J. I. Packer:
You sum up the whole of New Testament teaching in a single phrase, if you speak of it as a revelation of the Fatherhood of the holy Creator.
In the same way, you sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s holy Father.
If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father.
If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all.
For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new, and better than the Old, everything that is distinctively Christian as opposed to merely Jewish, is summed up I the knowledge of the Fatherhood of God.
Evangelical Magazine 7, pp. 19-20, cited in Knowing God, p. 201. Packer says on p. 202:
Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption
Shelly: As I read your post from yesterday and read prior posts, I'm struck by your comments back in April (I think) about the book of Job. And I'm reminded that God prepares us for everything that comes our way. When our girls were diagnosed with diabetes and Amanda had such trials, I realized one day (through my tears) that God knew all of this would happen. At first, I was angry, screaming at God, "You KNEW this would happen, and You could have stopped it, but you didn't." Then my anger melted to understanding and peace as I realized, "You KNEW this would happen, and You prepared me for it in ways I could not have imagined, and You will see me through." God knows all, but He doesn't tell us what's ahead because we'd never take another step forward if we knew what the future held. He knows all, and He provides us exactly what we need when we need it. Keep reading, praying, questioning, and blogging. Love and prayers are with you constantly. SY
ReplyDeleteHi Shelly,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post. I remember well the display of love in Gene and Kat's hearts for Noelle years before the adoption came through. I saw their eyes mist up when they spoke of the process and their hearts desires. I heard Gene's voice crack during a concert as he sang a song for his little girl. Noelle hadn't even been born and her birth mother wasn't pregnant. She was unknown to everyone but God and the Cornetts.
Noelle - destined to be discarded, destined to be rescued, destined to be adopted and loved, just like you.
Love you,
Vicki