I was text messaging with a dear friend, church planter, and Christian brother last week about an opportunity he has to embark on a journey through a book titled Knowing God by J. I. Packer. This book is profound in so many different ways, and I thought I might share a few excerpts of it here for today’s devotion. Before I do that, I am reminded of what my seminary professor once told me about Packer and his books. Do you know why God ordained Packer’s last name to be Packer? Because he packs so much into his works. That joke proves true in the best of ways, as I hope you’ll see below.
From the Foreword (pp. 6, 7):
The conviction behind the book is that ignorance of God—ignorance both of his ways and of the practice of communion with him—lies at the root of much of the church’s weakness today. Two unhappy trends seemed to have produced this state of affairs.
Trend one is that Christians minds have been conformed to the modern spirit: the spirit, that is, that spawns great thoughts of man and leaves room for only small thoughts of God…
Trend two is that Christians minds have been confused by modern skepticism…
From chapter 1 (p. 16):
Five basic truths, five foundation-principles of the knowledge about God which Christians have, will determine our course throughout [the book]. They are as follows:
God has spoken to man, and the Bible is His Word, given to us to make us wise unto salvation.
God is Lord and King over His world; He rules all things for His own glory displaying His perfections in all that He does, in order that men and angels may worship and adore Him.
God is Saviour, active in sovereign love through the Lord Jesus Christ to rescue believers from the guilt and power of sin, to adopt them as His sons, and to bless them accordingly.
God is Triune; there are within the Godhead three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and the work of salvation is one in which all three act together, the Father purposing redemption, the Son securing it, and the Spirit applying it.
Godliness means responding to God’s revelation in trust and obedience, faith and worship, prayer and praise, submission and service. Life must be seen and lived in the light of God’s Word. This, and nothing else, is true religion.
Perhaps you see what I mean now? Two excerpts are more than enough for us to ponder anew how God has revealed himself in his Word and is now working in the church today. Think on these things with me