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Growing in Christ
Binding: Paperback
Author: J. I. Packer
Manufacturer: Crossway Books
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Average Rating: 4.5
Total Customer Reviews: 4
List Price: $16.99
Our Price: $11.55
Sales Rank: 162387
Product Description
Growing in Christ explains just that—how to grow in Christ. As this book shows, we mature spiritually by carefully learning and thoughtfully living the essentials of the Christian faith that are too often taken for granted or overlooked in our daily lives. These essentials—so beautifully summarized in the Apostle's Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments—provide the heart of the book, which Dr. Packer explores and applies to daily life in a clear and refreshing way. Study questions and Bible passages follow each chapter for further individual or group study. Speaking to Christians of all backgrounds and denominations, the newly converted as well as the lifelong believer, Dr. Packer reminds us that Christianity is not instinctive. Ours is a faith that must be learned, and we must never stop striving to mature.
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Users Product Reviews: |
Product Review Summary: Let Packer lead you through the Formulae As always, I find Packer clear, concise, compelling, convincing and spiritually challenging. I think he's on the right track here in approaching Christian Growth via the three great formula of the faith: The Apostle's Creed, The Lord's Prayer, and the 10 Commandment, as well as Baptism. He goes through these important topics in a soul searching and devotion inspiring manner. I have not completed the whole book yet, but so far his section on The Apostle's Creed is great in all these ways, and I eagerly look forward to the rest. I also greatly appreciate the passages for further study that Packer provides. I have been doing those and they greatly enrich and solidify the study. These and the questions for discussion also make the book great to work through with a new believer to help them get grounded in Jesus. If you don't have Packer's Knowing God, order that as well and read this as a companion piece to it, as Packer intended. Knowing God will help ground you in Packer's approach to the Three Formula. And in all things, "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (1 Peter 3:18)
Product Review Summary: Growing in Christ by J.I. Packer J. I. Packer's book, Growing in Christ is based on the historic Anglican catechism (instruction) on the Christian faith using four items that best sum up and teach a biblical faith. They are the Nicene Creed (about God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), entering into God's chosen in Christ through Baptism and Conversion, Praying using the Lord's Prayer to teach us, and God's design for our lives using the Ten Commandments. It is, I believe to be, a thought provoking book that delves deeply into what each means for the Christian today based on solid biblical scholarship and theology. Yet while it challenges it is not beyond anyone. I would recommend for those who really want to understand their faith. It is in short chapters that one can be done in the day, including meditating on his questions and reading through additional suggested scriptural readings. We use it for our instruction, adult, and new Christian training. I highly recommend it for those deepening their faith, just learning, or checking out Christianity. Growing in Christ
Product Review Summary: Packer misses the point about God's commandments... There is a saying within Christianity: eat the watermelon, spit out the seeds. Overall the author does a good job in bringing out the riches we find in Christ. But I personally have one problem with his section on the commandments. The prophet Isaiah (not me) states plainly that if it is not according to the law or the prophets, there is no light in them. You can be the judge on that.
My problem with the book is that like most Christians today Packer accepts many of his beliefs on tradition rather than the Bible. Packer who was general editor of the English Standard Version of the Bible - fails to miss what the new covenant is all about. Paul tells us explicitly what the new covenant is in Hebrews 8:7-13 which for space reasons will quote only verse 10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." Notice that God said He would write His Law on our hearts. What Law? The Moral Law which God spoke and wrote with his own finger.
So how does Packer, an evangelist whose faith is suppose to be based on the Bible and the Bible alone, support Sunday worship rather than the true Biblical Sabbath? Does he quote scripture? No - in this he is a man of integrity knowing there is no such scripture. So how then does he support it? By quoting Thomas Aquinas and the Westminster Confession. Hummmm... Must have missed that part of the Bible. Worst, thousands have read this book and never give it a second thought. Sad.
The fourth commandment regarding the Sabbath (not the festival sabbaths Paul spoke of in Colossians, read Lev. chapter 23, particularly about the day of atonement) is the one commandment that Satan hates. It reminds Satan that: 1. he cannot create for he himself was a created being. 2. Being Creator God has exclusive rights to being worshipped. Since who we worship is at the heart of all scripture - worship God the Creator and Redeemer, or worship Satan. We have only two choices. If Satan came out and said do not keep any Sabbath, no one would be fooled. So what does Satan do? Where the Bible says THE seventh day, Satan says ANY seventh day. Twists the word of God ever so subtly Just like he did with Eve. The dragon who deceives the whole world, and the world does not know it has been deceived.
The Jews failed to keep the Sabbath prior to the exile, which is one of the reasons they were given over to Babylon (read Jeremiah chapter 17). They were also worshippers of Baal - a sun god. By the time of Christ, the Jews perverted the Sabbath with their own traditions, the mishnah which include such rules as do not take two pieces of thread and make yarn on the Sabbath or do not write more than two letters. Silly is not. Absolutely! The issue of the Sabbath between Jesus and the Jews was not the day but how it should be observed. The Sabbath is intended to be a day of rest , a joy and a delight, not a burden with the rules of men.
You do not have to be a Bible scholar or Bible 'theologian' (i.e.: theologian = theory not fact). Simply ask yourself three questions: 1. Is your faith based on the Bible and Bible alone? 2. Do you believe anyone but God has the right to establish the moral law through which all righteousness will be judged? 3. Where then is it written that GOD said the Sabbath was done away with or moved to another day.
There is a reason why Jesus said "For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." John brings it out clearly in John 1:1-3. Working through Jesus God created the world and you and me. Let Us (God the Father and God the Son) make man in Our image.
Jesus said if you love Me, keep My commandments. Packer misses the same point most professed Bible scholars miss. When Jesus said "Before Abraham was, I AM" - the Jews wanted to stone Him. Why? Because Jesus just said "I was the One speaking to Moses in the burning bush. I was that Angel of the Lord. I was and is and will forever be the Great I AM". And if Jesus was in the burning bush, who then was the author of the Ten Commandments?
Good book - eat the watermelon, spit out the seeds.
Product Review Summary: Excellent resouce for Bible study I was particularly looking for a book which handled the Ten Commandments when I came across this title by Dr. Packer.
Originally published as I WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN. Covers The Apostles' Creed, Baptism and Conversion, The Lord's Prayer, and The Ten Commandments, by breaking each down into concise studies. Very useful for individual or group.
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