“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” (22). In these first pages, however, there is also an important caution: In the Know the Lord section, Packer established the importance of theological study and the pursuit of knowledge about God and His will as revealed in Scripture. The book is divided into three main sections: “Know the Lord,” “Behold Your God,” and “If God Be For Us.” We Should Study Theology Wisely This is the context into which Packer writes, and he achieves his goal of drawing the heart and mind towards a better understanding of God. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul” (19). “Disregard the study of God,” Packer says, “and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. And so Knowing God was written for Christians who are missing this key component of having a vibrant faith. The corrective to these trends, Packer suggests, is to give proper emphasis to the study of God. If anything, the pace of the decline has quickened and many Christians find themselves largely ignorant about God and His role in their lives. It is clear that the trends which Packer identifies in Knowing God have not been corrected since he wrote this book. The truth of Scripture is routinely questioned, and even the very concept of truth is itself been put up for debate.

Lacking a strong Biblical understanding of God, believers have become less certain about both God and His Word. The second trend is that Christians have become confused as a result of their dealings with modern skepticism. Christians have been unduly influenced by modern ideas about God, which views Him as distant, small, and completely unknowable.Ģ.

This ignorance of God has contributed to two negative trends in the church:ġ. Says Packer, “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” (12). Even so, Packer provides a tremendous amount of insight into what it means for the believer to know God.

For a mere creature to examine its creator is a daunting task (he likens it to a clown yearning to play Hamlet). In this work, Packer takes God as his subject.

Here are a few reasons you should consider making this your next read: We Should Pursue Knowledge of God It is one the most recommended books for Christians to read and it is worth adding one more recommendation for those who have not yet added this to their reading list. Packer’s Knowing God was published in 1973 and has sold over 1 million copies.

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