Review of the book, Knowing God, by J.I. Packer
Knowing God, written by J.I. Packer was published in 1973. J.I. Packer was a professor of historical and systematic theology at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada. This book challenges me to consider the depth of my knowledge of God and encourages me to focus on knowing God more, not just knowing more about God. It is divided into three sections as follows: Section 1 – Know the Lord; Section 2 – Behold Your God; Section 3 – If God Be For Us. In this review, I plan to focus on Section 1.
The conviction of the book is that the church’s weakness is a result of ignorance of God – ignorance of His ways and the practice of communion with Him. If this is true, and I believe it is, what caused this? First, Packer states that Christian minds have been conformed to the “modern spirit.” We have great thoughts of man which leaves little room for only small thoughts of God. Additionally, he states that Christian minds have been confused by the “modern skepticism.” The Bible is under attack. The foundations of faith in God are questioned resulting in confusion and uncertainty about God.
While reading Knowing God, one is awakened to good news. We do not need to remain ignorant of God. We can grow in our relationship with Him and know Him deeper. The book issues the invitation found in Jeremiah 6:16 – “Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls.’” This verse ends with the following sober sentence: “But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” As a result of not walking in God’s ways, God brought disaster on this people (Jeremiah 6:19). The good news is that we can know God, know His heart, His ways, His commands, His laws and begin, or continue, to ‘walk in it.’ The book, Knowing God, provides encouragement and a pathway to move from knowing much about God, to a closer relationship of knowing Him.
J.I. Packer opens the book with reference to a sermon given in January 1855 by the then 21-year-old Charles Spurgeon. In his sermon, Spurgeon states that there is something “improving to the mind” in a study and contemplation of God. Packer states that “it is the most practical project anyone can engage in.” Without the study of God Packer states that, “you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.”
How do we start? Packer suggests five basic truths of the knowledge about God to help establish our course. They are as follows: 1) God has spoken to man, and the Bible is His Word, given to us to make us wise unto salvation; 2) God is Lord and King over His world; 3) God is Savior, 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; 4) God is Triune; within the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three work together: the Father purposing redemption, the Son securing it, and the Spirit applying it. 5) Godliness means responding to God’s revelation. We are to live life in light of God’s Word.
With these five truths, Packer suggests we can turn knowledge about God into knowledge of God. How? By turning each truth that we learn about God into matter for meditation before God – leading to prayer and praise to God. Meditation, according to Packer, “is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God. It is the activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God.” The purpose of meditation is to allow God’s truth to impact our mind and heart.
As I stated in the first paragraph, the book challenges me to understand that there is a difference between knowing about God and knowing God. Packer suggests that we recognize how much we lack knowledge of God and ask Him to show us how “impoverished” we are. It seems to me that this process of asking God to show me what I am lacking, how impoverished I am, is a worthy task. It may be frightening at times, yet I believe it will be rewarding. With this in mind, I am beginning to peel back layers in my life and am asking God to uncover what He wants uncovered and to lead me in the way He wants me to go.
Chapter 3, entitled “Knowing and Being Known,” is a wonderful testimony of how we can know God and have a close relationship with Him. A fascinating account is provided in this chapter about the building of a relationship. When building a relationship with another human being, often someone will not show everybody what is on their heart. The quality of our knowledge about another person depends on them more than us. Imagine being introduced to someone we consider above us in some way and the person takes us into his confidence, tells us what is on his mind, and invites us to join him in his undertakings, and asks us to be permanently available whenever he needs us. We will feel privileged. This is an illustration of what it means to know God.
What does knowing God involve? This section gives us four pointers. “First, listening to God’s word and receiving it as the Holy Spirit interprets it, in application to oneself; second, noting God’s nature and character, as His word and works reveal it; third, accepting His invitations, and doing what He commands; fourth, recognizing and rejoicing in, the love that He has shown in thus approaching and drawing one into this divine fellowship.”
Knowing God highlights the fact that it is important to understand that we know God through knowing Jesus Christ, who is God manifest in the flesh. When the Bible tells us that Jesus is risen, this means that anyone can enjoy a relationship with Him, much like His disciples. The difference is that His presence with the Christian is spiritual not physical. Also, Jesus speaks to us today by, “applying to our consciences those words of His that are recorded in the gospels, together with the rest of the biblical testimony to Himself.”
Packer suggests that knowing God is a matter of “personal dealing.” “It is a matter of dealing with Him as He opens up to you, and being dealt with by Him as He takes knowledge of you.” It is also a matter of “personal involvement.” To get to know someone you must commit yourself to that person. It is this way in a relationship with God. Knowing God is also a matter of “grace.” God initiates and makes friends with us. In Galatians 4:9 Paul states, “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God …” We can know Him by faith because of His grace.
Much more can and is said about this idea of knowing God in section 1 of the book. I encourage you to embark on a journey, a journey to “know God” by recommending this book to you. I believe it will guide you along a path that will bring blessings and joy, with a focus on the most important part of life, often overlooked in a busy society. “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17: 3).
–Jim Martino