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Knowing God by J.I. Packer Book Summary by Holy Reads

Knowing God by J.I. Packer leads us into a greater understanding of God and His majesty. When we truly know God, we put Him first in our lives.

An accurate and intimate knowledge of our Creator and Savior is essential for a healthy spiritual life.

God is the absolute Sovereign over everything. He orders the events of the universe and works out His will in the world. To know God, we must understand the Trinity and how we relate to each Member of the Godhead. We must also know His nature – what theologians call His “attributes.”

God never changes, so we can have confidence in His grace and care for us. He is our Father, and He treats us as sons. In response, we are to become more and more like Christ.

In this summary, you will learn:

  • essential information about God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, including the relationships between the Members of the Trinity;
  • why a practical understanding of the attributes of God helps us respond appropriately to His nature; and
  • that the grace given to humanity by a sovereign God is the heart of the gospel.

We need to know who God truly is.

Knowing God is based on five foundational truths: 1) God has given us His Word, 2) God is in charge of the universe, 3) God is the Savior of humanity, 4) God is a Trinity, and 5) God’s Word is the foundation for our godliness. Therefore, knowing God includes knowing His deity, powers, and perfections.

In the past, churches routinely taught God’s attributes to children. That rarely takes place today. And our churches do not teach or preach to the adults about the nature of God very often, so believers today are losing sight of who God is.

If we are going to know God, we must begin with the right motives. While learning about God is essential to our spiritual growth, knowledge for the sake of knowledge is dangerous. Our desire should be to know Him, not just know about Him.

An important goal of knowing God is to produce godliness in our lives. It is possible to know godliness without knowing very much about God. Numerous books and articles teach us what the authors think we need to do to be godly. But godliness is not really about what we do. It is about who we know.

The Bible describes people who know God. First, they will resist anything that dishonors God. For example, Daniel and his friends refused to eat the king’s food (Daniel 1:11-16), and Daniel would not stop praying openly three times a day (Daniel 6:10).

Second, people who know God understand His greatness. God revealed to Daniel the coming kingdoms of the world, emphasizing His sovereignty over those nations (Daniel 2:24-45). If God can raise up and put down entire nations, He can take care of us.

Third, people who know God stand up for Him. When Nebuchadnezzar required that everyone bow to his god, the Hebrew children refused (Daniel 3:12). They boldly stood for their God.

Fourth, people who know God are content. When Nebuchadnezzar threatened the Hebrew children with death by fire for not bowing, they were not troubled. They were content to die in the flames for their faithfulness to God (Daniel 3:16-17).

How do we come to know God? First, we must recognize how little we know about Him. Then, we need to seek Jesus. Those who have found Jesus have begun their journey of knowing God.


To know God, we must know His Word and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus declared that knowing God is eternal life (John 17:3). Therefore, the holy pursuit of knowing Him makes life worth living.

Knowing a thing is simple. Knowing a person is complicated. We can only know someone else if they allow us to become acquainted with them. We may be familiar with the Bible, but only when we realize that God is speaking to us personally can we begin to know Him. When this happens, it is not just our being open to God. God is opening Himself to us.

The ultimate knowledge of God comes through Jesus Christ (John 14:6, 9). He gathered a small group of men who came to know Him. Since His resurrection, people around the world can do the same.

Knowing God is practical. We are eager to demonstrate our intellect but reticent to show our emotions. Yet Scripture is full of examples and commands related to our feelings, from rejoicing (Acts 11:23) to feeling shame (Psalm 51).

Knowing God is also gracious. He makes Himself our Friend. He sovereignly bestows His grace upon us, initiating the relationship. My knowledge of Him is based on His knowledge of me. He loves me, He is my friend, and He cares for me.

Knowing God demands that we worship Him in the manner He commands. The Second Commandment does not allow the use of images. This is not so much about who we worship as it is how we worship. Some people think that a physical object can help them focus their attention on God. Something that helps us worship God must be beneficial, right? But the Second Commandment is clear. We cannot use the likeness of anyone or anything in worship.

One problem with images is they conceal the truth about God or show an inadequate concept of Him. For example, Aaron’s golden calf was supposed to symbolize Jehovah, but it became an idol. In addition, the calf allowed the Jews to include shameful acts in their worship because the calf did not stop their activity.

There is another more insidious form of idolatry. We can create mental images of God that obscure His true character. For example, we can view Him as Father but reject Him as Judge. Or we might see Him as little more than a perfect man. To know God, we must know Him as Scripture reveals Him…

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