Knowing God

J I Packer

Class notes #10 – November 30, 2005

1. Review from last time
   
   

2. In what ways is ‘guidance’ a chronic problem for Christians?

1. Knowledge that God can and does provide guidance to his people; coupled with the fear that we will miss His guidance

2. Or, perhaps, that He is not speaking to us when we think we need it.

3. What are the two foundations on which confidence in divine guidance rests? (pp 231)

1. God’s plan

                                                               i.      Does God have a plan? Is it specific for each of us or more general? YES! Every person is subject to and participates in His divine plan.

2. God’s ability to communicate that plan

                                                               i.      God is communicative – His Son is the “Word”.

                                                             ii.      He reveals through Jesus, prophets, scripture, and such direct revelation as dreams, visions and direct verbal messages (while these may be rare we must acknowledge they can and do happen).

3. What are some examples of different types of divine guidance?

                                                               i.      Abraham and Isaac on the mountain

                                                             ii.      Abraham and the “Three Men”

                                                            iii.      Moses & the bush

                                                           iv.      Eli and Samuel

                                                             v.      Various Old Testament dreams

                                                           vi.      Transfiguration and Baptism of Jesus

                                                          vii.      Paul on the road to Damascus.

4. What are some of the mistakes Christians make in discerning God’s guidance? (pp 233-234)

1. Overlook guidance readily at hand

                                                               i.      Biblical

                                                             ii.      Advice from others

                                                            iii.      Reasoned sense

2. We tend to think of guidance as an “inward prompting of the Holy Spirit” rather than something external – ie., the written Word.
   
   

4. What are “vocational Choices”? (pp 234) – choices between competing options.

1. Choices between competing (and possibly equally good) options

                                                               i.      It was good to observe the Sabbath; Jesus taught it was better for His disciples to pluck grain on the Sabbath when they were hungry (Matt 12)

2. Two distinctives are:

                                                               i.      Cannot be resolved through direct application of biblical teaching

                                                             ii.      Our formed Christian character (along with God-given promptings) may help lead us in one direction or another.

3. Why is looking at all problems as “vocational” questions problematic? (pp 235)

                                                               i.      Misuse of the Holy Spirit

                                                             ii.      Absolves us of the responsibility to reason and think.

                                                            iii.      Leads to spiritual and intellectual laziness and indecisiveness.

                                                           iv.      What we take as “spirit led” may in fact be sinful affections or temptations planted by Satan.

4. How does Packer say we can avoid these problems with vocational choices (pp 236-237)

                                                               i.      “Know your responsibilities” – pp 236. Being rightly formed will help guide us as we make difficult choices, always keeping the higher good and Glory of God first in our minds.

1.      A good done without glory to God is not good!

2.      Something that is good that is done instead of an even better good is sinful.

3.      Be the kind of person Jesus was!

                                                             ii.      Limit spiritual (internal) guidance to within the bounds of revelation found in scripture.

6. What are Packer’s “six Common Pitfalls”? (pp 237)

1. Unwillingness to think

2. Unwillingness to think ahead

3. Unwillingness to take advice

4. Unwillingness to suspect oneself

                                                               i.      This may be key in this day & age. Many conventions and actions are taken in the name of the Holy Spirit that directly contradicts truths given us in the bible.

5. Unwillingness to discount personal magnetism

6. Unwillingness to wait
   
   

6. Compare & contrast three instances when the Church – when spirit led – took certain actions:

1. Acceptance of slavery based on its acceptance in the bible

                                                               i.      Misunderstands difference between “descriptive” parts of the bible and “prescriptive” parts.

2. Acceptance of Woman’s ordination

                                                               i.      In some respects is a grey area, however individuals were “led by the spirit”

3. Acceptance of active homosexuality

                                                               i.      “The Spirit is doing a new think” – in absolute contradiction to biblical teaching.

8. If we correctly discern God’s plan does that mean things will be easier? (pp 239-241)

1. NO!

                                                               i.      Moses & Israel

                                                             ii.      Paul & all the Apostles.

2. We must be prepared to be used by God for inspiration to others; our efforts must only be directed towards attaining His glory.
   
   

8. What happens when we mess up?!

1. God’s plan can deal with our mistakes.