The Apostle Paul: But he [the Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2Cor. 12:9-10)
J. I. Packer: Weakness Is the Way: Life with Christ Our Strength (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013).
In a brief video, Packer explains his life of weakness, which is true of all of us, whether we realize it or not, whether we are in the prime of life or towards the end. In it all, the truth remains the same: God’s grace is sufficient for our weakness. How we respond to and live this truth reflects the degree of our sanctification/transformation/spiritual maturity. It is explained in the following way:
For Christians, weakness should be a way of life. Yet most of us try desperately to be sufficient on our own, and we resent our limitations and our needs.
In the video, J.I. Packer, renowned theologian and author of the forthcoming Weakness is the Way, reflects on his experience of weakness, having been hit by a bread truck as a child and now facing the realities of aging.
J. I. Packer has long considered himself a “theologian of and for the church,” writing as a churchman for the church. Packer is personally committed to the corporate life and ministry of the local church, and he writes for God’s people who make up that church. All of us who have read his works have benefited greatly.
Packer is a true ecclesial theologian, and he continues to worship the God he loves and serve the church of Jesus Christ purchased with the blood of Christ, even in his old age! I am grateful!
