J. I. Packer on Bible engagement …
People consider J.I. Packer, the British-born Canadian theologian, one of the most influential Evangelicals in North America. His most popular book, Knowing God, has been read by more than a million people and was listed 5th by Christianity Today on their list of “The Top Fifty Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals.” Here are ten Bible engagement statements from Knowing God:
God has spoken to man, and the Bible is His Word, given to us to make us wise unto salvation.
We must seek, in studying God, to be led by God. It was for this purpose that revelation was given, and it is to this use that we must put it.
Knowing God involves, first, listening to God’s Word and receiving it as the Holy Spirit interprets it, in application to oneself.
Do we apply the authority of the Bible, and live by the Bible, whatever men may say against it, recognising that God’s Word cannot but be true, and that what God has said He certainly means, and will stand to? If not, we dishonour the Holy Spirit, who gave us the Bible.
The word which God addresses directly to us is an instrument, not only of government, but also of fellowship.
God sends His word to us in the character of both information and invitation. It comes to woo us as well as to instruct us; it not merely puts us in the picture of what God has done and is doing, but also calls us into personal communion with the loving Lord Himself.
The claim of the word of God upon us is absolute: the word is to be received, trusted, and obeyed, because it is the word of God the king … We are to believe and obey it, not only because He tells us to, but also, and primarily, because it is a true word.
What is a Christian? … He is a man who acknowledges and lives under the word of God … believing the teaching, trusting the promises, following the commands. His eyes are to the God of the Bible as his Father, and the Christ of the Bible as his Saviour. He will tell you … that the word of God has both convinced him of sin and assured him of forgiveness. His conscience … is captive to the word of God, and he aspires … to have his whole life brought into line with it.
The wise man reads the Bible as a book of life … as the book of the church … and as God’s personal letter to each of his spiritual children.
To learn more from J. I. Packer on Bible engagement, read Knowing God.
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Summary
J. I. Packer on Bible engagement: Packer emphasizes the importance of Bible engagement in understanding and living out God’s word. He argues that the Bible is not only a source of knowledge but also an invitation to a personal relationship with God, with its authority demanding belief and obedience. Packer stresses that the Bible’s teachings, promises, and commands should shape a Christian’s life, as they recognize it as God’s direct word to His people. To truly know God, one must listen to, trust, and apply the Bible, allowing it to guide actions and spiritual growth.
© Scripture Union Canada
