Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life's problems fall into place of their own accord.
J. I. PackerRead
God's ways do not change... Still he shows his freedom and lordship by discriminating between sinners, causing some to hear the gospel while others do not hear it, and moving some of those who hear it to repentance while leaving others in their unbelief, thus teaching his saints that hew owes mercy to none and that it is entirely of his grace, not at all through their own effort, that they themselves have found life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote discusses divine sovereignty, mercy, and grace in the context of salvation.
In this quote, J. I. Packer explains the nature of God's sovereignty and how it operates in the world. He emphasizes that while God does not change, He exercises His authority by choosing who will hear the gospel and who will experience repentance. This discriminative action teaches believers that mercy is not owed to anyone and that salvation is entirely based on God's grace, not human effort. It highlights the mysteries of faith and God's role in redemption.
Themes
GraceMercySovereigntySalvationFaith
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon about the importance of grace, this quote can illustrate God's unearned favor towards humankind.
More from J. I. Packer
All quotes →He that has learned to feel his sins, and to trust Christ as a Saviour, has learned the two hardest and greatest lessons in Christianity.
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We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the psalms, and that the habit of celebrating the greatness and graciousness of God yields an endless flow of thankfulness, joy, and zeal.
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The fruit of wisdom is Christlikeness, peace, humility and love. And, the root of it is faith in Christ as the manifested wisdom of God
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Were I asked to focus the New Testament message in three words, my proposal would be ADOPTION THROUGH PROPITIATION, and I do not expect ever to meet a richer or more pregnant summary of the gospel than that.
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Only when it is seen that what decides each individual's destiny is whether or not God decides to save him from his sins, and that this is a decision that God need not make in any individual case, can one begin to grasp the biblical view of grace.
J. I. PackerRead
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