God uses chronic pain and weakness, along with other afflictions, as his chisel for sculpting our lives. Felt weakness deepens dependence on Christ for strength each day. The weaker we feel, the harder we lean. And the harder we lean, the stronger we grow spiritually, even while our bodies waste away. To live with your โthornโ uncomplainingly โ that is, sweet, patient, and free in heart to love and help others, even though every day you feel weak โ is true sanctification. It is true healing for the spirit. It is a supreme victory of grace.
J. I. PackerWe approach Scripture with minds already formed by the mass of accepted opinions and viewpoints with which we have come into contact, in both the Church and the world....It is easy to be unaware that it has happened; it is hard even to begin to realize how profoundly tradition in this sense has moulded us.
J. I. PackerThe Christian's life in all its aspects-intellectual and ethical, devotional and relational, upsurging in worship and outgoing in witness-is supernatural; only the Spirit can initiate and sustain it. So apart from him, not only will there be no lively believers and no lively congregations, there will be no believers and no congregations at all.
J. I. PackerWhat is a Christian? The richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as Father.
J. I. PackerWhat God does in time, He planned from eternity. And all that He planned in eternity He carries out in time.
J. I. PackerMen who know their God are before anything else men who pray, and the first point where their zeal and energy for God's glory come to expression is in their prayers. If there is little energy for such prayer, and little consequent practice of it, this is a sure sign that as yet we scarcely know our God.
J. I. Packer