Becoming God's Family by Carmen Joy Imes [REVIEW]

Oct 28

WHY THE CHURCH STILL MATTERS

FIVE STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Carmen Joy Imes’s Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters (IVP Academic, October 28, 2025) addresses contemporary disillusionment with the church by presenting a biblical theology of God’s presence among His people. Completing a trilogy that began with Bearing God’s Name (covenant and law) and Being God’s Image (creation and identity), this volume explores the church as God’s chosen family, intergenerational and global, called to embody His mission despite scandals, polarization, and deconstruction. With endorsements from leading scholars and pastors, a foreword by Esau McCaulley, and resources like discussion questions and BibleProject links, Imes provides scholarly depth and pastoral care. Drawing from the full sweep of Scripture—from Abraham’s household to the church as the Spirit’s temple—she argues that God’s presence has always been tied to a gathered community, not isolated individuals, and that remaining in the church is central to Christian life and God’s redemptive plan.

Many Christians today are asking hard questions about the church: Why does it matter? Why should I stay? Isn’t faith personal enough? These questions are pressing in the wake of scandals (#ChurchToo), political polarization, and the rise of deconstruction. Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters is a new book from biblical scholar Carmen Joy Imes, framed as a biblical theology of God’s presence in the community of faith. This volume explores how the local church is not just a human institution but God’s chosen family, designed to embody His mission across generations and nations. I’m giving this book five stars—I absolutely loved it. But before we jump into the book, I want to briefly tell you about myself and why I even care about this book.

I’m a pastor in Southern California at Palmdale Church, and I’m also an author. My recent book is called God-Shaped Prayer, and I like to write from a biblical-theological perspective that connects with practical applications for the church and Christians today. That probably already tips you off—if you’re familiar with Carmen Imes’ work—as to why I’m interested in this book.

I studied at Knox Theological Seminary and am well-versed in the work of many scholars adjacent to Dr. Imes. My exposure to her work actually came through some of those adjacent scholars. I first heard about her on the late Dr. Michael Heiser’s Naked Bible Podcast and through the Divine Council worldview discussions. Later, I encountered her through The Bible Project with Tim Mackey, as she’s been part of their podcast and work for quite some time.

The first book of hers I read was Bearing God’s Name, and I absolutely loved it. I was impressed by the idea that, as Christians, we bear the name of God, that our profession is not just about what we tell the public we believe. It’s been a while since I read the book, but it also made me think about the “mark of the beast” (Revelation 13:16-18), which I interpret as being marked by the kingdoms of the world. We should be careful as Christians in that sense. You can see how her biblical theology has strong practical application—that’s really why I’m emphasizing this point.

Her second book, in what you might call a trilogy, is Being God’s Image. It’s excellent, and I highly recommend it to anyone trying to wrap their mind around what it means to be an imager of God. When I first read it, though, I didn’t feel like it added much to my own theology, perhaps because I’d already encountered similar ideas in her earlier work or from others in biblical-theological circles. I’m not saying she added nothing new, because she absolutely did. It’s a five-star book in my opinion. But this newest one, Becoming God’s Family, impressed me in unique ways that I’ll explain as we go.

Publication Details

Title: Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters
Author: Carmen Joy Imes
Publisher: IVP Academic (InterVarsity Press)
Release Date: October 28, 2025
Format: Paperback, 5.5 × 8.5 in
Length: 256 pages
Suggested Retail Price: $22.99
ISBN: 978-1-5140-1032-7
Foreword: Esau McCaulley

This book is be available through standard retailers (Amazon, B&N, Cokesbury, Indigo, etc.) as well as Logos Bible Software, ensuring broad accessibility for pastors, students, and lay readers.

Becoming God's Family: Why the Church Still Matters

By Imes, Carmen Joy

Buy on Amazon

Becoming God’s Family also available at Logos.com

Initial appeal of the book

I want my church to read it

The initial appeal of this book for me was this: when I first saw it, I was immediately a little disappointed—not because I didn’t want to read it, but because I wanted to write it. A book like this has been on my radar for a while. As a pastor who’s also interested in biblical theology, I’m always looking to connect biblical theology to application. That’s kind of a unique niche. Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about how authors form their arguments. Usually it’s like, “Well, there’s some Bible in there, some ideas, some experiences,” and everything just sort of comes together into a book. That works for many people, but for me, it’s important that we move from biblical theology to application. I’ll say more about that later, but the point is, if I want my church to read something like this, I usually have to write it.

The family of God is central to our ministry at Palmdale Church. It’s really not possible to be a member of our church without understanding membership in both the local body and the universal church—the communion of the saints across all time and space—as participation in the larger family of God. That’s precisely what Carmen deals with in this book. I’m really thankful she wrote this book, because it means I get to write other books.

I wanted to write the book

Now, I want to reflect on how most books like this come together. You might be thinking, “There are already lots of books about why the church matters or why people should join the church.” And you’re right—there are many practical books on church membership, regenerate membership, and so on. I like those books, but they come from a different perspective.

Usually, when someone writes a book like this, they start with an idea: “I want to write about why the church is important.” Then they open Scripture and begin to proof-text, looking for verses to support their point. Proof-texting isn’t inherently wrong, and I’m not saying those authors aren’t studied. I’m just saying that often people start with an idea they already believe and then search for passages to confirm it. It’s a bit ironic, because even in conservative, expository circles, preachers will warn, “Don’t preach topically. Don’t start with an idea and then try to prove it in the Bible.” Yet, many of those same pastors will write books using exactly that method. It’s kind of funny to me. They move from idea to proof-text to application—because they had an idea first. I get it; I’m sensitive to that. You have an idea that’s been growing through years of study, and you’re convinced it’s biblical, so of course, you feel confident you can find it in Scripture. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that approach—it’s just one way to do it.
Sometimes, though, a writer will move the other direction—from the text to the idea. This often happens with pastors preaching through an expository series. You come across a passage of Scripture and realize there’s not enough time to unpack everything in that one verse. You start to see all the different branches where it connects to Christian life and think, “This could be a whole book.” That’s a great process—you can take that one verse, exposit it in the introduction, and then expand into multiple applications. But you don’t want to do that in a sermon series, because it would exhaust your congregation if you lingered on a single text that long. But that kind of approach can make for a great book. You move from the text to the idea, then to a broad exhortation or application, which becomes the book's chapters. I see that fairly often.
What I see more rarely is a book that begins with systematic theology. For example, you might be reading Calvin’s Institutes or a more contemporary systematic theology and notice something about the heart, nature, or attributes of God that has immense appeal. From there, you move from systematic theology to a book idea, sprinkling practical theology throughout. When we’re talking about accessible books—the kind most people actually read—there’s always some implication for life. It has to answer the question: “Why should I care? How does this affect the Christian life or the life of the church?”
But what I almost never encounter is what Dr. Imes does in this book—and what I try to do in mine—where you move from biblical theology directly to applied theology. When you move from biblical theology to applied theology, the core idea of the book is assumed. You don’t start with an idea; it’s already present within the story of Scripture itself. Here’s why: biblical theology begins with the grand narrative of Scripture—the story of redemption from Genesis to Revelation. It traces the entire story of the Bible, showing the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan. That’s what I mean when I talk about biblical theology.

Above that grand narrative—or as I sometimes call it, the meganarrative—you have the metanarrative. “Meta” means above or beyond, and this is where the “theology” part of biblical theology emerges. The metanarrative asks, “What is this story about?” It’s a thin layer above the meganarrative that helps us interpret the meaning of the whole story of redemption.

So, biblical theology looks not at isolated verses, but at how each part of Scripture fits within that grand, overarching story. The metanarrative provides a theological framework for understanding the story’s implications, rooted in the entire sweep of Scripture rather than just proof texts.

When someone says they’re writing a “biblical theology of Genesis” or a “biblical theology of David,” what they’re doing is looking at that portion of Scripture through the lens of the larger metanarrative to demonstrate how it participates in God’s redemptive plan as revealed throughout the canon. From there, you can move into applied theology, asking how this narrative shapes our lives and practices today.

That’s exactly what Carmen has done here. She hasn’t taken a detour into systematic theology. We don’t get a formal ecclesiology—the study of the church—though some related ideas naturally trickle in. And that’s fine, because a proper ecclesiology should arise out of biblical theology anyway. That’s how I like to write as well: beginning within the biblical metanarrative and asking, “Where do we now live this out?”

Carmen does that beautifully in this book.

I always want to read Carmen Imes’ books

So, the first reason I wanted to read this book is that I want my church to read it. The second reason is that I wanted to write it, but she beat me to it. And the third reason is simple: I just want to read everything Carmen Imes writes. Her first two books in this trilogy were excellent. I’ve enjoyed hearing her on The Bible Project podcast, and I think she’s a gifted scholar and writer. Becoming God’s Family met—and even surpassed—my expectations. And, as with any author on my shelf, I don’t agree with every single point, but that’s beside the point. It’s a fantastic book.

In fact, there were several places where I might disagree—nothing worth bringing up specifically—but perhaps a few nuances in how she drew certain conclusions. You’ll probably find that too, and that doesn’t make the book any less valuable. Every good book should challenge you somewhere.

I really appreciated the way Carmen connected contemporary theological ideas—and even ecclesiastical issues—to the biblical metanarrative. That’s what she did so well. She addressed topics like race, politics, gender, and sexuality—issues Christians are actively wrestling with—and she rooted them in biblical theology. I thought that was wonderful.

About the Author: Carmen Joy Imes

Carmen Joy Imes is a respected Old Testament scholar committed to making biblical theology accessible to the church. She currently teaches at Biola University and has earned a reputation for connecting careful scholarship with pastoral sensitivity. Her writing often emphasizes how the Old Testament aids understanding of the New, noting continuity in God’s redemptive plan.

Imes’s public ministry includes blogging, podcast appearances, and an active presence on social media. She regularly engages with issues of church life, belonging, and faith deconstruction—making her especially suited to write a book addressing why the church still matters today.

Previous Works

This new book forms the third entry in an informal trilogy:

Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters (2019) — a study of covenant and law.
Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters (2023) — an exploration of the imago Dei in Genesis and beyond.
Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters (2025) — completing the arc by focusing on the gathered people of God.

What is Becoming God’s Family About?

Imes describes this book as “a biblical theology of the presence of God in the community of faith.” At its heart, the book argues:

The church is God’s family, global and intergenerational.
God has always intended His presence to dwell among a people, not just with isolated individuals.
Current disillusionments (abuse, division, deconstruction) do not erase the biblical vision of the church as central to God’s plan.

Imes specifically writes for:

Those considering leaving the church.
Those who have already left but remain curious.
Pastors and leaders seeking a narrative-driven ecclesiology.
Readers of her previous books who want to see the story completed (This is me!).

The book balances scholarly grounding with pastoral care, offering resources like discussion questions and BibleProject links at the end of each chapter.

As the title suggests, Becoming God’s Family is about becoming God’s family. Imes traces the family motif, the adoption theme that runs throughout Scripture. John 1:12, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” God is our Father, and Christ is the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (Romans 8:29). Through him, we enter into a covenantal, familial relationship with God and with one another.

The church is God’s family, global, and intergenerational.

Family, then, means more than just a personal relationship with God. And I don’t mean “personal” in the theological sense of God as person (or with persona), but rather as an individual. Yes, each of us has a relationship with God personally, but that relationship also extends to others. If it extends to others, then the word church—which literally means “assembly”—matters. As the assembled people of God, we’re called to belong to a church.

Carmen talks about this in the introduction. She shares that a family member believes in Christ, but doesn’t value the church. They have religious beliefs that seem Christian but are missing the significance of the church—likely because of disillusionment, disenchantment, or church hurt. They may have left the institution, but not the faith. They still call themselves Christians but aren’t part of Christ’s body. That disconnect is really what this book addresses.

God has always intended His presence to dwell among a people.

Imes describes the book as “a biblical theology of the presence of God in the community of faith.” She explores what happens when we come together as the assembly—as the church. God’s presence dwells among his people, just as Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” At its core, the book argues that the church is God’s family, gathered in the name of Christ.

We should understand this principle both locally and globally. Locally, in congregations like mine—Palmdale Church—membership expresses belonging to God’s family. But it also extends beyond that to the communion of the saints, the global and historical body of believers. God’s family includes people from every generation, nation, and time.

God has always intended his presence to dwell among his people, not merely with individuals in isolation. Too often, contemporary evangelical culture frames eternity as a private experience—just “me and God” in heaven. I’ve often heard people say, “If you were the only person who would come to Christ, Jesus still would have died for you.” I understand the sentiment, but I think that idea is misguided. It’s not that God’s love isn’t that great—it’s that his love in the Gospel is bigger than that. God’s love is for all his people, for the whole body of Christ.

At the very least, depending on your theology, God’s love extends to all the saints. But there’s also a sense in which his love is general and universal—he desires that none should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). We need to grasp the magnitude of that love: God wants all of us, across all time, nation, and all places. There are, therefore, no disenfranchised or lone-wolf Christians. We’re meant to come together in Christ. Unfortunately, many people today are disillusioned because of abuse, division, or deconstruction within the church. And that’s the reality this book gently but powerfully speaks into.

Current disillusionments do not erase the biblical vision of the church as central to God’s plan.

I also think many people become disenchanted with the church because they’ve heard stories of abuse and division, not because they’ve experienced it themselves, and then they have universalized their suspicions. And to be fair, some of those stories are tragic. People have done horribly wicked things while calling themselves servants of Christ. I don’t want to downplay that at all. But I also think we sometimes blow these things out of proportion. For every tragic story that makes headlines, there are thousands of local congregations faithfully led by pastors and leaders who are genuinely giving themselves to the work of Christ. Those stories rarely make the news. So, while we shouldn’t ignore the serious failures that exist, we also shouldn’t let them define the whole picture. The reality is that those churches represent a small minority, not the norm.

These disillusionments don’t erase the biblical vision of the church. We haven’t entered a new era in which, because of pastoral or institutional failures, the Spirit of God now works exclusively through individuals as they move fluidly through the world apart from the church. That idea is absurd.

Technology—especially the accessibility of the written and digital word—has given us the sense that we can be our own pastors, our own one-person church. But that misses the entire point of the Christian faith. We are meant to come together as family in Christ.

Who should read Becoming God’s Family?

Those considering leaving the church and those who have already left but remain curious.

Imes writes specifically for people who are considering leaving the church, saying, “Let’s rethink this. Let’s ask what the church is supposed to be.” She’s also writing to those who have already left but remain curious. I can tell you from experience at Palmdale Church that we have many people who were out of church for 2, 5, even 10 years or more. They came to our church to explore what it looks like to be part of a biblical community again.

Most of them never stopped believing in Christ. They never stopped praying or practicing their faith in some form. But what they weren’t practicing—something extraordinarily important—was the Eucharist, the liturgy, and the gathered assembly, which together form the body of Christ. Without the church, we’re missing a central piece of our faith. So Imes writes to those people as well, inviting them to find safety in returning to the church.

Pastors and leaders seeking a narrative-driven ecclesiology.

She also writes for pastors and church leaders who are seeking a narrative-driven ecclesiology. It can be exhausting to watch video after video online about the nature of the church, where everyone disagrees—different emphases, different definitions, different applications. What Imes wants to do is bring the conversation back into the biblical narrative itself. She invites us to trace the story of the church through the Scriptures—to see how it begins in Genesis, develops through the kingdom of Israel, falters in Israel’s disobedience, and is ultimately fulfilled and corrected in Christ.

Then, in the New Testament, she shows how this vision unfolds in Acts and the epistles as the early church grows and flourishes, culminating in its consummation in Revelation. It’s a biblical-theological journey through the story of God’s people—a narrative-driven ecclesiology that helps us see the church as part of God’s grand redemptive plan.

Readers of her previous books who want to see the story completed (This is me!).

Readers of her previous books are clearly a key audience as well. Becoming God’s Family is described as the third in a trilogy, so if you’ve read the first two, you’ll definitely want to read this one. Even if you think you already understand the nature of the church, I promise this book will bless you.

Why does Becoming God’s Family appeal to so many people in different circumstances?

Because there’s truly something in it for everyone. There’s something for the faithful churchgoer and something for the seeker. There’s something on every page that points back to God’s redemptive purpose for his people. The book strikes a perfect balance between solid scholarship and accessible, down-to-earth readability. It’s both deeply theological and remarkably clear—an excellent book all around.

Chapter 8: Family Reunion

Okay, let’s get into some specifics of the book. Normally, when I do book reviews, I like to survey the whole thing, but today I want to do something different. I’m going to focus on chapter eight, titled “The Family Reunion.”

Who is God’s Family?

The title immediately makes me think: Who is God’s family? We often hear people say, “Everyone is a child of God.” And my response is always, “That’s interesting—where do you get that from?” Because that’s not the narrative of Scripture. The Bible teaches that we have all left God. We’ve all left the garden. We’ve all left the family of God. To become part of God’s family—to become his children—we must be adopted.

For Imes, the family of God includes people of every ethnicity, every age, and every background. That’s incredibly important. There is no one—regardless of sociological, generational, ethnic, national, or linguistic difference—who cannot become a child of God. Even the person you might think of as the most immoral or wicked can be adopted into God’s family in the same way you were: by God’s call and through the work of the Holy Spirit.

That invitation is open to everyone while they live—while they are still on this side of the grave. This theme also reflects Imes’ heart for missions. Throughout the book, she points toward the consummated kingdom portrayed in Revelation, the vision that runs throughout the biblical storyline: people from every tribe, tongue, and nation worshiping together before the throne of Christ.

Imes urges readers to see that this isn’t just a future reality, but something we should live in now. We are called to prioritize missions because there are still brothers and sisters we need to reach, people God is drawing into his family.

A Covenant Family

Imes also makes clear that this includes Israel, not apart from it. Or, maybe better said, the church doesn’t replace Israel but is incorporated within the people of God as defined through the covenant. She doesn’t use the term “covenant theology”—that would be more of a systematic label—but what she presents is very much in line with that perspective. Writes Imes,

“Jesus is not just any human. He takes his place in the very particular family of Abraham, for whom God’s promises were coming true with Jesus’ arrival. Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth and early ministry highlights episodes that mirror those of the nation of Israel.”

She points out several of these parallels:

Both Israel and Jesus sojourn in Egypt.
Both undergo testing in the wilderness—but where Israel failed, Jesus prevailed.
Both are baptized in the Jordan River, Israel, when Joshua leads them across into the Promised Land, and Jesus in his baptism by John.
The nations are reconstructed through the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of Jesus.

There are literally dozens of these consistencies—some obvious, others more subtle—and Imes shows how they form a coherent theological pattern. She continues:

“Isaiah had identified Israel as God’s chosen servant sent to do his work, but Isaiah also spoke of an individual servant who would restore Israel to God.”

That individual, of course, is Jesus. Furthermore,

“Matthew presents Jesus as that servant (Matthew 12:15-21). Daniel’s ‘son of man’ was an individual who represented the people of God; Jesus fulfills this representative role.”

Through this, Imes beautifully shows that Jesus is not only Israel’s Messiah but the representative embodiment of God’s people—the true Son who succeeds where the nation failed.

So we see Jesus as the Son of Man fulfilling this role to call all Israel. For Imes, there is really only one big family of God: Israel bringing in the nations through Christ. God’s family consists of all the faithful from every tribe, nation, and tongue, spanning the entire scope of redemptive history—from the fall and the rebellion of Adam to the return of Christ, the perfect and second Adam, who will consummate the kingdom of God on earth.

This is the great family that comes together in Christ. I would caution people not to create a false discontinuity between the Old and New Testaments, as if God somehow has two families. God is not a polygamist—he doesn’t have two brides, Israel and the Church. As Imes notes, the Church is in Israel; that’s how the narrative comes together.

A New Family in Christ

In Christ, we have a new family. Jesus dismantles traditional family allegiances and reconstructs them around the greater bond we share in him. This doesn’t erase ethnic or cultural distinctives within Israel or among the nations, but rather calls each to their true identity and purpose in Christ.

Imes writes,

“We don’t get to pick and choose who can worship alongside us today, and we certainly don’t get to pick and choose who will join us in the new creation.”

She continues,

“Anyone can join the movement. All those who repent and are baptized in Jesus’ name receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. As Peter explains, ‘The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call’ (Acts 2:39).”

I love the evangelistic undertone here. When you look at someone and think, “This person is so far from God, so far from the kingdom,” the reminder is—so were you. We were all far from God, incapable of returning on our own. It is only by the work of the Holy Spirit drawing us that we are regenerated. I don’t want to get into the Calvinist or Arminian debate here; all orthodox Christians agree that God is at work in our salvation before we ever respond. Then, through the preaching of the gospel, we respond in faith and are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Imes goes on to describe this beautifully:

“At Pentecost, the Spirit filled the believers who had gathered to pray and wait for God to act, forming a new multilingual and multicultural temple for God’s glory.”

Together, we become the temple of God, the people in whom his presence dwells. That’s a powerful image. This new family in Christ gives hope to those who have experienced brokenness in their earthly families—whether through divorce, abuse, or other wounds that tear relationships apart. In the church, even though we’re not perfect—we say hurtful things, we fail each other—we’re learning reconciliation. In doing so, we experience a foretaste of the eternal family of God, with all its perfection and peace.

I genuinely mourn for those who profess Christ but have never experienced that kind of family in the church. It’s tragic to live the Christian life without that taste of belonging.

Conclusion

As we conclude, I believe Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters will make a tremendous impact. Carmen Imes has already earned a strong following through her previous books, and this one will be no exception. It combines biblical theology with pastoral wisdom and cultural awareness, reminding readers that the church is—and always will be—at the center of God’s redemptive plan.

There will never come a time when we can say, “We’re done with the church; we’ll follow Jesus another way.” The Bible doesn’t provide a category for redemption outside the church. The New Testament’s biblical theology consistently shows that God’s redemptive purpose flows through his people gathered together as the body of Christ.

Perhaps what we need most today is a renewed return to this central truth: the church remains Christ’s body and the heart of God’s ongoing work in the world.

The low-church ecclesiology that’s so common in many evangelical churches today really needs to take the Scriptures and the biblical narrative of the church as family more seriously. If we did, we could see the church restored rather than diminished. And I think this book will help move us in that direction.

I give it five stars. It’s accessible on every page. I don’t think there’s anyone who couldn’t read and understand it. It’s incredibly easy to read yet filled with great scholarship.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Carmen, Thank you so much for your work.

If you’ve become disillusioned by the church and you’re reading this because you’re thinking, maybe it’s time to give it another try, or if you’re in church leadership and searching for a deeper theology of the church—something that could truly bring transformation—then I think this is, at the very least, a great starting point. In fact, I’d say it’s a deeply convincing book about the necessity of the church and a timely, hopeful word for anyone wrestling with these questions.

You can find the book through the links below—it’s in all the usual places—and I’ll post more about it on my website as well.