When I was in my twenties a book caught my interest, I think it was probably recommended to me by someone, but it was the title that caught my eye: "Knowing God".
At the time, I'd never heard of the author, J. I. Packer.
I read it and was excited how clearly the author taught and explained the truths that I had come to believe.
As someone who wanted to think through my faith and often discussed with others who challenged me, I was happy to have a source that gave a firm foundation for my faith and helped me to explain that to others. I would still would recommend "Knowing God".
I was recently reminded of this by a friend who shared this article with me (as J. I. Packer died this July in his 94th year):
"Knowing God" is essentially a work of "devotional theology."
For many Christians, that may sound like two incompatible words, as if diving deep into theological truth is stuff of the "head," while our walks with God are matters of the "heart."
Packer, in a thoroughly biblical way, destroys that false dichotomy in "Knowing God."
It was especially two statements this Oxford-trained theologian made in the second chapter that hit me like a ton of bricks.
"One can know a great deal about God without much knowledge of Him," and
"One can know a great deal about godliness without much knowledge of Him."
In "Knowing God" Packer describes the characteristics of those who know God:
They have great energy for God.
They have great thoughts of God.
They show great boldness for God.
They have great contentment in God.
Not a God that's made in one's own image.
But the God revealed in Scripture and
clarified by proper theology [what the Apostle Paul calls ‘sound doctrine’].
In January 2016 Dr Packer revealed he was losing his eyesight through macular degeneration. For Packer, who authored more than 300 books, book reviews, journal articles, and other material, and who had a wide speaking ministry, that season of life for him was over.
And yet he was not bitter.
During a phone interview (at www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/j-i-packer-89-on-losing-sight-but-seeing-christ/), Dr Packer, aged 89, told the interviewer that
"in the days when it was physically possible for me to do these things I was concerned, even anxious, to get ahead with doing them. Now that it's no longer possible I acknowledge the sovereignty of God."
He calls it Christian realism.
"God knows what he's up to," Dr Packer says. "And I've had enough experiences of his goodness in all sorts of ways not to have any doubt about the present circumstances. Some good, something for his glory, is going to come out of it."
That's a good word for all of us.
Let's face it, aging is one of the stages of life that most of us will face, but one that our youth-fixated culture doesn't prepare us for.
As Dr Packer has written,
"How should we view the onset of old age? The common assumption is that it is mainly a process of loss. But, here the Bible breaks in, highlighting the further thought that spiritual ripeness is worth far more than material wealth in any form, and that spiritual ripeness should continue to increase as one gets older."
That perspective comes not from merely knowing about God, but only from knowing God Himself.
Archbishop Justin Welby paid tribute to Professor Packer, after his death in July:
“Dr James Packer’s death ends a wonderful service to God by a disciple of learning, wisdom, and holiness. A giant of his time.”
Article quoted written by John Stonestreet in the Christian Post :
