There is absolutely nothing in this world as important as the gospel.

Even as I write that statement, I can see how some would criticize it as either overdramatic, overly simplistic, or overly polemic.

But regardless of anyone’s criticism, that statement rings true. If we get the gospel wrong, a Christian is not a Christian. If we get the gospel wrong, a church is not a church. If we get the gospel wrong, we get everything wrong.

And yet somehow, in spite of the importance of a clear gospel understanding, defining the gospel seems to have become a fuzzy task. Pastors, authors, and bloggers talk of living the gospel, displaying the gospel, and even “gospeling” one another. And yet, even in those terms they fail to nail down what that gospel actually is – which speaks all the more to their lack of understanding of it.

Fortunately, there are authors responding to the state of our generation. There are authors passionate about defining and declaring what God has done. And there are books such as The World-Tilting Gospel being written to help clarify what believers should know, but often don’t.

In The World Tilting Gospel, Dan Phillips leads the reader through a Biblical bootcamp, helping them to grasp onto a God-centered theology.

One of the common knocks on Calvinists is that they tend to be extremely “heady” (spending more time worshiping with their mind than their heart). Phillips writes in manner that is faithful to the Scriptures, accessible to anyone, and crystal-clear in it’s definition of the gospel.

It’s one of those books that you’ll after you’ve read it, you’ll want to get a copy of everyone you can think of.

As those familiar with the New Testament will (hopefully) be aware, the title of "The World-Tilting Gospel" (hereafter, TWTG) is a reference to Acts 17:6-7: "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king--Jesus."

Could this be said of professing Christianity as a whole today? Specifically, can this be said of evangelical Christianity, particularly in the United States? (Overwrought humanistic commentators might think so, but what they usually have in mind isn't what the text has in view here.) No, the sad fact is that most professing Christians don't live much differently than those who do not profess Christ. In a day in which "Christianity" is still prevalent and in some cases even assumed in our culture, the truth in this verse and passage should be reckoned with more soberly than it often is.

On page 164 Phillips diagnoses the problem:

"Frankly, it boggles my mind how many...won't even admit that Jesus in fact taught differently than what they believe, or that the Bible doesn't go where they want to go. They've made up a Cheerleader Jesus, or a Bobblehead Buddy Jesus, who's okay with their pet sin or perversion. They have yet to come to Square A-and that's the square where we realize what Jesus actually taught and was, and how radically different that is from where we've been."

TWTG isn't merely a meditation or an exposition of one passage. Instead, Phillips gives us a summary of Biblical teaching about the Gospel in a clear, comprehensive and succinct way. In the preface he writes "I love compressed truth." In TWTG he has given us a gem of compressed truth.

Phillips begins by stating that we must grasp:

1. Who we really are,
2. What kind of world we are really living in
3. How the world really operates and where it is really going
4. Who God really is
5. What His eternal plan really was
6. Why we really needed Him and His plan so desperately
7. What His terms--the Gospel--really were
8. What difference the Gospel will really make on every day of our lives

These vital questions are answered here better than in any other recent book that I am aware of. Here we find the truths of creation, the fall, and man's inherited sinful condition. Then Phillips provides us with an overview of God's attributes, how the Gospel meets our need and how it was executed in space and time. Next are a couple of chapters on imputed righteousness and regeneration. This is followed by some very helpful chapters on sanctification and living the Christian life, including examination of several harmful yet widely popular views of the Christian life. The Bible's teaching on the flesh is also helpfully expounded upon, something that the author had previously blogged about under the title of Sarkicophobia! I found this section to be very helpful as I labored under a similar malady for many years. (Maybe I'll come up with a fancy name for it one day.)

However, despite covering all of these monumental topics, this is no dry academic treatise. Phillips explains deep truths in a way that can be understood by many who are not used to reading weighty theological tomes.

There is nothing really new here, as I'm sure the author would gladly admit. As has been previously noted, TWTG sets forth the standard Calvinistic view of the Gospel. But this fresh restatement is vitally needed in a day in which there seems to be some confusion even in the Calvinistic camp over the relationship between justification and sanctification, spiritual growth, and other issues.

While there have been many excellent books in recent years, I know of no better gospel handbook or primer that is this thorough yet accessible. It will prove to be very useful for use in discipleship. It will reinforce and clarify things for the believer. It is also a good book to hand to an unbeliever, as it sets forth a whole-Bible worldview. TWTG will bear periodic re-reading. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Here's hoping that this is only the first of many books from the pen (or keyboard) of Dan Phillips! ( )

NCLA Review - If your church library is short on breathless, breezy presentations of the message of evangelical Christianity, this book can fill the void. It is written specifically by and for evangelicals. It depicts the early church as world-tilting and challenges the contemporary church (evangelical) to be as radical as that romanticized early church. After a series of chapters presenting the classic doctrines of evangelicalism on the human condition, the fall, God’s redemptive plan, and atonement, Phillips issues a kind of altar call addressed to evangelical readers who have become lukewarm and less than world-tilting in their faith. This book reads like a very long tract. Rating: 2 —CS ( )

Like many believers, my focus has mostly been on the New Testament. I don’t study the Old Testament nearly as much. But this book encourages the reader to look at the whole Bible to see the true picture of who he/she is as well as who God is. The author is well-qualified to explain his premise, but I found I was not so well-qualified to understand it. His qualifications as a theologian were obvious as he quoted scripture and even gave the original Greek words in many cases. A biblical scholar would appreciate his interpretations. The author tried to make the book accessible to the average reader and overall he succeeded. I got the general premise, but I would’ve preferred a simpler explanation of the details. There were many places where the theology bogged me down and I had to skip ahead. Nevertheless, I found many gems of thought and scripture to grab on to. This is not a light read, but it had light moments. I give the author a lot of credit for trying to impart complicated scriptural truths to the average reader. When he summarized, I felt I understood. When he went into lengthy theological explanations he sometimes lost me. To embrace the entire Bible as the Gospel is kind of revolutionary, but it makes sense. As the author points out, the story of humankind and God starts at Genesis, not at John 3:16. ( )

Over the last several years I have become somewhat frustrated in reading books on the gospel. I have read a few good ones but it seemed they all failed to some extent in that their explanation of the gospel was incomplete. They emphasized one or two points to the exclusion of others or they failed to put their explanations in language that bridged the gap from scholar to typical reader.

Dan Phillips has succeeded where others have failed. He detailed the gospel (rightly) beginning in Genesis! He didn't use lofty terminology or esoteric argumentation. He reasoned from Scripture. He didn't force an argument upon Scripture.

I think this book would be excellent for believers and unbelievers alike. Unbelievers need a clear presentation of the good news of Jesus Christ. Believers, in general, need a better understanding of the gospel so they can more clearly communicate the gospel to the world.

This book will now be my top recommendation for books on the gospel and basic introduction to Christianity. I see it as useful for evangelism and discipleship. ( )