortlund explains how those united to Jesus Christ do not need to look anywhere but to Christ himself for real growth. We change by going deeper into the same truths that saved us in the first place. With timeless counsel from historical Christian figures, Ortlund shows you how to get traction in your spiritual walk, experience real change, and live out your invincible identity in Christ.
68 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2021
102 people are currently reading
986 people want to read
About the author
Dane C. Ortlund
96 books669 followersDane C. Ortlund (PhD, Wheaton College) is chief publishing officer and Bible publisher at Crossway. He serves as an editor for the Knowing the Bible series and the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series, and is the author of several books, including Gentle and Lowly and Edwards on the Christian Life. He is an elder at Naperville Presbyterian Church in Naperville, Illinois. Dane lives with his wife, Stacey, and their five children in Wheaton, Illinois.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
October 16, 2021
Just remarkable. Ortlund again proves to be a marvelous writer and physician of the heart. Though only 85 pages, this book is every bit as good as “Gentle and Lowly.” I will recommend and return to it again and again. You should, too.
December 13, 2024
I loved this little book. Ortlund’s book Deeper was really impactful on me a few years ago, and this is a just a more concise version of that work. Revisiting Ortlund’s explanation of sanctification and how believers change, with some incredible new nuggets mixed in, was a heart strengthening experience. If you are looking for a short soul stirring read this Christmas, I would recommend this one. The chapter on our union with Christ moved me to tears.
Here’s a quote from that chapter: “Our Christian growth takes place in the sphere of a wonderful inevitability, even invincibility. I am united to Christ. I can never be disunited from him. The logic of the New Testament letters is that in order for me to get disunited from Christ, Christ himself would have to be de-resurrected. He’d have to get kicked out of heaven for me to get kicked out of him. We’re that safe.”
Here’s a quote from that chapter: “Our Christian growth takes place in the sphere of a wonderful inevitability, even invincibility. I am united to Christ. I can never be disunited from him. The logic of the New Testament letters is that in order for me to get disunited from Christ, Christ himself would have to be de-resurrected. He’d have to get kicked out of heaven for me to get kicked out of him. We’re that safe.”
September 26, 2023
Love this author!
This was basically Gentle and Lowly part 3!!
This was basically Gentle and Lowly part 3!!
January 8, 2023
After reading Ortlund’s Gentle & Lowly and Deeper, both of which I thought were fantastic, I moved Ortlund onto my Automatic Reads list. So when I came across this little book I reflexively bought it and read it too.
I turns out to be a pared down version of Deeper. Not that it’s not good. He shares a great deal of wisdom about the process of sanctification, but it’s just too brief. I’d recommend reading the full-length version instead.
And yes, I’m still keeping Ortlund on my Automatic Reads list.
I turns out to be a pared down version of Deeper. Not that it’s not good. He shares a great deal of wisdom about the process of sanctification, but it’s just too brief. I’d recommend reading the full-length version instead.
And yes, I’m still keeping Ortlund on my Automatic Reads list.
December 27, 2022
A Good Reads friend of mine recommended Ortlund’s Deeper book (which is the long version of this book) and I thought I would give this book a chance, and WOW! If the book Deeper is half as good as this book it is one of the best books written this year! I am gonna pick the longer version up right now.
Ortlund’s book is all about sanctification and how the way to be sanctified is to look to Jesus. His encouragement and carefully chosen words ring so true and really blessed me! Highly recommend
Ortlund’s book is all about sanctification and how the way to be sanctified is to look to Jesus. His encouragement and carefully chosen words ring so true and really blessed me! Highly recommend
August 22, 2022
The portion on union with Christ is quite powerful.
January 8, 2022
A short, clear primer on growth in Christ. It’s all about looking to Jesus!
Like so many, I absolutely loved Ortlund’s work, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. I chose How Does God Change Us?, not realizing that it’s a shortened version of Deeper. I should be reading that one before too long, as well.
Like so many, I absolutely loved Ortlund’s work, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. I chose How Does God Change Us?, not realizing that it’s a shortened version of Deeper. I should be reading that one before too long, as well.
July 4, 2024
Just lovely to read.
Dane is a beautiful writer (great prose, illustrations, and metaphors), and he writes as a "fellow patient, not a doctor." (17). This book will help you to hate sin more by loving Jesus. I would say this is a good primer for topics like sin, temptation, and holiness. But at the same time, this book is so well done that it would be great if it's all you read. If you can, I would say read this book and do what it says: Go deeper.
Dane is a beautiful writer (great prose, illustrations, and metaphors), and he writes as a "fellow patient, not a doctor." (17). This book will help you to hate sin more by loving Jesus. I would say this is a good primer for topics like sin, temptation, and holiness. But at the same time, this book is so well done that it would be great if it's all you read. If you can, I would say read this book and do what it says: Go deeper.
January 29, 2024
Ich liebe Ortlunds Werke einfach.
Es erinnert mit seiner Sanftheit sehr an Gentle & Lowly, aber ist im Aufbau und von den Themen her entwicklungsbezogener.
Aus dem Titel vernehmend: es geht um Veränderung durch Gott. Die einzelnen Phasen werden nur angerissen und für eine Vertiefung wird auf sein Werk „deeper“ hingewiesen (ist schon bestellt hehe), aber allein die insights waren mal wieder einfach stark.
He gets me every time
Insight:
„(…) are restricting our growth if we do not move through life doing the painful, humiliating, liberating work of cheerfully bringing our failures out from the darkness of secrecy into the light of acknowledgment before a Christian brother or sister. In the darkness, our sins fester and grow in strength. In the light, they wither and die. Walking in the light, in other words, is honesty with God and others.“ - p. 56
Es erinnert mit seiner Sanftheit sehr an Gentle & Lowly, aber ist im Aufbau und von den Themen her entwicklungsbezogener.
Aus dem Titel vernehmend: es geht um Veränderung durch Gott. Die einzelnen Phasen werden nur angerissen und für eine Vertiefung wird auf sein Werk „deeper“ hingewiesen (ist schon bestellt hehe), aber allein die insights waren mal wieder einfach stark.
He gets me every time
Insight:
„(…) are restricting our growth if we do not move through life doing the painful, humiliating, liberating work of cheerfully bringing our failures out from the darkness of secrecy into the light of acknowledgment before a Christian brother or sister. In the darkness, our sins fester and grow in strength. In the light, they wither and die. Walking in the light, in other words, is honesty with God and others.“ - p. 56
February 7, 2025
Look to Christ.
That’s the exhortation Dane gives to conclude his book: “Look to him” to satisfy all your needs. “Set your gaze upon him. Abide in him hour by hour. Draw strength from his love,” for this is the “deepest secret to growing in Christ.”
Within the past year, I read Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners (also by Dane), and this book serves as a concise version of that one. While shorter, it remains rich with scripture, gospel truth, and timely reminders. I am so grateful for the Union series from Crossway. I will certainly be returning back to this book (and Deeper) in the future.
“Look to Christ. You will grow in Christ as you direct your gaze to Christ.”
That’s the exhortation Dane gives to conclude his book: “Look to him” to satisfy all your needs. “Set your gaze upon him. Abide in him hour by hour. Draw strength from his love,” for this is the “deepest secret to growing in Christ.”
Within the past year, I read Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners (also by Dane), and this book serves as a concise version of that one. While shorter, it remains rich with scripture, gospel truth, and timely reminders. I am so grateful for the Union series from Crossway. I will certainly be returning back to this book (and Deeper) in the future.
“Look to Christ. You will grow in Christ as you direct your gaze to Christ.”
August 20, 2024
4.5⭐️
I listened to this short little book on my car ride to Charlotte and I thoroughly enjoyed. I think it's very well written and short and concise to the point. I think it's exactly what you need in a book for people who need good reminders about intimacy with Jesus. Just listening to it in the car was very helpful.
Dane has such a sense of who Jesus is and you really feel his intimacy with Christ more than you do his intellectual knowledge. He takes what he knows about God and it has been translated to the heart. I would totally recommend this book. It's a light read and has deep truth in it that is so good!
I listened to this short little book on my car ride to Charlotte and I thoroughly enjoyed. I think it's very well written and short and concise to the point. I think it's exactly what you need in a book for people who need good reminders about intimacy with Jesus. Just listening to it in the car was very helpful.
Dane has such a sense of who Jesus is and you really feel his intimacy with Christ more than you do his intellectual knowledge. He takes what he knows about God and it has been translated to the heart. I would totally recommend this book. It's a light read and has deep truth in it that is so good!
November 13, 2023
This “mini” version of “Deeper” by Dane Ortlund is also wonderful. It is truly an abbreviated edition. But I found it so helpful for discipleship and biblical counseling. Each chapter is about 5-7 pages and had rock solid content about going deeper with Jesus. No get rich quick schemes…just solid discipleship.
November 9, 2021
4.5 stars
Excellent primer on applying the good news to our daily growth in knowing and enjoying God, as well as fighting our sin. Highly recommend and at 85 pages it is easily readable for any church member.
Excellent primer on applying the good news to our daily growth in knowing and enjoying God, as well as fighting our sin. Highly recommend and at 85 pages it is easily readable for any church member.
January 18, 2023
A short little book filled with precious gems! The chapters on Union and Breathing were my favorites. I listened to the audiobook and the 6-8 min chapters were perfect to listen to once a day— theologically rich yet easy to grasp!
March 11, 2023
Really good short read that gives a lot of material to fuel reflection.
September 30, 2023
This is an excellent, easy to read book where Ortlund talks about justification, union with Christ etc. “Live your life out of the fullness of a justified existence. Let Jesus Christ clothe you, dignify you, justify you. Nothing else can.”
April 20, 2024
Short concise book on the practicality of sanctification. This book isn’t a to do list, but instead highlights that through Grace we are saved and when all the layers are stripped back our union with Jesus is the only thing that remains. When this happens, transformation takes place but not in a legalistic way but through our desire to glorify good and experience his joy.
July 13, 2024
EXCELLENT short book packed full of truth regarding the Christian’s life! Would be great conversion starters - to go over a chapter with a group each week. Attainable accessible truth written in an easy to read format.
August 30, 2024
WOW!!!! I loved this. I loved Deeper by him and this was an insightful condensed version of that book!
December 16, 2022
Turns out this is the condensed version of Deeper. I did not know that and am bummed I bought the smaller version. That said, it's great. Ortlund takes some surprising turns in this as he helps us navigate how to go deeper with Jesus. Perfect to read after reading his other book, Gentle and Lowly.
You could even say this is a sequel. Gentlier and lowlier.
You could even say this is a sequel. Gentlier and lowlier.
September 5, 2024
This short book makes the theology of how God changes us easy to understand. Encouraging and thorough.
January 8, 2023
I like to begin the year with a short, encouraging read on spiritual growth and this fit the bill for 2023. It also provides an easy “win” on my yearly reading goal!
This condensed version of Ortlund’s book, Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners, is a brief encouragement to fix your hope on Christ for your sanctification.
Ortlund’s purpose:
“The basic point of this little book is that change is a matter of going deeper” (15).
“This is a book on growing in Christ. And my resounding theme is that the Christian life is at heart a matter not of doing more or behaving better but of going deeper. And the primary emphasis I have wanted to give is that we grow specifically by going deeper into the gospel, into the love of Christ and our experienced union with him” (75).
“It may seem, at this point in the book, that its nine chapters have given you a list of nine strategies to implement or nine different techniques to bear in mind. That's not at all what I want ringing in your heart as you close this short book. I do not have nine things to say. I have one thing to say. Look to Christ. You will grow in Christ as you direct your gaze to Christ. If you take your eyes off of Jesus Christ and direct your gaze to your own growth, you will prevent the very growth you desire” (85).
Ortlund’s chapters (with my summaries):
Introduction (Deepness)
1. Jesus (Christ’s Gentleness)
2. Despair (My Emptiness)
3. Union (Our Oneness)
4. Embrace (God’s Steadfastness)
5 Acquittal (Christ’s Righteousness)
6 Honesty (Our Forgiveness / Togetherness)
7. Pain (Our Brokenness - Passive & Active)
8. Breathing (Our Relatedness - Word & Prayer)
9. Supernaturalized (Spirit’s Newness)
Conclusion (Christ-centeredness)
One likely needs to read Ortlund’s larger book before critiquing this condensed version. Questions raised by this shorter version might be answered in his longer version.
For example, his definition of the love of Christ as an “unflappable heart of affection for sinners and suffers” (41) seems too abstract and feeling oriented. And his discussion of love as the attribute that defines “who [God] is most deeply” (39) seemed to need balancing with the reality that God is also “Light” and thrice “Holy.” Ortlund goes on to say this is “a love so great and so free that it could not be contained within the uproarious joy of Father, Son, and Spirit but spilled out to create and embrace finite and fallen humans into it. Divine love is inherently spreading, engulfing, embracing, overflowing. If you are a Christian, God made you so that he could love you” (39-40). In the current atmosphere of a heightened sensitivity to Trinitarian orthodoxy, Ortlund’s statement seems too focused on the necessity of the Trinity to create in order to love.
His chapter on “Honesty” (56-61) was built on First John 1:7 and focused on confessing sin to one another but oddly never mentioned First John 1:9 and the necessity of confessing our sins to God first or even primarily. But Ortlund is picking and choosing those topics he feels are most pertinent to his own purpose.
Like all books that seek to correct an extreme in one direction, the tendency is to go to an extreme in the other direction. While I agree that “going deeper” into the gospel is the A-to-Z of the Christian life including sanctification, it’s evident in the NT epistles that “going deeper” leads to “doing more” (cf. Titus on excelling in “good works”) and “becoming better” in our character (cf. Paul on “putting off” and ”putting on”). I’m sure Ortlund would agree with all of this, but even one or two sentences emphasizing this would provide greater balance for his readers.
In spite of these questions, Ortlund’s achieves his purpose of focusing our sanctification on the sufficiency of God’s grace in His Son through the Spirit. Those despairing in their struggle against sin will be encouraged by this short book. It is a great read for recovering Pharisees and those who have been fed a “self-help” or “works righteousness” view of sanctification. It would be a great book to read and discuss with a small group. I benefited most from the chapters on Despair (Our Emptiness) and Pain (Our Passive and Active Brokenness).
Quotes:
“One common reason we fail to leave sin behind is that we have a domesticated view of Jesus. Not an unorthodox view; we are fully orthodox in our Christology…We have a domesticated view that, for all its doctrinal precision, has downsized the glory of Christ in our hearts. We have forgotten that the Bible speaks of ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’ (Eph. 3:8)” (20).
——
“This is a book about how we change. Let me be plain. You will not change until you get straight who Jesus is, particularly with regard to his surprising tenderness. And then spend your whole life long going deeper into the gentleness of Jesus. The only alternative to the real Jesus is to get back on the treadmill-the treadmill of doing your best to follow and honor Jesus but believing his mercy and grace to be a stockpile gradually depleted by your failures, and hoping to make it to death before the mountain of mercy runs out” (23).
——
“There is a strange though consistent message throughout the Bible. We are told time and again that the way forward will feel like we're going backward.
The Psalms tell us that those whose hearts are breaking and who feel crushed by life are the people God is closest to (Ps. 34:18). Proverbs tells us it is to the low and the destitute that God shows favor (Prov. 3:34) In Isaiah we are surprised to learn that God dwells in two places: way up high, in the glory of heaven, and way down low, with those void of self-confidence and empty of themselves Isa. 57:15; 66:1-2). Jesus tells us that "unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24).
Why does the Bible do this? Does God want us always feeling bad about ourselves?
Not at all. It is because of God's very desire that we be joyously happy, filled to overflowing with the uproarious cheer of heaven itself, that he says these things. For he is sending us down into honesty and sanity” (25-26).
——
“If you are not growing in Christ, one reason may be that you have drifted out of the salutary and healthy discipline of self-despair” (26).
——
“There is nothing noble about staying in that pit of despair. Healthy despair is an intersection, not a highway; a gateway, not a pathway. We must go there. But we dare not stay there” (28).
——
“And one vital aspect of growing in Christ is coming back time and again to the doctrine of justification to do chemotherapy on the remaining malignancies of our craving for human approval” (52).
——
“Refusing to be honest with another is works rightcousnes in disguise; we are believing that we need to save face, retain uprightness of appearance. This is why confessing our sins to another naturally makes the gospel itself more real to us” (60).
——
“And a crucial building block in our growth in grace is a humble openness to receiving the bitternesses of life as God's gentle way of drawing us out of the misery of self and more deeply into spiritual maturity” (63).
——
“We feed sin by coddling it, pining after it, daydreaming about it, giving vent to it. We suffocate sin by redirecting our gaze to Christ” (68).
This condensed version of Ortlund’s book, Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners, is a brief encouragement to fix your hope on Christ for your sanctification.
Ortlund’s purpose:
“The basic point of this little book is that change is a matter of going deeper” (15).
“This is a book on growing in Christ. And my resounding theme is that the Christian life is at heart a matter not of doing more or behaving better but of going deeper. And the primary emphasis I have wanted to give is that we grow specifically by going deeper into the gospel, into the love of Christ and our experienced union with him” (75).
“It may seem, at this point in the book, that its nine chapters have given you a list of nine strategies to implement or nine different techniques to bear in mind. That's not at all what I want ringing in your heart as you close this short book. I do not have nine things to say. I have one thing to say. Look to Christ. You will grow in Christ as you direct your gaze to Christ. If you take your eyes off of Jesus Christ and direct your gaze to your own growth, you will prevent the very growth you desire” (85).
Ortlund’s chapters (with my summaries):
Introduction (Deepness)
1. Jesus (Christ’s Gentleness)
2. Despair (My Emptiness)
3. Union (Our Oneness)
4. Embrace (God’s Steadfastness)
5 Acquittal (Christ’s Righteousness)
6 Honesty (Our Forgiveness / Togetherness)
7. Pain (Our Brokenness - Passive & Active)
8. Breathing (Our Relatedness - Word & Prayer)
9. Supernaturalized (Spirit’s Newness)
Conclusion (Christ-centeredness)
One likely needs to read Ortlund’s larger book before critiquing this condensed version. Questions raised by this shorter version might be answered in his longer version.
For example, his definition of the love of Christ as an “unflappable heart of affection for sinners and suffers” (41) seems too abstract and feeling oriented. And his discussion of love as the attribute that defines “who [God] is most deeply” (39) seemed to need balancing with the reality that God is also “Light” and thrice “Holy.” Ortlund goes on to say this is “a love so great and so free that it could not be contained within the uproarious joy of Father, Son, and Spirit but spilled out to create and embrace finite and fallen humans into it. Divine love is inherently spreading, engulfing, embracing, overflowing. If you are a Christian, God made you so that he could love you” (39-40). In the current atmosphere of a heightened sensitivity to Trinitarian orthodoxy, Ortlund’s statement seems too focused on the necessity of the Trinity to create in order to love.
His chapter on “Honesty” (56-61) was built on First John 1:7 and focused on confessing sin to one another but oddly never mentioned First John 1:9 and the necessity of confessing our sins to God first or even primarily. But Ortlund is picking and choosing those topics he feels are most pertinent to his own purpose.
Like all books that seek to correct an extreme in one direction, the tendency is to go to an extreme in the other direction. While I agree that “going deeper” into the gospel is the A-to-Z of the Christian life including sanctification, it’s evident in the NT epistles that “going deeper” leads to “doing more” (cf. Titus on excelling in “good works”) and “becoming better” in our character (cf. Paul on “putting off” and ”putting on”). I’m sure Ortlund would agree with all of this, but even one or two sentences emphasizing this would provide greater balance for his readers.
In spite of these questions, Ortlund’s achieves his purpose of focusing our sanctification on the sufficiency of God’s grace in His Son through the Spirit. Those despairing in their struggle against sin will be encouraged by this short book. It is a great read for recovering Pharisees and those who have been fed a “self-help” or “works righteousness” view of sanctification. It would be a great book to read and discuss with a small group. I benefited most from the chapters on Despair (Our Emptiness) and Pain (Our Passive and Active Brokenness).
Quotes:
“One common reason we fail to leave sin behind is that we have a domesticated view of Jesus. Not an unorthodox view; we are fully orthodox in our Christology…We have a domesticated view that, for all its doctrinal precision, has downsized the glory of Christ in our hearts. We have forgotten that the Bible speaks of ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’ (Eph. 3:8)” (20).
——
“This is a book about how we change. Let me be plain. You will not change until you get straight who Jesus is, particularly with regard to his surprising tenderness. And then spend your whole life long going deeper into the gentleness of Jesus. The only alternative to the real Jesus is to get back on the treadmill-the treadmill of doing your best to follow and honor Jesus but believing his mercy and grace to be a stockpile gradually depleted by your failures, and hoping to make it to death before the mountain of mercy runs out” (23).
——
“There is a strange though consistent message throughout the Bible. We are told time and again that the way forward will feel like we're going backward.
The Psalms tell us that those whose hearts are breaking and who feel crushed by life are the people God is closest to (Ps. 34:18). Proverbs tells us it is to the low and the destitute that God shows favor (Prov. 3:34) In Isaiah we are surprised to learn that God dwells in two places: way up high, in the glory of heaven, and way down low, with those void of self-confidence and empty of themselves Isa. 57:15; 66:1-2). Jesus tells us that "unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24).
Why does the Bible do this? Does God want us always feeling bad about ourselves?
Not at all. It is because of God's very desire that we be joyously happy, filled to overflowing with the uproarious cheer of heaven itself, that he says these things. For he is sending us down into honesty and sanity” (25-26).
——
“If you are not growing in Christ, one reason may be that you have drifted out of the salutary and healthy discipline of self-despair” (26).
——
“There is nothing noble about staying in that pit of despair. Healthy despair is an intersection, not a highway; a gateway, not a pathway. We must go there. But we dare not stay there” (28).
——
“And one vital aspect of growing in Christ is coming back time and again to the doctrine of justification to do chemotherapy on the remaining malignancies of our craving for human approval” (52).
——
“Refusing to be honest with another is works rightcousnes in disguise; we are believing that we need to save face, retain uprightness of appearance. This is why confessing our sins to another naturally makes the gospel itself more real to us” (60).
——
“And a crucial building block in our growth in grace is a humble openness to receiving the bitternesses of life as God's gentle way of drawing us out of the misery of self and more deeply into spiritual maturity” (63).
——
“We feed sin by coddling it, pining after it, daydreaming about it, giving vent to it. We suffocate sin by redirecting our gaze to Christ” (68).
December 28, 2022
Incredible! I will re-read this again, starting now. Gazing on Christ shall be my ultimate goal and task in life from this day forth till eternity.
We want change for our deepest sins and shortcomings so badly. Whilst I am employing various techniques and daily practices I am currently learning, there is still this one simple and most crucial truth: If we want to change we need to gaze on Christ, meditate on Him, pray to Him, love Him with all our hearts and most importantly: emulate him.
Oh how Bible study and pure head knowledge can sway you off course so easily when the Gospel is so simple and yet so rich and deep: Gaze on Christ, the gentle, humble and lowly.
We want change for our deepest sins and shortcomings so badly. Whilst I am employing various techniques and daily practices I am currently learning, there is still this one simple and most crucial truth: If we want to change we need to gaze on Christ, meditate on Him, pray to Him, love Him with all our hearts and most importantly: emulate him.
Oh how Bible study and pure head knowledge can sway you off course so easily when the Gospel is so simple and yet so rich and deep: Gaze on Christ, the gentle, humble and lowly.
Read
July 11, 2025Wonderful and encouraging!
I hope to someday read the full book.
I hope to someday read the full book.
December 19, 2021
A truncated version of Ortlund’s full length title, “Deeper”.
“How Does God Change Us” is a very short booklet that’s excerpted from the above noted book. This rendition is actually more like 55 pages of text. The way it’s laid out, there are 7 blank page and 7 others that are more than 50% blank plus much white space, all within the 70 pages devoted to the book proper. All that to say, you can give this booklet a cursory read in an hour or two and then go back to wrestle with the information and its application to your life.
Ortlund begins with a quick introduction to Jesus, the real Jesus. Who is he, how is he and why is he. He moves on quickly to weighty topics: Union With Christ, The Love of God, Justification, Sanctification. There are whole volumes written on each individually; here - a few pages. Thankfully, there are notes and scripture references to provide direction to further study. Speaking of scripture references, Ortlund uses the ESV for both these works.
The book moves from a vertical focus to an horizontal focus: Honesty, Walking in the Light, Relationships, Sin,Pain, Bible, Prayer. For the ending, Ortlund turns heavenward and brings in the Holy Spirt, Heaven and where do we go from here?
All things considered, a very brief look at very big and critical subjects; better priced at $3📚
“How Does God Change Us” is a very short booklet that’s excerpted from the above noted book. This rendition is actually more like 55 pages of text. The way it’s laid out, there are 7 blank page and 7 others that are more than 50% blank plus much white space, all within the 70 pages devoted to the book proper. All that to say, you can give this booklet a cursory read in an hour or two and then go back to wrestle with the information and its application to your life.
Ortlund begins with a quick introduction to Jesus, the real Jesus. Who is he, how is he and why is he. He moves on quickly to weighty topics: Union With Christ, The Love of God, Justification, Sanctification. There are whole volumes written on each individually; here - a few pages. Thankfully, there are notes and scripture references to provide direction to further study. Speaking of scripture references, Ortlund uses the ESV for both these works.
The book moves from a vertical focus to an horizontal focus: Honesty, Walking in the Light, Relationships, Sin,Pain, Bible, Prayer. For the ending, Ortlund turns heavenward and brings in the Holy Spirt, Heaven and where do we go from here?
All things considered, a very brief look at very big and critical subjects; better priced at $3📚
December 8, 2021
Pastor Dane not only writes beautifully and clearly, but he encourages richly. This is a concise version of his new book Deeper, but it does not skip out on life-giving truths! I’m so thankful, and with it being only 86 pages, it is a simple and easy read about sanctification that I hope to give to many people!
“‘Looking unto Jesus. The duty, the privilege, the safety, the unspeakable happiness, of a believer, are all comprised in that one sentence… Looking unto Jesus is the object that melts the soul into love and gratitude.’ … Peel back every layer of distraction and look to Christ. Simplify your heart and all its cares. Look to Christ and his overflowing heart. Let your union and communion with Jesus Christ, the friend of sinners, take you deeper, ever deeper in into the wonders of the gospel.”
“‘Looking unto Jesus. The duty, the privilege, the safety, the unspeakable happiness, of a believer, are all comprised in that one sentence… Looking unto Jesus is the object that melts the soul into love and gratitude.’ … Peel back every layer of distraction and look to Christ. Simplify your heart and all its cares. Look to Christ and his overflowing heart. Let your union and communion with Jesus Christ, the friend of sinners, take you deeper, ever deeper in into the wonders of the gospel.”
January 28, 2025
This book is a concise version of the book Deeper that I read last year and wished that I remembered more of. For that reason my whole goal in this read was to be reminded of the wonderfully simple truths presented in Deeper. This achieved that very thing so five stars.
My only complaint is that he wrote this for the layman and the whole of congregations so it would be more accessible than deeper. While that’s probably true he still used similar language and very christianese words. That’s being said I’m a layman and it was wonderful for me so don’t listen to me I guess.
Wonderful book! Kinda makes me think more Christian books should be this length.
My only complaint is that he wrote this for the layman and the whole of congregations so it would be more accessible than deeper. While that’s probably true he still used similar language and very christianese words. That’s being said I’m a layman and it was wonderful for me so don’t listen to me I guess.
Wonderful book! Kinda makes me think more Christian books should be this length.
June 2, 2022
Disclaimer: I only listened to this one on Hoopla.
In this book, Dane Ortland offers a brief tract around how the Spirit conforms the redeemed to the image of Christ. In other words, this a brief treaty on sanctification. The main emphasis of the work is that at the root of obedience to God and the mortification of sin is the growing of affections for God. In this Augustinian vein, Dane shows that outward obedience must proceed from a heart that has been awakened and continually refreshed by the grace of God.
In this book, Dane Ortland offers a brief tract around how the Spirit conforms the redeemed to the image of Christ. In other words, this a brief treaty on sanctification. The main emphasis of the work is that at the root of obedience to God and the mortification of sin is the growing of affections for God. In this Augustinian vein, Dane shows that outward obedience must proceed from a heart that has been awakened and continually refreshed by the grace of God.
September 10, 2023
This concise book dives deep into the heart of our walks of faith and has such great points about how God changes us. One point that really sticks out to me from this book comes towards the end: “Reading the Bible is inhaling. Praying is exhaling….. Breathe in; breathe out. We take in the life-giving words of God, and we breathe them back out to God in prayer.” What a beautiful and convicting analogy! I would highly recommend this book! There is also a longer version called Deeper! :)
May 2, 2022
Reminds me of Powlison's "How Does Sanctification Work?" combined with Tripp's "How People Change" - all sweet Scriptural truths applied in light of the work that Christ has done on our behalf, not simply how we work to change. An abbreviated version of Ortlund's other book that is moving up in my "read next" stack!
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