New City Churchs Summer 2012 Online Book Club

JI Packers Knowing God ~ Chapter 21, These Inward Trials Before reading: Have you been told that being a Christian will solve all your problems? How did you react to that? What might be some of the reasons that God allows trials into our lives?

Purpose: To recognize the harm of certain strains within evangelical Christianity which suggest that your Christian life should be care-free and without any trials.

Outline: I. II. III. IV. V. These Inward Trials Misapplied Doctrines Wrong Remedy Losing Sight of Grace The God Who Restores

Key Quotes: He exposes them [ie., Christians] to as much testing by the pressure of opposed and discouraging influences as they are able to bearnot more, but equally not less. Thus He builds our character, strengthens our faith, and prepares us to help others. Those who through union with Christ are dead to sin (Romans 6:1)done with it, that is, as the ruling principle of their livescannot find in sinning even that limited pleasure which it gave them before they were reborn. Sooner or later, the truth will be [known to the believer] that God is now exercising His childHis consecrated child in the ways of adult godlinessby exposing them to strong attacks from the world, the flesh, and the devil, so that their powers of resistence might grow greater, and their character as people of God become stronger. This is what all the work of grace aims atan ever deeper knowledge of God, and an ever closer fellowship with Him. Grace is God drawing us sinners closer and closer to Himself. How does God prosecute this purpose? Not by shielding us from assault by the world, the flesh, and the devil, nor by protecting us from burdensome and frustrating circumstances, nor yet by shielding us from troubles crated by our own temperament and psychology; but rather by exposing us to all these things, so as to overwhelm us with a sense of our own inadequacy, and to drive us to cling to Him more closely. This is the ultimate reason, from our standpoint, why God fills our lives with troubles and perplexities of one sort and anotherit is to ensure that we shall learn to hold Him fast. Reflection Questions: 1. The author speaks of a certain type of teaching about a care-free existence as cruel. What did he mean by that? 2. Why is there usually a difference between the experience of a younger Christian and an older one? 3. How have you been tempted to lose sight of grace when it comes to the trials of your life? 4. In your own words, what is one of the primary ways God uses to draw us to Himself? Review these questions & quotes, and let them direct your thoughts, prayer, and praise.