12 books every Christian should own and read
A series of book reviews used for the monthly church bulletin of 2013
Book no. 3: Knowing God by JI Packer
John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” To know God lies at the very heart of what it means to have eternal life. JI Packer in response to the liberalism of the 1950’s took up this theme in a British Christian periodical. Those instalments were later published in 1973 as the book “Knowing God” which is regarded today as a Christian classic.
The book consists of three main sections which can be summarised as follows:
Part I Know the Lord.
The aim of this section is to explain that knowing God is Theology. Every Christian therefore by definition is a Theologian. So many people however make a mess of Theology and so Packer highlights five essential principles which must guide us: we can only know God through His Word; God is Lord; God is Saviour; God is triune; God is to be obeyed.
Part II Behold You God
This section deals with the attributes of God. It is Packer’s aim to deepen our appreciation of God’s majesty, wisdom, love, grace, & wrath as well as His other attributes. If we give ourselves to careful meditation as we read these chapters it will lead us to worship. We cannot but bow ourselves in wonder to the God who is so far above us and yet has revealed Himself to us.
Part III If God be for us
In this section Packer brings the Gospel into focus with its benefits and implications. Of course it is impossible to know God intimately outside of the Gospel. Knowing about God, and knowing God are two different things. Importantly he stresses the relevance of the Gospel for everyday living particularly in the area of guidance. For believers, salvation is not merely a past event but something which helps us every-day in the decisions we must make and how we are to live.
Summary
This book is useful for all believers irrespective of how long they have been converted. Its lessons are timeless, stimulating, comforting, and challenging. It provides foundational truths to which we must continually return and build upon.