New City Churchs Summer 2012 Online Book Club

JI Packers Knowing God ~ Chapter 9: God Only Wise Before reading: How would you define wisdom? When you think of God being wise, what does that entail? How would you describe that to someone in your own words? How would you describe the ultimate purposes of God?

Purpose: To deepen our understanding of Gods wisdom, and to trust and find comfort in it Wisdom: Gods & Ours. God Dealing with His People A. Abraham B. Jacob C. Joseph III. Our Perplexing Trials

Outline: I. II.

Key Quotes: To be truly wise, in the Bible sense, ones intelligence and cleverness must be harnessed to a right end. Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal, together with the means of attaining it. Wisdom without power would be pathetic, a broken reed; power without wisdom would be merely frightening; but in God boundless wisdom and endless power are united, and this makes him utterly worth of our fullest trust. Gods wisdom is not, and never was, pledged to keep a fallen world happy, or to make ungodliness comfortable. Not even to Christians has he promised a trouble-free life; rather the reverse. He has other ends in view for life in this fallen world than simply to make it easy for everyone. What is He after, then? What is His goal? What does He aim at? His ultimate objective is to bring them to a state in which they please Him entirely and praise Him adequately, a state in which He is all in all to them, and He and they rejoice continually in the knowledge of each others lovemen rejoicing in the saving love of God, set upon them from all eternity, and God rejoicing in the responsive love of men, drawn out of them by grace through the gospel. This will be Gods glory, and mans glory too. The same wisdom which ordered the paths which Gods saints trod in Bible times orders the Christians life today. We should not, therefore, be too taken aback when unexpected and upsetting and discouraging things happen to us now. What do they mean? Why, simply that God in His wisdom means to make something of us which he have not attained yet, and is dealing with us accordingly. We may be frankly bewildered at things that happen to us, but God knows exactly what He is doing, and what He is after, in His handling of our affairs. Always, and in everything, He is wise. Meanwhile, we ought not to hesitate to trust His wisdom, even when He leaves us in the dark. Reflection Questions:

1. So, how would you now define wisdom in relation to God? 2. Why is God worthy of our fullest trust? How do we solidify our convictions in this area? 3. How do many people mistakenly understand Gods goals for us in this world? How did this chapter with its references to Scripture clarify this for us? 4. What are some of the reasons Packer cites as to why God allows us to endure hardships? 5. How should we meet trials in our lives?

Review these questions, and let them direct your thoughts, prayer, and praise.