In the three-page preface of Packer’s book, Knowing God, he makes an important distinction about typical motives of those seeking knowledge of God; his two terms are: onlookers; and travelers.
Onlookers are those who merely seek theoretical knowledge about God for their various reasons, chiefly to exalt themselves; travelers, are concerned with acquiring practical knowledge of God that will enable them to walk with Him and intimately know Him.
His book was written for travelers. For those, like the character Christian, in Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress.
Packer also makes reference to C. H. Spurgeon’s descriptive phrase for the church of his day: Spurgeon described it as being on “the downgrade.”
The prophet Jeremiah addressed a similar problem in the nation Israel:
Jer 6:16 This is what the LORD says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’
The apostle Paul also warned that the church would experience “the downgrade:”
2Ti 4:3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
2Ti 4:4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Apparently, it is very common for worshippers of God to have their worship corrupted by new ideas, social trends, tradition, heresies…so it is very important to abide in the Old Way that God has given us in His word.
Below are three videos to introduce readers to J.I. Packer before I overview any chapters from his book. I plan to provide a synopsis of 2 or so chapters from each of the 3 parts of Knowing God; my aim is to encourage Christians to read or listen to Knowing God via Audible, as it is invaluable in directing believers back to the old way.
In the following 2 minute video, Packer shares his thoughts about the nature of faith and Christianity.
In the following 16 minute video, pastor Mark Jones converses with Packer about cultivating awe in worship of God; Christian meditation of scripture and worship; and knowing Christ.
The following 37 minute video by Dr. Mark Jones is a sermon about knowing Christ. He goes into greater depth than the above interview with Packer; and he also talks about how Christ humbles His followers as he conforms them to His image; and that this pattern was apparent in His own life and ministry, and is apparent in His word.
The sermon adds to the former two videos and completes the introduction for this short series on Packer’s book. Hopefully, I will cover the first part by the end of this month.
STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS:
***See categories; Discernment; The False Gospels of Rick Warren, Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, and Steve Chalk; surveyed by Dr. Gary Gilley. The two videos in that post clearly state why these men are false “Christian” teachers. If you are a student of the Bible, then you are aware that these men pervert its teachings and offer their followers a new way. There are many, many “teachers,” “preachers,” wandering around in the 21st century church offering a man-made way to worship God; any of those ways is equivalent to the broad way of Matthew 7:
Mat 7:13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.
Mat 7:14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
In my mission statement post, there is one 10 minute video by pastor Paul Washer explaining that God has raised up such false preachers for those who refuse to love the truth (see II Thessalonians). If you do not want to be one of the many, walking down that broad road following the likes of Brian McLaren, then getting back to the Old Way laid out in the Bible, the one and only way of salvation via the Lord Jesus Christ, is your only hope.