One of God greatest gifts to the church of today is the man J. I. Packer. He is a theological redwood in the church. When you pick up one of his books you meet God. His most influential book is in fact titled, “Knowing God.” That book is a must read for anyone who is serious about knowing God and his Word. However, if you do open one of his books, don’t expect to find a lot of funny stories and entertaining illustrations. Go to the self-help section of your local Bible bookstore for that. No, if you open up one of Packer’s books, you better get your head and heart ready for some serious thinking about a holy and awesome God. Here are some quotes that I hope will move you to seek out this man’s writings. You won’t be the same if you do.
On the purpose of mankind: “What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is the eternal life that Jesus gives? Knowledge of God….What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight, and contentment, than anything else? Knowledge of God….Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord.” Knowing God, p. 29
On lack of Certainty: “For at no time, perhaps since the reformation have protestant Christians as a body been so unsure, tentative and confused as to what they should believe and do. Certainty about the great issues of Christian faith and conduct is lacking all along the line. The outside observer sees us as staggering on from gimmick to gimmick and stunt to stunt like so many drunkards in a fog, not knowing at all where we are or which way we should be going. Preaching is hazy; heads are muddled, hearts fret; doubts drain our strength; uncertainty paralyses action.” God has Spoken, p. 20
On preaching and the Bible: “The point is not that all preachers should speak in the same way but that every preacher should speak in a way that makes plain, first, that his message is from God who speaks in Scripture, second, that he himself comes from the presence of God to deliver it, and, third, that it matters to him that his hearers follow the path of life by receiving it rather than miss that path by rejecting it.” Truth and Power, p. 134
On the Healthy Christian: “The healthy Christian is not necessarily the extrovert, the ebullient Christian, but the Christian who has a sense of God’s presence stamped deep on his soul, who trembles at God’s Word, who lets it dwell in him richly by constant meditation upon it, and who tests and reforms his daily life in response to it.” A Quest for Godliness, 116
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