Knowing God (Book Review)

When I resolved to read more Christian books, I turned to the internet for the best possible recommendations. And almost every list I came across mentioned Knowing God by J.I Packer as their top choice. After reading the praises and glowing reviews it received, I immediately put it at the top of my to-read list. So far, it has been one of my best decisions this year. 

About the author

J.I Packer is an “English-born Canadian evangelical theologian in the low church Anglican and Calvinist traditions. He currently serves as the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is considered one of the most influential evangelicals in North America.” ( Source: Wikipedia)

About the book

As the title implies, Knowing God is about the nature and wonders of the living God. It beautifully explores the character of God and His attributes, as revealed in the Bible.

Packer originally wrote this book as a series of articles on God for the evangelical Magazine for “honest, no-nonsense readers who were fed up with facile Christian verbiage.” The articles somehow evolved into a book. And with it, Packer hoped to solve a common problem in the church: ignorance of who God is. He said in the preface, “the conviction behind the book is that ignorance of God -ignorance both of his ways and of the practice of communion with Him- lies at the root of much of the church’s weakness today.”

Knowing God has three main parts.

Part one is titled “Know the Lord,” and it has six chapters. The first three explores what it means to know God, why, and how to Know Him. And the last three chapters explore the different persons of the Godhead.

Part two is titled “Behold Your God.” It features eleven chapters, each covering different attributes or traits of God, such as wisdom, love, wrath, jealousy, etc.

And the last part is “If God Be For Us.” It has five chapters mostly about God’s works, such as the atonement, adoption, guidance, etc.

My thoughts

Before I share my thoughts, I must confess, Knowing God was not what I expected.

When I saw the title and read the description, I expected a book listing all the attributes of God, short descriptions, and corresponding Bible verses. But Packer went far beyond that.

He used the whole counsel of God to faithfully explain (not just tell) the character and nature of God. And it made it much more excellent, in my opinion. Furthermore, the book is easy to understand, faithful to Scriptures, and leaves the reader with a desire to know God more.

There are a few notable things I immensely enjoyed in the book.

First, learning the difference between knowing God and knowing about God and why the distinction matters. Before reading this book, I thought I knew the difference, and I thought I knew God. But by the end of the first couple of chapters, I realized I knew more about God than I knew Him. This revelation and conviction alone were worth getting the book. But wait, there is more!

I love that Packer didn’t shy away from tackling some of the more challenging characteristics of God, such as His wrath, judgment, and jealousy. I appreciated these chapters a lot because most pastors do not preach on it. In fact, I don’t think I have ever received such clear teaching on the wrath, or jealousy of God.

Lastly, I highly appreciated the chapter on adoption. Packer boldly said, adoption is the highest privilege the gospel offers, and he gave an excellent description of what it means to be a child of God. Again, I had never heard any sermon or teaching about God adopting us. As a result, I had never given much consideration to it. But after reading that chapter, I see our adoption into God’s family in a new light and have a much higher level of appreciation and gratitude for it. It is a privilege, indeed! Random fact: it is the longest chapter in the book.

I also loved the hymns interspersed throughout the book. The lyrics made more sense when followed by an explanation of the concept behind it. For example, the chapter on the grace of God made me understand the words of Come thou fount of every blessing much better.

However, Packer didn’t give the title or author of some hymns he mentioned in the book. It bummed me a little cause the hymns were beautiful, and searching for them is extra work.

But besides that, Knowing God is top-notch. It made me realize the importance of knowing God and motivated me to increase my experiential knowledge of Him. Not just my intellectual understanding. I will definitely be rereading it!

My recommendation

I recommend this book to Christians, regardless of their spiritual maturity.

For new believers, it will give them an accurate and faithful description of the God they just met and deepen their understanding of Him.

And for older believers, it will get them reacquainted with God, and probably expand their understanding of Him. As well as correct any false theology they might have believed.

I also think Non-Christians will benefit from reading this book, many unbelievers have a terribly wrong idea of who God is, and I think this book could give them a proper introduction to Him.

Favorite Quotes

Knowing God is more than knowing about him; 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.

page 39

Imagining God in our heads can be just as real a breach of the second commandment as imagining him by the work of our hands.

Page 47

If you have been resigning yourself to the thought that God has left you high and dry, seek grace to be ashamed of yourself. Such unbelieving pessimism deeply dishonors our great God and Savior.

Page 89

For it is often the case, as all the saints know, that fellowship with the Father and the Son is most vivid and sweet, and Christian joy is the greatest when the cross is heaviest.

Page 97

The grace of God is love freely shown toward guilty sinners, contrary to their merit and indeed in defiance of their demerit. It is God showing goodness to persons who deserve only severity and had no reason to expect anything but severity.

Page 132

Nobody stands under the wrath of God except those who have been chosen to do so. The essence of God’s action in wrath is to give men what they choose, in all its implications: nothing more, and equally nothing less.

Page 153

What is a Christian? The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as Father.

Page 201

When in doubt, do nothing, but continue to wait on God. When action is needed, light will come.

Page 239

Our God is a God who not merely restores, but takes up our mistakes and follies into His plan for us and brings good out of them. This is part of the wonder of His gracious sovereignty.

Page 241

So many in our day seem to have been distracted from what was, is, and always will be the true priority for every human being- that is learning to know God in Christ.

Page 279

  Grace and peace to you!