By J I PackerOver the years, many popular writers have written self-help or popular books about Christianity; while most are helpful, they are often rooted in popular culture and have not always stood the test of time. By contrast, scholar theologians like C S Lewis and John Stott have published works that are firmly rooted in scripture and doctrine and have stood the test of time. J I Packer has written one such volume: Knowing God.
I read this book shortly after it was published in the 1970s, then picked it up again last year. I was impressed by Packer's injunction that the person who believes in God should not merely know about God but know God in a personal relationship.
Dr Packer started writing this book as a series of magazine articles "angled for honest, no-nonsense readers who were fed up with facile Christian verbiage". His topics include God's unchanging character, his wisdom, his love, his grace, his wrath and goodness, and the heart of the gospel - among many other topics. As one reviewer writes, Packer points the reader to "the true character of God with his theological competence and compassionate heart". This book has enlarged my understanding of God and encouraged me to dig more into his word.
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