J. I. Packer - Weakness Is the Way: Life with Christ Our Strength

Thank you for downloading this Crossway book.

Sign-up for the Crossway Newsletter for updates on special offers, new resources, and exciting global ministry initiatives:

Crossway Newsletter

Or, if you prefer, we would love to connect with you online:

Facebook
Twitter
Google +

If you, like me, struggle with discouragement over your weaknesses, you need to read this book. We all long to be admired for our strengths, yet we all find ourselves beset with weakness (Heb. 5:2). Does this mean were stuck living with discouragement? No! There is an escape to joyful freedom. Dr. Packer knows the way. Walking us through 2 Corinthians, he shows it to us so that we, like Paul, can boast all the more gladly of [our] weaknesses.

Jon Bloom, President, Desiring God Ministries; author, Not by Sight: A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Walking by Faith

Even the title of this book flies my heart straight to Jesus, kindling afresh my desire to see him as he is. Im reminded each day that only Gods strength can sustain and empower me for service, yet Im tempted to crave worldly strength. Weakness Is the Way emboldens those beset with weaknesses by means of the truth that our human frailty becomes real spiritual strength in and through Christ alone. This is life with Christ our strength. How could we ever want to live any other way?

Gloria Furman,Pastors wife and mother of four; cross-cultural worker; author, Glimpses of Grace

I often tell students that biblical wisdom is the product of knowledge, time, and experience, all woven together by deep devotion to the living God. Dr. Packer gives us wisdom in this reflection. Weakness in our culture is hidden, denied, rejected, and avoided at all costs. But admitting it and walking in it are indispensible to biblical faith. Dr. Packer wisely alerts us to how the love of money undermines the way of weakness in the modern world! He winsomely weaves into this reflection deep and abiding Christian hope. Our culture sells us self-reliance. God says, Rely on me! Dr. Packer leads us on this path, and I, for one, am grateful for his wise guidance.

Michael S. Beates, Dean of Students, The Geneva School; author, Disability and the Gospel: How God Uses Our Weakness to Display His Grace

Dr. Packer has written a wonderful book about 2 Corinthians that illuminates the varied and various connections between the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Christian life; the power of the gospel and the weakness of the Christian; faith and money; and the present and the future. The exposition that this Christian statesman presents is informed first of all by a penetrating interpretation of the text of Scripture and a consistent theological and Christocentric focus, but also by examples from his own rich life and much else, ranging from C. S. Lewis to cartoons and films. Every Christian should read this book.

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mary F. Rockefeller Distinguished Professor of New Testament Studies, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; author, Paul the Missionary

Weakness Is the Way

Other Crossway Books by J. I. Packer

A Grief Sanctified: Through Sorrow to Eternal Hope

Growing in Christ

Praying the Lords Prayer

Keeping the Ten Commandments

In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement (with Mark Dever)

Affirming the Apostles Creed

A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life

Faithfulness and Holiness: The Witness of J. C. Ryle

Taking God Seriously: Vital Things We Need to Know

Weakness Is theWay: Life with Christ Our Strength

Copyright 2013 by J.I. Packer

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Josh Dennis

First printing 2013

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) , copyright 2001 by Crossway. 2011 Text Edition. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-3683-0
Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-3685-4
PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-3684-7
ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-3686-1

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

LB 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13
15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

My special thanks
go to
Steven Purcell,
whose renewed invitation
to Laity Lodge sparked my theme;
Lane Dennis,
who pressed me
to publish my material;
Scott Barber,
who made sense
of my messy manuscript.