Knowing God

I initially bought and read Knowing God almost 35 years ago. I was a new Christian, young and ignorant; but as is true of many young people, I had no idea just how ignorant I really was.

I don't think I can adequately express how thankful I am for Packer's book. It was a Godsend to me. It taught me not simply how to approach theology, but how to approach God himself. It shaped my heart and my mind in ways that I'm certain saved me from making even more mistakes than I did in my exuberant, youthful ignorance.

We do ourselves a tremendous disservice, and our souls incalculable damage, if we casually dismiss the study of God. Or, as Packer put it in chapter one:

"Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder show more 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."

Another thing I realized was that theology was a two-edged sword--having on the one hand immense value, and on the other potentially damning dangers. Packer went on to issue a warning in that first chapter that probably needs to be trumpeted more often (and more loudly) than it is.

"If we pursue theological knowledge for its own sake, it is bound to go bad on us. It will make us proud and conceited. The very greatness of the subject matter will intoxicate us, and we shall come to think of ourselves as a cut above other Christians because of our interest in it and grasp of it; and we shall look down on those whose theological ideas seem to us crude and inadequate and dismiss them as very poor specimens. For, as Paul told the conceited Corinthians, "Knowledge puffs up.... The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know" (1 Cor 8:1-2).

"To be preoccupied with getting theological knowledge as an end in itself, to approach Bible study with no higher a motive than a desire to know all the answers, is the direct route to a state of self-satisfied self-deception."

By the grace of God my goal is to do everything in my power to avoid self-satisfied self-deception. I know I haven't always succeeded, but I have no intention of giving up the fight.

Those are just a few of the reasons that I'm thankful for Knowing God. If I could make it required reading for every new Christian, I would. show less

I cannot recommend J.I. Packer’s Knowing God too highly, primarily because I have never read a book that has more practically changed my own life. No work – obviously excepting the divinely inspired Word of God – has taught me more truth, opened my eyes more often, or spurred me to love God more strongly. As the dustcover says, “J.I. Packer’s classic has revealed to over a million Christians around the world the wonder, the glory and the joy of knowing God.” I can’t think of a better, more enticing tagline to put on a book than that.

Quoted on the cover of another book is Packer’s sentiment that, “To rush to God…with no pause to realize his greatness and grace and our own sinfulness and smallness, is at once to show more dishonor him and to make shallow our own fellowship with him.” I believe that the true worth of Knowing God is that it leads the reader to meditate on each of those issues by sharing Dr. Packer’s own meditations on God. The book builds up God’s greatness and glorifies his grace, while it forces the reader to realize his own sinfulness and smallness in light of God’s character. In so doing, this book leads the reader to honor God rightly, thereby deepening his fellowship with the Lord.

In a chapter entitled “The Majesty of God,” Dr. Packer asks, “How may we form a right idea of God’s greatness?” His answer is that the Bible shows us the two steps we must take:

"The first is to remove from our thoughts of God limits that would make him small. The second is to compare him with powers and forces which we regard as great."

To serve this end, the author gives a stirring exhortation at the end of the chapter: “How slow we are to believe in God as God, sovereign, all-seeing and almighty! How little we make of the majesty of our Lord and Savior Christ! The need for us is to ‘wait upon the Lord’ in meditations on his majesty, till we find our strength renewed through the writing of these things upon our hearts.”

I, personally, have committed to reading this book at least once a year, because it has done more in bringing me to meditate upon God’s majesty rightly than has any other book I have read. I feel strongly that every Christian ought to read through Knowing God at least once, for Dr. Packer’s simultaneous uses of wisdom and encouragement lead the reader into a deeper knowledge of God. It seeks to drive the reader from a passive, intellectual knowledge ‘about God’ to a powerful, life-changing knowledge ‘of God.’ This book, more than any other, has taught me what it means to seek to be “knowing God.” show less

Knowing God is considered a classic work of practical theology, and deservedly so. I have been slowly reading it for the past several months and have thoroughly enjoyed Packer's insights on the character of God and the nature of our relationship with Him.

Packer is not afraid to call out heresies by name. He comes down especially hard on Catholicism for its graven images and relics, and also for its doctrine that you cannot know for sure that God has saved you. Viewed in light of the Biblical metaphor for salvation, adoption into God's family, conditional security is indeed a misrepresentation of the perfect Father. Packer supports his points quite well and I have to say I agree with him, though the truths he writes may be somewhat show more unpleasant.

But it's unfair to paint this book as a mere attack on Catholicism. Packer spends more time focusing on good theology than tearing down bad. I especially enjoyed the chapter on God's guidance in the life of the believer, and the emphasis on salvation as adoption. The parent-child relationship is so rich with interaction and meaning, and seeing ourselves as God's children sheds light on so many truths of the Word. We are full heirs of the estate... we are disciplined because we are loved... we are secure in God's family. And it all glorifies the Father.

Packer is a Reformed theologian and his writing reflects the Scriptural theme of sovereign grace. The knowledge of God's perfect sovereignty unifies the Christian life, with all its varying experiences and doctrines, into a cohesive whole. Life makes sense from the perspective that God is in control. It is a comfort to know that nothing, not even our individual choices, can nullify God's plan.

This isn't a fluffy book about positive thinking with a dash of theology thrown in for good measure. Packer really gets into the Word and all his arguments are based on Scripture. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to grow in his/her walk with the Lord. It is certainly a book I will reread. show less

Rated: A
This book is a must read – a true classic for those who are followers of Jesus Christ. With great attention to biblically based theology, Packer pulls from scripture to support his revelations on the true nature, attributes and essence of God. Perhaps it is human nature to worship the God we like and underline the likeable things about God that we read in the Bible. But the one true living God is much more. God is love is positive and reassuring. God is our Father and wants us to be with Him. God is also holy and rejects unholy behavior. Packer lays out this conflict and how God, the Father resolves this conflict with God, the Son in such an understandable way. The book both strengthens and challenges your thinking. show more Convicting. Revealing. Insightful. Profound. show less

Life changer. I had a sensation in Ch 3 or 4 that I was drilling a well into 500 feet of rock, way down, and had just struck the most amazing water ever. After Packer, God is not small anymore.

巴刻在《认识神》一书中，深入浅出地将基督教的神观写成一本可读性高，而且深具灵修味道的书，不像一般枯燥艰涩的系统神学论述，叫人敬而远之。而本书的 成功，在于对“神学”（狭义和广义）有正确和合乎正统神学思想的理解与支持。
－－张慕皑

A classic in Christian theology, Knowing God, is a deep exploration of the nature and character of God, which invites readers into a deeper relationship with the divine. It’s dense, heavy, and profound, but in being so, Packer provides practical applications for everyday life. He covers topics such as the attributes of God, the person and work of Jesus Christ, the nature of salvation, and the importance of prayer and obedience in the Christian life. One of the key themes of the book is the idea that knowing God is not just an intellectual pursuit, but a deeply personal and transformative experience. It’s a wonderful resource of valuable insights.